Genitive Case with Plural Nouns | English Grammar Guide for French Students

• 1 Indicates possession or ownership
• 2 Shows a relationship between nouns
• 3 Uses apostrophe + s ('s) or just apostrophe (')
• 4 Changes based on singular vs plural forms

1 For plural nouns that already end in -s, add only an apostrophe (')
2 This avoids doubling the -s sound
3 The apostrophe comes after the existing -s
4 Examples: cats → cats', students → students'

• 1 The cats' toys are scattered everywhere.
• 2 The students' books are on the table.
• 3 The girls' room is upstairs.
• 4 The workers' union is strong.
• 5 The teachers' lounge is on the second floor.

1 For plural nouns that do not end in -s, add 's (apostrophe + s)
2 This includes irregular plurals like children, men, women
3 The apostrophe comes after the plural form
4 Examples: children → children's, mice → mice's, women → women's

• 1 The children's playground is safe.
• 2 The men's locker room is downstairs.
• 3 The women's section is well organized.
• 4 The mice's nest is in the corner.
• 5 The people's choice was clear.

Type of Plural	Rule	Example	Genitive Form
Regular plural ending in -s	Apostrophe only (')	cats, students, girls	cats', students', girls'
Irregular plural not ending in -s	Apostrophe + s ('s)	children, men, women	children's, men's, women's
Irregular plural ending in -s	Apostrophe only (')	sheep, deer, fish	sheep', deer', fish'

1 For compound plural nouns, add the genitive to the last word:
2 Examples: mothers-in-law → mothers-in-law's, passers-by → passers-by's
3 For joint possession, add 's to the last noun: John and Mary's house
4 For separate possession, each noun gets 's: John's and Mary's houses

1 Adding just apostrophe to -s plurals prevents double -s sound
2 The apostrophe is pronounced as a brief pause or glottal stop
3 In rapid speech, the distinction might be minimal
4 Writing maintains the distinction for clarity

1 "A friend of my father's" - combines 's genitive with "of" construction
2 This emphasizes that the person is one of several possible friends
3 "A friend of my fathers'" when referring to multiple fathers
4 Provides additional specificity and clarity

1 "The arrival of the guests" vs "the guests' arrival"
2 Both constructions are valid but emphasize different aspects
3 Genitive is more concise and direct
4 "Of"-construction is more formal in some contexts

• 1 Adding -s to plural nouns ending in -s: "cats's" instead of "cats'"
• 2 Forgetting the apostrophe entirely: "cats" instead of "cats'"
• 3 Using singular genitive for plural nouns: "child's toys" instead of "children's toys"
• 4 Confusing joint and separate possession rules

1 ✓ Correct: "The students' books"
2 ✗ Incorrect: "The students's books"
3 ✓ Correct: "The children's toys"
4 ✗ Incorrect: "The childrens' toys"

1. The _______ books are on the shelf. (students)

2. The _______ toys are scattered everywhere. (children)

3. The _______ cars are parked outside. (neighbors)

4. The _______ opinions vary greatly. (citizens)

5. The _______ rooms are upstairs. (girls)

6. The _______ uniforms are blue. (players)

7. The _______ houses are beautiful. (families)

8. The _______ rights are protected. (workers)

9. The _______ decisions affect everyone. (managers)

10. The _______ artwork is displayed. (students)

1. students' (plural ending in -s)

2. children's (irregular plural not ending in -s)

3. neighbors' (plural ending in -s)

4. citizens' (plural ending in -s)

5. girls' (plural ending in -s)

6. players' (plural ending in -s)

7. families' (plural ending in -s)

8. workers' (plural ending in -s)

9. managers' (plural ending in -s)

10. students' (plural ending in -s)

1 English: Uses apostrophe + s for genitive case
2 French: Uses "de" (of) or contracted forms (du, de la, des)
3 English: No gender agreement required for genitive
4 French: Requires gender and number agreement

• 1 English genitive is simpler than French (no gender agreement)
• 2 Focus on the -s ending rule for regular plurals
• 3 Remember the apostrophe for -s plurals
• 4 Practice with irregular plural forms

1 For -s plurals: "Already have -s? Just add apostrophe!" (cats → cats')
2 For non -s plurals: "No -s? Add 's!" (children → children's)
3 Remember the purpose: To show ownership clearly
4 Think of pronunciation: Avoid double -s sound

• 1 Practice with real objects around you
• 2 Create sentences about groups of people or things
• 3 Read English texts to see natural usage patterns
• 4 Focus on irregular plural forms first

• Plural nouns ending in -s: Add only apostrophe (cats' books)
• Plural nouns not ending in -s: Add 's (children's toys)
• Irregular plurals follow the non -s rule (men's club)
• The purpose is to show possession clearly
• Writing maintains the distinction for clarity

Remember: Plural -s? Just apostrophe! No -s? Add 's!

• Start with common plural nouns ending in -s
• Gradually add irregular plural forms
• Focus on pronunciation to understand the rule