When we talk about people or things, we can show ownership in different ways. Two common ways to express possession are through singular possessive and plural possessive forms. Let’s look at how we can use the words “individual” and “individuals” to show possession.
Singular Possessive: Individual’s
The word “individual” means one person or thing. When we want to show that one person or thing owns something, we use individual’s. The apostrophe (’) tells us that the noun (individual) is showing possession, meaning the individual owns or is associated with something.
Examples:
- The individual’s book (The book belongs to the individual.)
- The individual’s toy (The toy belongs to the individual.)
- The individual’s house (The house belongs to the individual.)
Plural Form: Individuals
When we talk about more than one person or thing, we use the plural form “individuals.” The word “individuals” refers to more than one individual.
Example:
- The individuals in the group were excited. (Here, we are talking about more than one person.)
Plural Possessive: Individuals’
When we want to show that more than one individual owns something, we add an apostrophe after the “s” in “individuals” to make it individuals’. This shows that multiple people or things own something.
Examples:
- The individuals’ books (The books belong to the individuals.)
- The individuals’ opinions (The opinions belong to the individuals.)
- The individuals’ toys (The toys belong to the individuals.)
Table to Help You Understand
To make it easier to understand, let’s use a table to show the differences between these forms:
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Singular Possessive | Individual’s book | One person owns the book. |
| Plural | Individuals in the room | More than one person. |
| Plural Possessive | Individuals’ books | More than one person owns the books. |
Key Takeaways
- Individual’s is used to show possession by one person or thing (singular possessive).
- Individuals refers to more than one person or thing (plural).
- Individuals’ is used when more than one person owns something (plural possessive).
Simple Tip for Remembering
Think of the apostrophe as a little helper:
- ‘s is for one person or thing.
- ’s after s (like individuals’) is for more than one person or thing.
Practice!
Try using the forms below in your own sentences:
- My _____ book is on the table. (Fill in: individual’s/individuals’)
- The _____ cars were parked outside. (Fill in: individual’s/individuals’)
By remembering the rules of possessive forms, you can use individual’s, individuals, and individuals’ correctly in any sentence! Happy writing!
