English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession
Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define joint possession and separate possession.
Identify the owners in a sentence.
Explain the rule for showing joint possession with an apostrophe.
Explain the rule for showing separate possession with an apostrophe.
Identify and correct errors in sentences with compound possession.
Write their own sentences using joint and separate possession correctly.
Whose toy is it? 🧸 Is it the boy's and girl's toy, or the boy and girl's toy? Let's find out how to share with words!
Today, we will learn how to show when people own something together or when they each have their own. This special grammar rule helps make our writing super clear so everyone knows who owns what.
Real-World Applications
Writing a story about friends sharing a tr...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
PossessionShowing that something belongs to someone or something. It's all about ownership!The dog's bone. (The bone belongs to the dog.)
Apostrophe ('s)A punctuation mark that looks like a floating comma. We use it with an 's' to show who owns something.Maria's book. (The apostrophe 's' shows the book belongs to Maria.)
OwnerThe person, animal, or thing that something belongs to.In the phrase 'the cat's toy', the cat is the owner.
Compound PossessionWhen you talk about something that belongs to two or more owners at the same time.Leo and Mia's game.
Joint PossessionWhen two or more owners SHARE the very same thing. Think 'J' for 'Joining together'.Mom and Dad's car. (They share one...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Sharing Rule (Joint Possession)
Owner 1 and Owner 2's item.
Use this rule when the owners share ONE thing. Only add the apostrophe 's' to the very last owner in the list.
The Separate Items Rule (Separate Possession)
Owner 1's and Owner 2's items.
Use this rule when each owner has their own separate item. You must add an apostrophe 's' to EVERY owner in the list.
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Challenging
Which sentence correctly shows that a family has ONE dog, but the brother and sister each have their OWN leash for the dog?
A.The brother's and sister's dog has two leashes.
B.The brother and sister's dog has the brother's and sister's leashes.
C.The brother and sister's dog has the brother and sisters leashes.
D.The brother's and sister's dog has the brother and sister's leashes.
Challenging
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?
1. The artist and writer's book is a bestseller.
2. The artist's and writer's books are bestsellers.
A.Sentence 1 is about one person who is both an artist and a writer. Sentence 2 is about two different people.
B.Sentence 1 is about two people. Sentence 2 is about one person.
C.There is no difference in meaning.
D.Sentence 1 is about a book, and Sentence 2 is about a movie.
Challenging
Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
A.The players' uniforms are all muddy.
B.The coach and manager's plan did not work.
C.My mom's and dad's cars are in the garage.
D.The lion and tigers' cage needs to be cleaned.
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