Apostrophes for plural possession
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can show how an apostrophe works for plural possession.
Key learning points
- An apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation.
- An apostrophe has more than one purpose.
- An apostrophe can show if a noun belongs to another plural noun.
- Apostrophes for plural possession are useful to make our meaning clear.
- An apostrophe sits at the same height as the ascender of a letter.
Keywords
Apostrophe for possession - a punctuation mark used to show if a noun belongs to another plural noun
Plural - more than one
Belong - to be the property of someone or something
Common misconception
Pupils think the apostrophe is placed before the s at the end of the first noun.
Repeat many times that an apostrophe is placed before the s at the end of the first noun only when it is a singular noun owning something. An apostrophe is placed after the s at the end of the first noun when it is a plural noun that owns something.
Teacher tip
Use the 'Grab to Possess' gesture to help pupils see the act of possession. Pull the noun that belongs to your chest whilst simultaneously saying the phrase, e.g. 'the boys' coats'. Say the phrase and on 'coats', pull your arm in to your chest as if you are 'the boys' who own the 'coats'.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Fill in the blank: 'Possessing' is another word for ...
Q2.What belongs to Sofia in the following sentence? 'Ms Clarke read Sofia's book at lunch time play.'
Q3.What belongs to Jun in the following sentence? 'Jun's carrier bag was yellow with red stripes and he took it to the supermarket.'
Q4.Why is there no s after the apostrophe in the following sentence? 'Mr Douglas' jumper looked very warm.'
Q5.Which pair of words have been contracted with an apostrophe in this example? won't
Q6.Is the apostrophe signalling contraction or possession in the following sentence? 'I'm definitely coming to the party in the summer!'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which is correct for what 'singular' means?
Q2.Which is correct for what 'plural' means?
Q3.Which letter do most (not all) plural nouns end in in English?
Q4.What belongs to Izzy and Aisha in the following sentence? 'Mr Lewis read the girls' poems over his lunch break.'
Q5.Why is there no s after the apostrophe in the following sentence? 'The boys' coats were strewn across the corridor.'
Q6.Which is the correct version to fill in the blank to show that the pens belong to the girls? The __________ pens were multi-coloured.
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Apostrophes for plural possession, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Apostrophes for plural possession, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the Speech first punctuation and apostrophes unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.