Lesson 24: Teacher Guide & Master Solutions
Genitive Case • Singular Possessive Apostrophe
The Origin and Function of the Apostrophe of Possession:
In Old and Middle English, the genitive singular ending was -es (e.g., John-es slate). As the vowel weakened and silenced, the apostrophe was introduced to mark the elision of the letter e. In Grade 2, children learn to distinguish the possessive 's (signifying an owner) from the plural -s (signifying more than one).
Section A: Model Transcription & Punctuation Check:
1. This is John's slate. [Proper noun John capitalized + 's; terminal period].
2. Mary's lamb is white. [Proper noun Mary capitalized + 's; terminal period].
3. The duck's bill is broad. [Common animal noun duck + 's; terminal period].
4. The dog's name is Bose. [dog's with apostrophe; proper name Bose capitalized].
5. The bird's nest is in the tree. [bird's with apostrophe; terminal period].
Section B: Exemplar Student Compositions (Accept equivalent sentences):
• My brother's kitten has soft gray paws.
• The horse's mane is long and shiny.
Common Orthographic Pitfalls:
• Omission of the apostrophe: Writing *Johns slate or *Marys lamb.
• Misplacing the mark: Placing the apostrophe after the s (*Johns' slate). Remind pupils: the mark goes directly between the owner's name and the s.
| Evaluation Criterion |
Exemplary (4) |
Proficient (3) |
Developing (1-2) |
| Apostrophe Placement |
100% correct placement of 's in all 5 copywork sentences and both original sentences. |
Apostrophe correctly placed in 6 of 7 total instances. |
Omitted apostrophe; treats possessives as simple plurals. |
| Capitalization of Names |
Consistently capitalizes John, Mary, and Bose. |
1 minor capitalization slip (e.g., lowercased *bose). |
Frequent lowercase proper nouns. |
| Sentence Composition |
Two original, well-formed statements demonstrating clear possession. |
Complete sentences with minor phrasing awkwardness. |
Incomplete thoughts or missing possessive nouns. |
| Penmanship & Mechanics |
Neat script sitting firmly on guidelines with clear ascenders and correct end periods. |
Legible handwriting; 1 punctuation slip. |
Untidy handwriting, omitted terminal periods. |