Do we use possessive s with countries? (2024)

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Can we use apostrophe s with countries?

Proper nouns (names of people, cities, countries) that end in s can form the possessive either by adding the apostrophe + s or simply adding the apostrophe.

(Video) How to form possessives in English when the word ends in "S"
(Espresso English)
What is the possessive of countries?

Plural possessive of countries is countries' …. the apostrophe after the s. Those countries' borders should be better defended.

(Video) Apostrophe S - Possessive Nouns in English
(Woodward English)
How do you make countries plural?

The plural is countries.

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Why does countries need an apostrophe?

The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. To form the possessive, add apostrophe + s to the noun.

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(English with Mr Henriquez)
How do you write countries in a sentence?

Countries sentence example. The colors represented the four countries of Oz, and the green star the Emerald City. Tiny countries willing to engage in free trade with their neighbors can prosper.

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Are names of countries singular or plural?

With some exceptions (for example: “The Netherland”, “The United States of America”, which are both in the plural form, but are actually singular), when referring to a country, it is considered a singular.

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Do we use the before countries?

Typically, the article the is not used before the names of countries and territories: Our flight to the China was canceled. Our flight to China was canceled.

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Is it Texas's or Texas?

The possessive

Quick Use: Use an apostrophe + s for singular nouns (sea, sky), common nouns ending with s (tigress, mistress), and irregular plural nouns (women, children). Use only the apostrophe for proper nouns ending with s (Tess, Jesus, Texas) and regular plural nouns (cars, protestors).

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Is it Paris's or Paris?

The s is always pronounced in English, except in the phrase gay Paris. And if you are talking about Paris, Texas, then the s is always pronounced. @JanusBahsJacquet Thanks.

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Which is correct countries or country's?

The plural of the word country is countries. e.g. There is only one country with a triangular flag. There are many countries in the world. When we use 's, it shows belonging.

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Is countries a verb or plural noun?

noun, plural coun·tries. a state or nation: What European countries have you visited?

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How do you punctuate cities and countries?

Unless a place name is at the end of a sentence and followed by sentence-ending punctuation, whenever you list a city and a state or a city and a country, place commas around the state or the country. The rule applies even when the country or state name is abbreviated.

Do we use possessive s with countries? (2024)
Why we don't use the before countries?

We say the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the West Indies, the Philippines, and the Netherlands because they are compound nouns with adjectives but not India, France, China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, or Indonesia.

Is it United States or United States's?

Part B: Possessive.

Like other words that are singular in meaning but formed from a plural, “United States” forms the possessive by adding an apostrophe alone {United States' interests}.

What pronouns use countries?

Both the Associated Press and the New York Times style books, for example, recommend using “it” or “its” to refer to ships and countries.

What preposition should I use for country?

The preposition en always comes before the name of a country if it is feminine and before masculine countries if they start with a vowel.

Do you need to capitalize countries?

The official designations of countries, national domains, and their principal administrative divisions are capitalized only if used as part of proper names, as proper names, or as proper adjectives. (See Chapter 17, Principal Foreign Countries table.)

Is the United States of America singular or plural?

Usage notes

During the first few decades after independence authors commonly treated United States as a plural noun, but in contemporary English it is always singular.

What are two proper nouns for country?

Some proper nouns referring to a country include: United State of America, Canada, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Tunisia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. While the word ''country,'' as is, functions as a common noun, the names of specific countries are known as proper nouns.

Why do we say the before some countries?

Countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom also carry the definite article because they are compound nouns with adjectives. Professor Liberman says the habit of putting "the" in front of place names is heard throughout the English-speaking world and is common to Germanic and Romance languages.

What countries can you put the in front of?

Include the before countries (1) with plural names (the Philippines, the Maldives and the Netherlands); (2) with names containing a noun stating the kind of state (the Republic, the Democratic, the State(s), the Union, the Confederation, the Kingdom, the Commonwealth, the Principality).

Do you say UK or the UK?

If 'UK' is being used as a noun in a sentence it will always be “the UK” but if it is being used as an adjective it will be just “UK”. Example: We are going to the UK & I am participating in UK festival night.

Is it James or James's?

James's car or James' car? Actually, both ways are correct. If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s. See the examples below for an illustration of this type of possessive noun.

What is the possessive form of New Orleans?

Incorrect: We enjoyed the New Orleans' cuisine. Correct: We enjoyed the New Orleans cuisine.

Is it Dallas's or Dallas?

Use an apostrophe + s to show ownership of most singular nouns. When a singular noun of more than one syllable ends with an s or z sound, you can form the possessive by adding just an apostrophe. But if the word is one syllable, you should use both the apostrophe and s. Dallas' (or Dallas's) skyline is impressive.

Is it Johnsons or Johnson's?

That's because the apostrophe before the “s” indicates ownership or possession when that's not the sign's intent. All you need is an “s” at the end of the name (Smiths, Johnsons). If you have trouble remembering whether the apostrophe is necessary, think of your message.

Is Ross or Ross's correct?

The “Chicago Manual of Style” says that you form the possessive of proper names ending in S the same way you handle plain-old nouns: Add apostrophe and S. The boss's house. Ross's house.

Is it Travis or Travis's?

This is Travis's house. (correct and sounds better) This is Travis' house. (correct but awkward-sounding)

How do you write countries in English?

You should capitalize the names of countries, nationalities, and languages because they are proper nouns—English nouns that are always capitalized.

How do you write countries in short form?

The most common abbreviations for country are,
  1. ctry.
  2. co.
  3. Co.

What kind of noun is countries?

Yes, Country is a common noun. It can be a proper noun only when you name the country like India, China, etc.

How do you use verbs with countries?

In American English, we usually regard a country or state as a singular entity, and a singular verb form follows it.

Are countries countable nouns?

1[countable] an area of land that has or used to have its own government and laws European countries leading industrial countries She didn't know what life in a foreign country would be like.

How do you list cities with countries?

You could use a comma to separate the cities from the countries, and a semicolon to separate the locations. See the example of the semicolon being used as a super-comma given at this The Oatmeal comic: I have lived in Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; and Paris, France. Note that the list ends with "Paris, France".

How do you write county and state in a sentence?

Rule – Use a comma to separate the city from the state, and always put one after the state, also. Example: I lived in Denver, Colorado, for 20 years. NOTE: The U.S. Postal Service's two-letter capitalized abbreviations (e.g., CO for Colorado, IL for Illinois) are not recommended in formal writing.

How do you list multiple counties in a sentence?

When referring to multiple units (counties or departments), don't capitalize the plural. Clay County and Riley County, used separately, but Clay and Riley counties, as a plural.

Why do we not say the India?

Similarly India is the name of the country and therefore it is a personal pronoun. Hence, we can't use the article 'the' with India.

What do we write before Europe?

'An' is used before words which begin with a vowel sound. Note that we are talking about sounds and not spelling. For example the word "European" begins with the vowel letter 'e' but it is pronounced with the consonant sound / j /. Therefore we say and write, "He's British but he thinks of himself as a European."

Do we use the before North America?

“North America” and “South America” are the proper nouns, names for two continents. So we won't use “the” before them. In North America, 13 colonies united to form a nation. So they called themselves “the United States of America”.

How do you make the New York Times possessive?

Thus when used as a possessive, the name “Times” is followed by an apostrophe plus another “s.”

When did the United States stop being plural?

Already, as a result of Secretary Foster's careful historical research on the subject, the House of Representative's Committee on Revision of the Laws had ruled in 1902 that "the United States" should be treated as singular, not plural.

How do you show possession with the United States?

The possessive of United States is formed in both American and British English by the addition of a single apostrophe only: ie, United States'. If there's any potential for ambiguity, re-phrase the sentence to read, ''... of the United States''. (Sources: Chicago Manual of Style; AP Stylebook; Oxford Manual of Style.)

Which pronouns is used for countries?

Both the Associated Press and the New York Times style books, for example, recommend using “it” or “its” to refer to ships and countries.

What is the rule for apostrophe S?

Apostrophes are used to form the possessive form of a singular noun or a plural noun not ending in s by adding ' and an s at the end. If a plural noun ends in s, only ' should be added. Correct: High school students' scores have been gradually improving over the last several years.

What preposition is used before countries?

The preposition en always comes before the name of a country if it is feminine and before masculine countries if they start with a vowel.

Can countries be possessive?

The singular form is “country,” and the singular possessive is “country's.” For more than one nation, you will use the plural form “countries” or the plural possessive form “countries',” indicating ownership by more than one country.

Should I refer to countries as she?

Q. Should she or it be used as a pronoun for a country? A. Never use she to refer to a country.

Do you refer to countries as it or her?

Historically, "her" was commonly used as a pronoun for not only women, but also for both countries and ships (e.g. sailing vessels). However, that usage has more or less fallen out of favor, and instead "its" has become the preferred pronoun.

What are the 3 rules for apostrophes?

The apostrophe has three uses: 1) to form possessive nouns; 2) to show the omission of letters; and 3) to indicate plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols. ​Do not ​use apostrophes to form possessive ​pronouns ​(i.e. ​his​/​her ​computer) or ​noun ​plurals that are not possessives.

What are the 5 examples of apostrophe?

A few apostrophe examples below:
  • I am – I'm: “I'm planning to write a book someday.”
  • You are – You're: “You're going to have a lot of fun with your new puppy.”
  • She is – She's: “She's always on time.”
  • It is – It's: “I can't believe it's snowing again.”
  • Do not – Don't: “I don't like anchovies.”

What is the rule for possessives ending in s?

Most experts and guides say you should add an apostrophe and an S to both proper and common nouns to make them possessive even when they end in S. So, using the examples above, it would be: Chris's car.

Do you say the United States or United States?

The United States, or the United States of America in full, takes a singular verb because the term designates a single country rather than a collection of states. The expression these United States appears occasionally in American publications, but this plural form is not recommended in formal writing.

Is it the USA or USA?

) also U.S.A. The USA is an abbreviation for the United States of America.

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