Khan Academy said this: "The exception to this rule is when you use pronouns (it → its, he → his, she → her/hers, me → my/mine, they → their/theirs, our → our/ours). Apostrophes are not used to show possession with pronouns." I am so confused if this is true. I have learned that if someone owns something, add an apostrophe before the s. Even if the word "it" owns something. Ex: That is it's seed. From the quote up above, they say pronouns DON'T have an apostrophe. Which is correct?

Exactly, David. The correct way to write, " That is it's seed," is, " That is its seed."

I don't get it. What happens if the word ends in 2 s's, like dress?

While the regular plural of dress is dresses, the possessive form would be "dress's" which sounds the same way as "dresses." The same goes for "class"

@David Alexander- Are you a teacher in Khan Academy or just a student. Because if someone does not know the answer to a question, you will help them the same day or the next day! Are you a teacher or just a very good helper?

I hope that I'm a very good helper.

If I say "Oh my friend is still in the mall" ( How do I put a Apostrophe In "is still" ) or it is normal?

If you want to shorten it, you need to say "Oh, my friend's still in the mall." You do not shorten is still, you shorten my friend is. Hope this helped, even if it was 6 years ago!

what happened to the word ends with 2s's.

I wear glasses. Sometimes the little screw that holds the earpiece to the spectacles piece gets loose and falls out. Then I have to look all around for my glasses' screw. (There, did THAT work?)

I think you forgot to mention that you don’t use an apostrophe s (‘s) when the last letter of the word is an s. Instead, you use just an apostrophe. For example: you don’t say James’s, you say James’

Wait, I just realized he will talk about it in the next video, my bad.

Why do we need to learn a possessive?

Let's see. If I find a bunch of chopped off fingers on the ground, I might wonder from whom they came. If I ask you, and you respond, "They're Stephan's fingers." Then you've used the possessive. Of course, you could use a locution such as, "They are the fingers of Stephen." But that's the long way around.

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Grammar

Course: Grammar > Unit 6

Lesson 5: Introduction to the possessive

Introduction to the possessive

Name: Introduction to the possessive
Uploaded: 2016-06-14T23:21:17Z
Description: Apostrophes can help show when something belongs to someone. Paige and David explain how!

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Apostrophes can help show when something belongs to someone. Paige and David explain how!

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Jenny
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Jenny's post “Khan Academy said this: ...”
Khan Academy said this:
"The exception to this rule is when you use pronouns (it → its, he → his, she → her/hers, me → my/mine, they → their/theirs, our → our/ours). Apostrophes are not used to show possession with pronouns."
I am so confused if this is true. I have learned that if someone owns something, add an apostrophe before the s. Even if the word "it" owns something.
Ex: That is it's seed.
From the quote up above, they say pronouns DON'T have an apostrophe. Which is correct?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(24 votes)
Answer
- Freya Donati
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Freya Donati's post “Exactly, David. The corre...”
  Exactly, David. The correct way to write, " That is it's seed," is, " That is its seed."
  Comment on Freya Donati's post “Exactly, David. The corre...”
  (6 votes)
Jimmy L.
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Jimmy L.'s post “I don't get it. What happ...”
I don't get it. What happens if the word ends in 2 s's, like dress?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Jimmy L.'s post “I don't get it. What happ...”
(14 votes)
Answer
- Angel
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Angel's post “While the regular plural ...”
  While the regular plural of dress is dresses, the possessive form would be "dress's" which sounds the same way as "dresses." The same goes for "class"
  Comment on Angel's post “While the regular plural ...”
  (10 votes)
Jola and Jeri
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to Jola and Jeri's post “@David Alexander- Are yo...”
@David Alexander-

Are you a teacher in Khan Academy or just a student. Because if someone does not know the answer to a question, you will help them the same day or the next day! Are you a teacher or just a very good helper?
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(7 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “I hope that I'm a very go...”
  I hope that I'm a very good helper.
  Comment on David Alexander's post “I hope that I'm a very go...”
  (21 votes)
Frederick Wang
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Frederick Wang's post “Does the word its' exist.”
Does the word its' exist.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Frederick Wang's post “Does the word its' exist.”
(4 votes)
Answer
- http://facebookid.khanacademy.org/100006344376593
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to http://facebookid.khanacademy.org/100006344376593's post “No. It does not exist, as...”
  No. It does not exist, as it does not indicate plurals (it is at the end of the word), it is not a contraction (again, it is at the end of the word), and there is no noun "its" to make a possessive out of (the cats' furballs, etc.).
  Button navigates to signup page
  (0 votes)
Prince Evan
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Prince Evan's post “If I say "Oh my friend is...”
If I say "Oh my friend is still in the mall" ( How do I put a Apostrophe In "is still" ) or it is normal?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Prince Evan's post “If I say "Oh my friend is...”
(4 votes)
Answer
- B0az0n
  Posted a year ago. Direct link to B0az0n's post “If you want to shorten it...”
  If you want to shorten it, you need to say "Oh, my friend's still in the mall." You do not shorten is still, you shorten my friend is.
  
  Hope this helped, even if it was 6 years ago!
  Button navigates to signup page
  (4 votes)
Xeno Testy
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Xeno Testy's post “I just wanted to know wha...”
I just wanted to know what is the possessive form it
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(4 votes)
Answer
Avery Wagler
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Avery Wagler's post “what happened to the word...”
what happened to the word ends with 2s's.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Avery Wagler's post “what happened to the word...”
(3 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “I wear glasses. Sometimes...”
  I wear glasses. Sometimes the little screw that holds the earpiece to the spectacles piece gets loose and falls out. Then I have to look all around for my glasses' screw. (There, did THAT work?)
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
Nevaeh VanSwearingen
Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to Nevaeh VanSwearingen's post “Why do we need to learn a...”
Why do we need to learn a possessive?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(1 vote)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Let's see. If I find a ...”
  Let's see. If I find a bunch of chopped off fingers on the ground, I might wonder from whom they came. If I ask you, and you respond, "They're Stephan's fingers." Then you've used the possessive.
  
  Of course, you could use a locution such as, "They are the fingers of Stephen." But that's the long way around.
  Comment on David Alexander's post “Let's see. If I find a ...”
  (9 votes)
Sam Iefa Jemal
Posted a month ago. Direct link to Sam Iefa Jemal's post “I think you forgot to men...”
I think you forgot to mention that you don’t use an apostrophe s (‘s) when the last letter of the word is an s. Instead, you use just an apostrophe. For example: you don’t say James’s, you say James’
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(3 votes)
Answer
- Sam Iefa Jemal
  Posted a month ago. Direct link to Sam Iefa Jemal's post “Wait, I just realized he ...”
  Wait, I just realized he will talk about it in the next video, my bad.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (4 votes)
✨ǝǝɯ✨
Posted 4 months ago. Direct link to ✨ǝǝɯ✨'s post “Am I the only one here wh...”
Am I the only one here who's watched Hamilton?
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(4 votes)
Answer

Video transcript

- [Voiceover] Hello grammarians, hello Paige. - [Voiceover] Hi David. - [Voiceover] In the driver's seat. - [Voiceover] So, Paige, today, it is my understanding that we are gonna talk about the possessive. - [Voiceover] That's right. - [Voiceover] What even is the possessive in English? What does that mean when we say that? What does it mean to possess something? - [Voiceover] Right, so that means to own something or to have something. - [Voiceover] Okay, so this relates to the apostrophe, in that we use the apostrophe in many cases, we use the apostrophe s in many cases to show possession. Right, so if I were talking about, there are a couple of ways to show that something belongs to someone or something in English, like I could say, the carrot that belonged to that rabbit was delicious. - [Voiceover] Yeah, but that's pretty complicated, and can make sentences much longer than they need to be. - [Voiceover] So what's a simpler way of saying the carrot that belonged to the rabbit was delicious. - [Voiceover] You can say something like the rabbit's carrot was delicious. - [Voiceover] Oh, interesting, so you're actually containing, there's like a lot of information that's contained within the rabbit's, that little thing. 'Cause you're expressing the relationship between the rabbit and the carrot, just with that little apostrophe s, that contains so much information in it. - [Voiceover] Yeah, the whole idea of the rabbit owning the carrot comes from that apostrophe s. - [Voiceover] That's super cool. - [Voiceover] Yeah, it's a pretty big deal. - [Voiceover] So this doesn't just apply to common nouns, like rabbits, this can also apply to proper nouns, like people, or countries, or businesses, or whatever. - [Voiceover] Totally. - [Voiceover] Or movies. - [Voiceover] Yeah, anything, I think - [Voiceover] Okay, so to pull a completely random figure from American history, let's say Alexander Hamilton had a surfboard. - [Voiceover] Okay. - [Voiceover] So, we could say, using the apostrophe s construction, we could refer to Alexander Hamilton's surfboard, right? - [Voiceover] Right, the surfboard that belongs to Alexander Hamilton. - [Voiceover] Alright, so that seems pretty straightforward. If we wanna show possession, we just add an apostrophe s. Is that true in all cases though? - [Voiceover] Well, okay, not always. - [Voiceover] Okay, so there's a wrinkle. - [Voiceover] Of course, there's always a wrinkle. - [Voiceover] Introduce for us this wrinkle, Paige. - [Voiceover] So, there's an exception to this rule of using apostrophe s for possession when you're using a pronoun. - [Voiceover] Ah! - [Voiceover] Right. - [Voiceover] So, rabbit and Alexander Hamilton are both nouns, but there are pronouns like it, or he, or she, where you don't use an apostrophe to show possessive. - [Voiceover] So if I wanted to say, that surfboard is his, there's no apostrophe in there, right? - [Voiceover] Right. - [Voiceover] Or, we could just as easily say his surfboard, and I think that's the same as saying that surfboard is Alexander Hamilton's. And you can see that there's this real, it makes sense to want to put a possessive apostrophe s in there, right, but that's not what you do. - [Voiceover] Right. - [Voiceover] This is this one kind of obnoxious exception to the rule. So, for possessive pronouns, they don't, they just, they never take apostrophes. - [Voiceover] That's right. - [Voiceover] Okay, so the possessive in English usually formed with apostrophe s, The rabbit's carrot was delicious, Alexander Hamilton's surfboard, but when we're talking about possessive pronouns like his, or hers, or ours, or theirs, or my, or its, no apostrophes are needed. Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes. - [Voiceover] You got it. - [Voiceover] Sweet, thanks Paige. - [Voiceover] Thank you. - [Voiceover] You can learn anything, David out. - [Voiceover] Paige out.