English can sometimes be confusing, especially when it comes to apostrophes and the proper use of words. Today, we’ll simplify the difference between “Brother’s,” “Brothers’,” and “Brothers” so that even young learners can understand them!
What’s the Big Deal with Apostrophes?
Apostrophes help us show two important things:
- Possession – To show that something belongs to someone or something.
- Contractions – To combine two words (like can’t for cannot), but we won’t focus on this use today.
In this article, we’ll look at how to use apostrophes to show possession with the word brother and how it changes when it becomes brothers.
The Difference Between “Brother’s,” “Brothers’,” and “Brothers”
Let’s break these words down:
| Word | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Brother’s | Singular possessive: Something belongs to one brother. | My brother’s hat is on the table. |
| Brothers’ | Plural possessive: Something belongs to more than one brother. | The brothers’ room is always messy. |
| Brothers | Plural form: Talking about more than one brother without showing possession. | I have two brothers, and they both love basketball. |
Brother’s: Singular Possessive
When you’re talking about one brother and want to show that something belongs to him, you use brother’s with an apostrophe before the s.
Examples:
- My brother’s bike is new. (The bike belongs to my brother.)
- The brother’s idea was clever. (The idea belongs to one brother.)
Brothers’: Plural Possessive
When there are two or more brothers and you want to show that something belongs to all of them, you add the apostrophe after the s in brothers’.
Examples:
- The brothers’ dog is barking. (The dog belongs to all the brothers.)
- I borrowed the brothers’ car. (The car belongs to both or all of the brothers.)
Brothers: Plural Form Without Possession
When you’re just talking about more than one brother and there’s no possession involved, there’s no apostrophe at all. Just use brothers.
Examples:
- My brothers are twins.
- Do your brothers like soccer?
Table of Quick Rules
| Form | How Many Brothers? | Is It Showing Possession? | Key Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother’s | One | Yes | Add an apostrophe + “s” after brother. |
| Brothers’ | Two or more | Yes | Add an apostrophe after the s. |
| Brothers | Two or more | No | No apostrophe is needed. |
Tips to Remember
- The apostrophe tells you if something belongs to someone.
- If there’s only one brother, the apostrophe comes before the s (brother’s).
- If there are multiple brothers, the apostrophe comes after the s (brothers’).
- If you’re just talking about a group of brothers without possession, you don’t use an apostrophe (brothers).
Practice Time!
Let’s see if you can apply these rules. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the word:
- My ________ (brother/brother’s/brothers’) favorite color is green.
- The ________ (brother/brother’s/brothers’) coats are hanging in the hallway.
- I have three ________ (brother/brother’s/brothers).
Answers
- My brother’s favorite color is green.
- The brothers’ coats are hanging in the hallway.
- I have three brothers.
