Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession

Key Notes:

Definition of Possession:

• Possession indicates ownership or relationship between nouns.
• Joint Possession refers to ownership by two or more people where the noun is singular (e.g., “Tom and Jerry’s car” means the car belongs to both Tom and Jerry).
• Compound Possession involves two or more nouns indicating individual ownership, often shown with each noun having its own possessive form (e.g., “Tom’s and Jerry’s cars” means Tom has one car and Jerry has another).

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Identifying Errors:

• Look for incorrect placement of apostrophes or use of possessive forms.
• Joint possession requires a singular possessive form for shared items, while compound possession requires plural possessive forms for separate items.

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Common Errors:

• Using an incorrect apostrophe placement (e.g., “Tom and Jerry’s cars” when they share one car vs. “Tom’s and Jerry’s cars” for separate cars).
• Confusing compound and joint possession (e.g., saying “Tom and Jerry’s house” when intending to refer to two separate houses).

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Correction Strategies:

• To correct joint possession, ensure that the possessive noun is singular for shared ownership (e.g., “Lisa and John’s project” for one project).
• For compound possession, ensure each owner has their possessive form (e.g., “Lisa’s and John’s projects” for separate projects).

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Examples for Practice:

• Joint Possession: “Maya and Sam’s book” (shared) vs. “Maya’s and Sam’s books” (individual).
• Correcting: Change “Jessica and Michael’s bikes” (if they share one) to “Jessica and Michael’s bike.”