Of vs ’s — Possession Explained Simply

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Why Possession Is Confusing

English shows possession in two main ways: with ’s and with of. Both can mean “belonging to,” but they are used in different contexts. Let’s make this clear with simple rules.

Rule 1: Use ’s with People, Animals, Time

We add ’s after a person, animal, or time expression.

• my friend’s book
• the teacher’s desk
• the dog’s tail
• today’s meeting

👉 ’s is natural for living beings and time-related nouns.

Rule 2: Use Of with Things and Long Phrases

We use of when talking about objects, ideas, or longer expressions.

• the roof of the house
• the capital of France
• the end of the street

👉 “of” feels more formal and is common in writing.

Rule 3: Mixed and Special Cases

Some expressions can use both, but one is more natural:

• the country’s history ✅
• the history of the country ✅ (more formal)

Special cases:

• the children’s toys (plural with ’s after children)
• the Queen of England (titles often use of)

Quick Table

Mini Quiz

1. The ___ (teacher / desk) is very big.
   → teacher’s desk
2. What is the ___ (capital / France)?
   → capital of France
3. Did you read yesterday___ newspaper?
   → yesterday’s newspaper
4. The ___ (roof / house) is red.
   → roof of the house

Common Mistakes

❌ the car of my brother (too formal in English)
✔️ my brother’s car

❌ the tail’s dog
✔️ the dog’s tail

FAQ

Q: Can we use ’s with objects?
A: Sometimes, but it sounds informal. The car’s engine is fine, but usually we say the engine of the car.

Q: Is “of” always more formal?
A: Yes, especially in academic or written style.

Q: What about plural nouns?
A: Add ’s or just an apostrophe: the students’ books.

Final Tips

• ’s → people, animals, time
• of → things, formal, long phrases
• Both are possible sometimes, but usage depends on context and style.

Explore More

👉 Countable vs Uncountable Nouns: A Quick Guide
👉 English Learning Page

© Author’s concept by Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and lead teacher of Levitin Language School (Start Language School by Tymur Levitin).