Educational worksheet teaching the use of apostrophes in possessive plurals, featuring examples and practice sentences.
Worksheet titled "The possessive plural and apostrophes" with instructions and exercises for correcting apostrophe placement in sentences.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Plural possessive apostrophes worksheet | KS2 English | Teachit
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Plural possessive apostrophes worksheet | KS2 English | Teachit
Let's solve this grammar worksheet step by step. The task is to rewrite each sentence by adding the apostrophe in the correct place to show possession, following the rules provided.
---
1. Regular plurals ending in *s*: Add apostrophe after the *s*.
- Example: *friends' mums* → "friends" ends in *s*, so add ' after the *s*.
2. Irregular plurals (don’t end in *s*): Add apostrophe before the *s*.
- Examples:
- *women’s* (not “womens”)
- *children’s* (not “childrens”)
- *men’s*, *people’s*
3. Plural nouns that don’t end in *s*: Apostrophe goes after the plural form and before the *s*.
---
Now let's go through each sentence:
---
- "dogs" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = dogs'
- Corrected: The dogs' tails were wagging happily.
✔ *Explanation:* "dogs" ends in *s*, so we add the apostrophe after the *s*.
---
- "womens" → irregular plural of "woman" is "women", which does not end in *s*
- So possessive form is women's
- Corrected: After the rainstorm, the women's clothes were sodden.
✔ *Explanation:* "women" is an irregular plural (no *s* at the end), so apostrophe goes after "women" and before the *s*.
---
- "childrens" → irregular plural of "child" is "children", which doesn't end in *s*
- Possessive: children's
- Corrected: The children's entertainer was amazing.
✔ *Explanation:* "children" doesn’t end in *s*, so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
- "rabbits" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = rabbits'
- Corrected: The rabbits' noses were twitching.
✔ *Explanation:* Regular plural ending in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
- "aliens" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = aliens'
- Corrected: The aliens' bodies were bright green.
✔ *Explanation:* "aliens" ends in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
- "pirates" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = pirates'
- Corrected: The pirates' beards were long and black.
✔ *Explanation:* Regular plural ending in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
- "firemens" → plural of "fireman" is "firemen", which is irregular and doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = firemen's
- Corrected: The firemen's helmets kept them safe.
✔ *Explanation:* "firemen" is irregular plural, not ending in *s*, so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
- "teams" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = teams'
- "captains" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = captains'
- But note: This is two separate possessions — the team’s captain(s) — but here it seems like the captains of the team.
- So: The team's captains shook hands...
- Corrected: The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
✔ *Explanation:* "team" is singular, so its possessive is team's. "Captains" is plural, but not possessive here — it's the object. Only "team" needs the apostrophe.
> Note: "teams" would only be used if there were multiple teams whose captains are being referred to. But the sentence says "the teams captains" — likely a typo for "the team's captains".
So final answer: The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
---
- "mens" → plural of "man" is "men", irregular, doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = men's
- Corrected: The men's changing room was untidy.
✔ *Explanation:* "men" is irregular plural, no *s* at the end → apostrophe after "men" and before *s*.
---
- "grandchildrens" → plural of "grandchild" is "grandchildren", irregular, doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = grandchildren's
- Corrected: The grandchildren's party was a great success.
✔ *Explanation:* "grandchildren" is irregular plural (no *s* at the end), so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
1. The dogs' tails were wagging happily.
2. After the rainstorm, the women's clothes were sodden.
3. The children's entertainer was amazing.
4. The rabbits' noses were twitching.
5. The aliens' bodies were bright green.
6. The pirates' beards were long and black.
7. The firemen's helmets kept them safe.
8. The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
9. The men's changing room was untidy.
10. The grandchildren's party was a great success.
---
- Always check if the plural ends in *s*.
- If it does, add apostrophe after the *s*.
- If it’s an irregular plural (like women, children, men), add apostrophe after the plural form and before the *s*.
- Remember: possessive means something belongs to someone/something.
Let me know if you'd like this turned into a printable version!
---
🔹 Key Rules Recap:
1. Regular plurals ending in *s*: Add apostrophe after the *s*.
- Example: *friends' mums* → "friends" ends in *s*, so add ' after the *s*.
2. Irregular plurals (don’t end in *s*): Add apostrophe before the *s*.
- Examples:
- *women’s* (not “womens”)
- *children’s* (not “childrens”)
- *men’s*, *people’s*
3. Plural nouns that don’t end in *s*: Apostrophe goes after the plural form and before the *s*.
---
Now let's go through each sentence:
---
1. The dogs tails were wagging happily.
- "dogs" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = dogs'
- Corrected: The dogs' tails were wagging happily.
✔ *Explanation:* "dogs" ends in *s*, so we add the apostrophe after the *s*.
---
2. After the rainstorm, the womens clothes were sodden.
- "womens" → irregular plural of "woman" is "women", which does not end in *s*
- So possessive form is women's
- Corrected: After the rainstorm, the women's clothes were sodden.
✔ *Explanation:* "women" is an irregular plural (no *s* at the end), so apostrophe goes after "women" and before the *s*.
---
3. The childrens entertainer was amazing.
- "childrens" → irregular plural of "child" is "children", which doesn't end in *s*
- Possessive: children's
- Corrected: The children's entertainer was amazing.
✔ *Explanation:* "children" doesn’t end in *s*, so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
4. The rabbits noses were twitching.
- "rabbits" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = rabbits'
- Corrected: The rabbits' noses were twitching.
✔ *Explanation:* Regular plural ending in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
5. The aliens bodies were bright green.
- "aliens" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = aliens'
- Corrected: The aliens' bodies were bright green.
✔ *Explanation:* "aliens" ends in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
6. The pirates beards were long and black.
- "pirates" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = pirates'
- Corrected: The pirates' beards were long and black.
✔ *Explanation:* Regular plural ending in *s*, so apostrophe after *s*.
---
7. The firemens helmets kept them safe.
- "firemens" → plural of "fireman" is "firemen", which is irregular and doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = firemen's
- Corrected: The firemen's helmets kept them safe.
✔ *Explanation:* "firemen" is irregular plural, not ending in *s*, so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
8. The teams captains shook hands at the end of the match.
- "teams" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = teams'
- "captains" → plural ends in *s*, so possessive = captains'
- But note: This is two separate possessions — the team’s captain(s) — but here it seems like the captains of the team.
- So: The team's captains shook hands...
- Corrected: The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
✔ *Explanation:* "team" is singular, so its possessive is team's. "Captains" is plural, but not possessive here — it's the object. Only "team" needs the apostrophe.
> Note: "teams" would only be used if there were multiple teams whose captains are being referred to. But the sentence says "the teams captains" — likely a typo for "the team's captains".
So final answer: The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
---
9. The mens changing room was untidy.
- "mens" → plural of "man" is "men", irregular, doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = men's
- Corrected: The men's changing room was untidy.
✔ *Explanation:* "men" is irregular plural, no *s* at the end → apostrophe after "men" and before *s*.
---
10. The grandchildrens party was a great success.
- "grandchildrens" → plural of "grandchild" is "grandchildren", irregular, doesn’t end in *s*
- So possessive = grandchildren's
- Corrected: The grandchildren's party was a great success.
✔ *Explanation:* "grandchildren" is irregular plural (no *s* at the end), so apostrophe goes after the word and before the *s*.
---
✔ Final Answers:
1. The dogs' tails were wagging happily.
2. After the rainstorm, the women's clothes were sodden.
3. The children's entertainer was amazing.
4. The rabbits' noses were twitching.
5. The aliens' bodies were bright green.
6. The pirates' beards were long and black.
7. The firemen's helmets kept them safe.
8. The team's captains shook hands at the end of the match.
9. The men's changing room was untidy.
10. The grandchildren's party was a great success.
---
📝 Summary Tips:
- Always check if the plural ends in *s*.
- If it does, add apostrophe after the *s*.
- If it’s an irregular plural (like women, children, men), add apostrophe after the plural form and before the *s*.
- Remember: possessive means something belongs to someone/something.
Let me know if you'd like this turned into a printable version!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of plural possessive apostrophe worksheet.
