17 Possessive without a Following Noun

The Possessive form is used to talk about things that belong to a person, object or animal. We can even use it to show that one thing belongs to another thing.

In some cases we can use a Possessive without a Following Noun, if the meaning is clear.

• We add an apostrophe and an s (‘s) to singular nouns and an apostrophe (‘) to regular plural nouns;
• We also add an apostrophe and an s (s’) to irregular plural nouns.

The structure of Possessive without a Following Noun is:
Verb + possessive + noun = Verb + Possessive (‘s).

• Is it Rob‘s keyboard? - No, it’s Keith‘s. (Keith’s keyboard)
• Is that your password? - No, it’s my father‘s. (My father’s password)
• Where did you write your report? - At Julia‘s. (Julia’s house)

We use Possessives to show ownership. We omit the noun in these cases:

• When there is a Possessive both in the first sentence or in the question, in the second sentence or in the reply to a question;
• When we talk about people’s houses, shops, firms and churches.

We use the Possessive to talk about things that belong to a person or animal, or even to show that one thing belongs to another thing. Sometimes we can use a possessive without a noun following it (if the meaning is clear).

The structure of Possessive without a Following Noun is:
Verb + possessive + noun = Verb + Possessive (‘s) (e.g. Jane’s cat).

For example:
— “Jane‘s cat” = “Jane” is a singular noun, therefore we add an apostrophe and an s (‘s).
— “Girls‘ books” = “Girls” is a plural noun, therefore we add an apostrophe.
— “Men‘s room” = “Men” is an irregular plural noun, therefore we add an apostrophe and an s (s’).
— “I am going to Jake‘s.” = When we talk about people’s houses, shops, firms and churches, we often drop the noun following the possessive (Jake’s house).

Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.