---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Form the possessive singular of nouns by…"
description: "\"“Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write: Charles's friend, Burns's poems, the wi..."
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---

#  Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow…

![“Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write: Charles's friend, Burns's poems, the witch's malice. ... The pronomial possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and ours have no apostrophe. Indefinite pronouns, however, use the apostrophe…” quote by Strunk Jr., William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/strunk-jr-william-102711_vice-versa_form-the-possessive-singular-of-nouns-by_2719044.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/strunk-jr-william-102711_vice-versa_form-the-possessive-singular-of-nouns-by_2719044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/strunk-jr-william-102711_vice-versa_form-the-possessive-singular-of-nouns-by_2719044.jpg)

> ““Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write: Charles's friend, Burns's poems, the witch's malice. ... The pronomial possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and ours have no apostrophe. Indefinite pronouns, however, use the apostrophe to show possession: one's rights, somebody else's umbrella. A common error is to write it's for its, or vice versa. The first is a contraction, meaning "it is". The second is a possessive. It's a wise dog that scratches its own fleas.””

[Strunk Jr., William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strunk-jr-william/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Rules for possessive forms and apostrophe usage are explained, highlighting common errors and clarifying grammar.

**In simple terms:** Grammar rules for apostrophes and possessives.

Key Takeaway

Apply correct possessive punctuation.

Themes

grammar punctuation possessives language education

Mood

educational precise

Type

instruction explanation

When to use this quote

- writing
- editing
- teaching

Key Concepts

linguistics style guide

Questions to Reflect On

- What common apostrophe mistake do you make?
- How can you improve your editing process?

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[Apostrophe Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostrophe-possession-2867790/) [Form Possessive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-possessive-2867791/) [Possessive Singular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessive-singular-2867792/) [Possessives Theirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessives-theirs-2867789/) [Pronomial Possessives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pronomial-possessives-2867788/) [Vice versa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-versa/)

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