Question 1

What is the difference between 's and s'?

Accepted Answer

The difference is about how many owners there are. Add 's after a singular noun (one owner): "the boy's room" means one boy's room. Add an apostrophe after the -s of a regular plural noun (more than one owner): "the boys' room" means the room belongs to several boys. When you read the word aloud, "boy's" and "boys'" sound the same, but the written apostrophe position changes the meaning completely. A good way to check is to ask "one or more?" — if one, the apostrophe goes before the s; if more than one, it goes after. This distinction appears frequently in Cambridge A2 and B1 level exams.

Question 2

How do I add an apostrophe to irregular plurals?

Accepted Answer

Irregular plurals like "children," "women," "men," "people," and "mice" do not end in -s, so they follow the same rule as singular nouns — add 's: "children's books," "women's football," "men's clothing," "people's choices." The reason is simple: since the plural word does not already end in -s, you need the full 's to show possession. Compare this with regular plurals: "the girls' books" (regular plural ending in -s, so just add an apostrophe). If you remember that irregular plurals are treated like singular nouns for apostrophe purposes, you will always get this right.

Question 3

How do I show possession with names that end in -s?

Accepted Answer

For names ending in -s like James, Charles, or Frances, British English accepts both forms: "James's house" and "James' house" are both correct. Many style guides prefer adding 's ("James's") because it matches the way we pronounce it — we say an extra "iz" sound: "Jamez-iz house." However, for ancient names (Jesus, Moses, Socrates), it is more common to add just an apostrophe: "Jesus' teachings," "Socrates' philosophy." The most important thing is to be consistent — choose one style and use it throughout your writing. In Cambridge exams, both forms are accepted.

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