How do know a word is plural or possessive?

Answer 1

There is no simple answer to this question. The best way to know your words (singular or plural, and possessive forms) is to increase your vocabulary (the number of words that you know and recognize).

Most plural nouns are formed by adding an "s" to the end of the word (apple, apples; bell, bells).

But many plural nouns do not end with an "s" (child, children; foot, feet).

Some nouns do not change from singular to plural (one deer, two deer; one aircraft, two aircraft).

And some nouns do not have a singular form or a plural form (barracks, oxygen); these are called mass nouns or uncountable nouns.

Possessive nouns are indicated by adding an apostrophe s ('s) to the end of the word, or just an apostrophe to the end of a plural noun that ends with an s (s').

Examples:

• apple; The apple's color was bright green. (singular possessive)
• apples; The apples' colors were red, green, and yellow. (plural possessive)
• child; A child's coat hung by the door. (singular possessive)
• children; The children's coats hung in a row. (plural possessive)
• deer; We saw a deer's footprints in the snow. (singular possessive)
• deer; The were many deer's footprints in the snow. (plural possessive)
• barracks; It was my job to scrub the barracks'floor. (singular possessive)
• barracks; All of the barracks' roofs needed repair. (plural possessive)

Answer 2

A word is plural when it refers to more than one item, while a word is possessive when it shows ownership or belonging. Plural nouns typically end in -s, -es, or -ies, while possessive nouns are often formed by adding 's or just an apostrophe ('), depending on the word.