Apostrophes for singular and plural possession

This Year 4 English worksheet was created by an experienced primary school teacher to help your child understand and practise using apostrophes for singular and plural possession.

When are apostrophes introduced in primary school?

According to the 2014 curriculum, children in Year 2 learn to use apostrophes for singular possession and contractions. Although there is no specific mention of apostrophes in the Year 3 curriculum, a dedicated teacher will reinforce these Year 2 skills throughout Year 3. In Year 4, students advance to using apostrophes to indicate plural possession.

What are the rules for possessive apostrophes?

Here are the basic rules for using possessive apostrophes:

One person or thing:

• Add an apostrophe and an s ('s) to show something belongs to one person or thing.

  Example: The dog's bone (The bone of the dog)

More than one person or thing:

• If the word is already plural and ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s.

  Example: The dogs' park (The park of the dogs)

Irregular plurals (not ending in s):

• Add an apostrophe and an s ('s).

  Example: The children's toys (The toys of the children)

Names ending in s:

• For names that end in s, you can add either just an apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s.

  Example: James' book or James's book (The book of James)

How will this apostrophe worksheet help your Year 4 child?

This colourful worksheet was created by a primary school teacher with the specific aim of helping your child understand possessive apostrophes and practise what they have learned. There is a clear and easy-to-understand explanation and then a simple activity that will boost your child's confidence and help them with their English skills. 

For more support with Year 4 English, go over to our hub page, or try a new activity such as our Year 4 English Challenge Pack.