Apostrophes for Possession Worksheet — Grade 4
Practice singular and plural possessives, and learn to tell possessives apart from plain plurals and from its/it's, in this Grade 4 worksheet.
Apostrophes for possession are one of the most common stumbling blocks in fourth-grade writing. Students frequently add an apostrophe to every word ending in s, or drop the apostrophe entirely when showing ownership. This worksheet covers the full picture: forming the singular possessive, forming the plural possessive, keeping apostrophes out of plain plurals, and choosing correctly between its and it's. The four sections move from recognising correct possessive forms all the way to writing an original sentence, giving students practice at every level. Read through the rule box with your student before starting, and use the included answer key to talk through any mistakes rather than simply marking them wrong.
Apostrophes for Possession Worksheet — Grade 4
In this worksheet, you will practice using apostrophes to show possession. Work through each section carefully, and check the rule box if you are not sure.
Remember
- For one owner, add 's to the noun: the dog's leash, Maria's book.
- For more than one owner ending in s, add only an apostrophe: the dogs' leashes.
- Its means belonging to it. It's means it is. Never add an apostrophe to a plain plural.
Part A — Find the Possessives
Circle the possessive word or words in each sentence.
- 1.
Maya's science project won first place at the fair.
- 2.
The dog's leash was tangled around the old fence post.
- 3.
Both teachers' classrooms are on the second floor of the building.
- 4.
The children's library books were stacked on the table.
- 5.
Omar took his neighbor's umbrella by mistake this morning.
Part B — Fill in the Blank
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete each sentence.
- 6.
The ____ notebook had a sticker on the cover. (girl)
- 7.
All ____ lunches were packed in the same cooler. (student)
- 8.
The snake shed ____ skin during the warm spring weather.
- 9.
____ raining outside, so the class stayed in at recess.
- 10.
The ____ wings carried it high above the rooftops. (eagle)
Part C — Fix the Mistake
Rewrite each sentence correctly, fixing the apostrophe mistake.
- 11.
The teacher desk was covered in colorful sticky notes.
- 12.
The dog's were chasing each other around the schoolyard.
- 13.
Priya left her book on the two students table by mistake.
- 14.
The fish opened it's mouth as it swam past the glass.
Part D — Write Your Own
Write your own sentence using a possessive noun to show ownership.
- 15.
Write one sentence using a possessive noun to show that something belongs to a person or animal.
Answer key
Part A — Find the Possessives
- 1.Maya's
- 2.dog's
- 3.teachers'
- 4.children's
- 5.neighbor's
Part B — Fill in the Blank
- 6.girl's
- 7.students'
- 8.its
- 9.It's
- 10.eagle's
Part C — Fix the Mistake
- 11.The teacher's desk was covered in colorful sticky notes.
- 12.The dogs were chasing each other around the schoolyard.
- 13.Priya left her book on the two students' table by mistake.
- 14.The fish opened its mouth as it swam past the glass.
Part D — Write Your Own
- 15.Example: Kenji's red backpack was sitting next to the classroom door.
What this worksheet teaches
- Identify singular and plural possessive nouns correctly in sentences.
- Apply the apostrophe rule to form singular and plural possessives in context.
- Distinguish between possessive nouns, plain plurals, and its versus it's.
Notes for the grown-up
- Students often add an apostrophe to every word ending in s. Watch for dog's when they mean dogs.
- If a student makes an error, have them ask: does this word show ownership? If not, no apostrophe.
- A student ready to move on can explain in words why its and it's are different without prompting.
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