Possessive or Plural? Worksheet for grammar practice.

Let's go through each sentence and determine whether the bolded noun is correctly used as a possessive or plural form. We'll mark each with a ✓ if correct, and an X if incorrect.

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1. John’s assignment was to write a paper.

✔ ✓
- "John’s" is correct — it shows possession (the assignment belongs to John).
✔️ Correct.

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2. The girls ankle broke when she fell.

✘ X
- Should be "girl's", not "girls".
- "Girls" is plural, but here we need singular possessive: "The girl's ankle".
- It refers to one girl’s ankle.
✖️ Incorrect.

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3. That dog’s personality is outstanding.

✔ ✓
- "dog’s" is correct — singular possessive form.
✔️ Correct.

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4. The team’s first game was their best one.

✔ ✓
- "team’s" is correct — possessive form showing the game belongs to the team.
✔️ Correct.

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5. What did you think of the groups choices?

✘ X
- Should be "group’s" (singular possessive) or "groups’" (plural possessive).
- But since it says "choices", it implies multiple choices by multiple groups → "groups’ choices".
- So: "groups’" (plural possessive), not "groups".
✖️ Incorrect.

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6. The bouquet of flowers was really beautiful.

✔ ✓
- "flowers" is plural, but it's not possessive — it's just a regular plural noun in a prepositional phrase.
- No apostrophe needed.
✔️ Correct.

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7. The manager’s are all on leave today.

✘ X
- "manager’s" is singular possessive. But here, it should be "managers" (plural) because it's talking about multiple managers.
- The sentence means: “The managers are all on leave.”
- So, no apostrophe.
✖️ Incorrect.

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8. Have you seen the tadpole’s shrinking tail?

✔ ✓
- "tadpole’s" is correct — singular possessive.
✔️ Correct.

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9. This chefs restaurant just opened.

✘ X
- Should be "chef’s" — possessive form.
- "chefs" is plural, but we need to show ownership: "chef’s restaurant".
- If it were plural, it would be "chefs’ restaurant" (if multiple chefs own it).
- But here, likely one chef owns it → "chef’s".
✖️ Incorrect.

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10. That is the teacher’s intention, I believe.

✔ ✓
- "teacher’s" is correct — singular possessive.
✔️ Correct.

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11. The gardener’s convention is next week.

✔ ✓
- "gardener’s" is correct — possessive form indicating the convention belongs to the gardener(s).
✔️ Correct.

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12. That cars engine doesn’t sound very good

✘ X
- Should be "car’s" — possessive form.
- "cars" is plural, but we mean "that car’s engine" — one car.
✖️ Incorrect.

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13. My preference’s for colors are red and blue.

✘ X
- "preference’s" is singular possessive, but the sentence says "preferences" (plural) in meaning.
- Also, "preference" is not something that "has" colors; rather, "my preferences" are colors.
- Correct version: "My preferences for colors are red and blue."
- No possessive needed.
✖️ Incorrect.

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14. My purse’s front pocket has a hole in it.

✔ ✓
- "purse’s" is correct — possessive form showing the pocket belongs to the purse.
✔️ Correct.

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15. That nurse’s demeanor is disturbing.

✔ ✓
- "nurse’s" is correct — singular possessive.
✔️ Correct.

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## ✔ Final Answers:

1. ✓
2. X
3. ✓
4. ✓
5. X
6. ✓
7. X
8. ✓
9. X
10. ✓
11. ✓
12. X
13. X
14. ✓
15. ✓

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🔍 Summary of Common Errors:

- Missing apostrophes in possessives (e.g., "girl's", "chef's").
- Using plural instead of possessive (e.g., "managers" vs. "managers’").
- Confusing plural nouns with possessive forms.
- Incorrect use of possessive with non-possessive meanings (e.g., "preferences" vs. "preference’s").

Always ask:
👉 Is this showing ownership? Then use 's or 's.
👉 Is it just a plural? Then add -s or -es, no apostrophe.

Let me know if you'd like a corrected version of the worksheet!