Collective – Compound – Possessive Nouns
Collective Nouns
Nouns that name groups of people or things are known as collective nouns.
Examples:
swarm
crowd
group
committee
family
herd
Compound Nouns
Nouns may not always be just one word. A name such as Uncle Mike is a noun. So, too, are other words that
must stand together to name a person, place, or thing.
A compound noun is a noun that is made up of more than one word.
As the following chart shows, compound nouns are written in several different ways.
Types of Compound Nouns
Separated/Open
Hyphenated
Combined/Solid
bubble bath
daughter-in-law
shipwreck
station wagon
hand-me-down
handstand
roller coaster
jack-in-the-box
rollback
sleeping bag
mind-set
breakfast
Historically, most compound nouns begin as separate words. Over a long period of time, more and more people
start to hyphenate the words. Finally, many compound nouns come to be written as one word. If you are not sure how
to spell a compound noun, check a dictionary. If the compound noun you are looking for is not entered in the
dictionary, you can safely spell it as separate words.
Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun is a classification of a noun – traditionally a person, place, thing or idea—that refers to the noun’s
particular relationship to another noun. Rather than standing alone as a noun unit – a subject or object, for example – a
possessive noun is usually part of a larger noun phrase. It is used to show ownership or possession, authority, origin,
kind, etc.
Example: The dog’s collar is too large.
The word dog’s is the possessive noun. It tells you that the noun collar belong to the dog. The dog owns, or possesses
the collar.
1. Add ‘s to the end of a singular noun to make it possessive.
Example: The sky’s color is changing.
sky + ‘s
Plural Possessive Nouns: show ownership. Plural nouns show a quantity of more than one. Plural possessive nouns
incorporate the concepts of ownership and “more than one.”
Plural Nouns Ending with S:
bosses’ orders
alarms’ ringing
calves’ hooves
boys’ club
Smiths’ grandchild potatoes’ skin
children’s hats
girls’ sports
witnesses’ testimony
babies’ rash
attorneys’ fees
companies’ plan
bushes’ flowers armchairs’ arms knives’ blades
parents’ books
airplanes’ wings
clocks’ hands
Irregular Plural Nouns Ending Without S: With irregular plural nous that do not end with “s”, add an apostrophe and
“s” = ‘s.
2. Add ‘s to the end of a plural noun that does not end with an s.
Example: We enjoyed the children’s play.
children + ‘s
bacteria’s invasion
mice’s feet
people’s beliefs
oxen’s yokes
teeth’s cavities media’s influence
cacti’s protection
women’s issues
men’s worries
children’s toys stimuli’s effect syllabi’s needs
3. Add only the apostrophe (‘) to the end of a plural noun that ends with an s.
Example: My sisters’ names are Kate and Nikki.
sister + ‘
Optional: If the noun is singular and ends with an s, add ‘s or add only the apostrophe (‘).
Example: The bus’s engine stopped. The bus’ engine stopped. Note: Most sources recommend the shorter version if
the ending “iz” sound it not wanted.