{"id":6331,"date":"2017-11-18T14:24:05","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T19:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/?p=6331"},"modified":"2020-05-08T21:14:26","modified_gmt":"2020-05-09T01:14:26","slug":"punctuation-puzzle-compound-possessive-nouns-pronouns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/punctuation-puzzle-compound-possessive-nouns-pronouns\/","title":{"rendered":"Punctuation Puzzle: Compound Possessive Nouns and Pronouns"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Zac Kieser & Donna Reish<\/p>\n

Welcome to another Punctuation Puzzle<\/strong>! Yep\u2026 a puzzle that you solve by putting in the correct punctuation and words\/usage fixes\u2014along with explanations and answers about each error!<\/p>\n

Perfect for students and teachers alike!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Puzzle is about Compound Possessives<\/strong> and Pronouns<\/strong> \u2026 and it uses an interesting sentence from one of our Write-for-a-Month\/Write On books <\/strong>about Mowgli.<\/p>\n

Read More\u2026.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Zac Kieser & Donna Reish Welcome to another Punctuation Puzzle! Yep\u2026 a puzzle that you solve by putting in the correct punctuation and words\/usage fixes\u2014along with explanations and answers about each error! Perfect for students and teachers alike! Today\u2019s Puzzle is about Compound Possessives and Pronouns \u2026 and it uses an interesting sentence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"

\u00a0<\/p>

By Zac Kieser & Donna Reish<\/p>

Compound possessives! They are incredibly tricky! Zac does a great job teaching them in this week's Punctuation Puzzle, but I am going to give you three \"Tricky Tricks to Help It Stick\" right up front about possessives (a little cheat sheet before the test!):<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

1) When two nouns possess the same thing, only the noun closest to the \"possessed\" object needs to show possession.<\/p>

2) When a noun and pronoun both possess something, use a possessive pronoun and show possession to the noun (both).<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

But the most important tricky trick of all is one that is taught incorrectly in many sources and handbooks.<\/p>

The placement of an apostrophe to show possession is based on whether the word ends in S or not---not whether the word is plural!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

I see this mangled so many times. And I have students who come to my classes sure that they understand the rule (and quote it verbatim): If a word is plural, put S' (childrens' ???). WRONG.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

What about these plurals:<\/h4>

a) Women (women's jackets)
b) Children (children's playground)
c) mice (mice's hiding places)
d) geese (geese's honking noises)<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The real rule here is completely based on what the word ends with (not on its singular or plural state)!<\/p>

If a word you want to show possession to does not end in an s, put an apostrophe s:<\/p>

dog--dog's collar<\/p>

road--road's hills<\/p>

mother--mother's mirror<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

If a word you want to show possession to does end in an S, you may either put an apostrophe on the outside of the S OR you may put another 's. Most handbooks recommend the apostrophe on the outside of the existing S:<\/p>

stars---stars' brightness<\/p>

kids---kids' squeals<\/p>

books---books' lessons<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Zac takes us into even more detail this week with compound possessives. For more details, try to solve this week's puzzle and check out the explanations!<\/p>

PUZZLE:<\/h4>

Their\u2019s and Shere Khan\u2019s motives were different, but both the wolves\u2019 and Shere Khan\u2019s wish was to kill Akela and Mowgli.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The answer?<\/h4>

Their and Shere Khan\u2019s motives were different, but both the wolves and Shere Khan\u2019s wish was to kill Akela and Mowgli.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Compound Possessive Nouns and Pronouns<\/h3>

1. Our punctuation puzzle today deals with a topic that sounds complicated, compound possessive nouns and pronouns.<\/em> However, let\u2019s work through these terms, and we\u2019ll be able to understand it.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

2. Let\u2019s start with understanding the two simplest parts of this term: nouns and pronouns<\/em>. Nouns, along with verbs, are the building blocks of sentences. A noun<\/em> is a person, place, thing, or idea (Mowgli, jungle, leaf, loyalty).<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

3. Pronouns, as you might guess, have something to do with nouns. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun (I, you, his, hers, them). Donna likes to tell students that pro means FOR....so a pronoun is FOR a noun....it is in place of it.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

4. i. Now, what are possessive nouns and pronouns<\/em>? They are nouns and pronouns that show possession or ownership.<\/em><\/p>

Bagheera\u2019s<\/strong> sharp claws<\/p>

Kaa\u2019s<\/strong> coils<\/p>

Mowgli\u2019s<\/strong> family<\/p>

ii. As you can see in the examples, an apostrophe and an s or a simple apostrophe announce that a normal noun is now a possessive<\/em> noun.<\/p>

iii. Pronouns can be possessive<\/em>, just like nouns, but they do not use apostrophes to show this. Instead, they either remain the same, take on a different form, or use a simple s.<\/p>

Her<\/strong> den (the same \u2013 do you know her? [not possessive], her<\/em> den [possessive])<\/p>

My<\/strong> prey (different form \u2013 my<\/em> instead of I<\/em>)<\/p>

Is that hers<\/strong>? (a simple s \u2013 hers<\/em> instead of her<\/em>)<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

5. Moving on, we reach the first word of our phrase: compound<\/em>. Compound<\/em> means \u201chaving two or more parts.\u201d For example, a compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more complete sentences. Donna likes to teach that a compound fracture is a break in two places; a compound word is two words put together; a compound sentence is two sentences put together.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

6. In our case, compound possessive nouns and pronouns are two or more possessive nouns or pronouns used together.<\/em> That might sound confusing, but let\u2019s look at an example:<\/p>

i. Baloo and Bagheera\u2019s<\/strong> strength was almost gone (whose strength? Baloo<\/strong> and Bagheera\u2019s<\/strong>)<\/p>

ii. Now this example brings up a question: why do we use Baloo<\/strong> instead of Baloo\u2019s<\/strong>?<\/em> After all, Baloo\u2019s<\/strong> is the possessive form of the noun Baloo<\/strong>, isn\u2019t it?<\/em> The answer to this question is the key to fixing our problem sentence.<\/p>

iii. The reason we do not use an apostrophe and an s after Baloo is that we are talking about Baloo and Bagheera\u2019s strength as one item.<\/strong> In other words, when we are discussing one item, we do not<\/strong> need to add an apostrophe and an s<\/em> to the first possessive noun.<\/p>

iv. In this case, we are not discussing strengths<\/strong> <\/em>(plural); we are talking about strength<\/strong> <\/em>(singular). Thus, we do not need an apostrophe and an s<\/em> after Baloo<\/strong>. They are sharing the strength, as opposed to them each owning something separately.<\/p>

v. When we use possessive nouns with a plural item, we do<\/strong> use an apostrophe and an s<\/em>:<\/p>

Bagheera\u2019s and Mother Wolf\u2019s promises of assistance<\/em> convinced Akela to let Mowgli stay.<\/strong><\/p>

vi. Bagheera and Mother Wolf each made a different<\/strong> promise of assistance; therefore, in our sentence, we need to an apostrophe and an s<\/em> after each of them.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

7. Now let\u2019s fix our problem sentence: Their\u2019s and Shere Khan\u2019s motives were different, but both the wolves\u2019 and Shere Khan\u2019s wish was to kill Akela and Mowgli.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

8. First, we see that that the pronoun Their\u2019s<\/em> has an apostrophe. No pronoun can ever have an apostrophe. So, we change the word to theirs<\/em>. However, does Theirs motives<\/em> make sense? No, instead, we should have Their<\/em>.<\/p>

Their and Shere Khan\u2019s motives were different, but both the wolves\u2019 and Shere Khan\u2019s wish was to kill Akela and Mowgli.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

9. Second, let\u2019s look at the wolves\u2019 and Shere Khan\u2019s wish.<\/strong> Is this phrase punctuated correctly? No, it is not. Is wish<\/em> singular or plural? It is singular<\/em>; therefore, wolves<\/strong> does not<\/em> need an apostrophe after it. They are all sharing the wish.<\/p>

10. That leaves us with our final sentence:<\/p>

Their and Shere Khan\u2019s motives were different, but both the wolves and Shere Khan\u2019s wish was to kill Akela and Mowgli.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Today\u2019s Punctuation Puzzle sentence comes from a student writing assignment found in the Jungle Book Twice-Told Tale<\/em> from Write On, Mowgli,<\/em> <\/a>a downloadable writing book from Character Ink Press (also available at Teachers Pay Teachers)<\/a>.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[640,1268],"tags":[1339,208,181],"yoast_head":"\nPunctuation Puzzle: Compound Possessive Nouns and Pronouns - Character Ink<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Compound possessives! They are incredibly tricky! 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