Possessives and Compound Nouns: Advanced Grammar for IELTS

IELTS Grammar is an essential part of every language, and IELTS assesses an individual on various aspects of their skills in the English language. One of the most mandatory skills that a candidate must demonstrate to obtain a higher IELTS band score is the use of advanced grammar, such as Possessives and Compound Nouns. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that the application of useful grammar for writing and speaking tasks can significantly improve your overall performance.

In this article, we have discussed rules, usage, and examples for Possessives and Compound Nouns, followed by practical exercises and answer keys that will help you enhance the quality of your answers.

Possessives and Compound Nouns: Definition

Possessive Nouns: Possessive nouns are generally used to refer to ownership or possession, personal or professional relationships, persons or animals, and so on. It is usually formed by adding 's or just an apostrophe (') to the noun, depending on its form.

 For Example:

• The student’s performance was outstanding. (Singular)
• The students’ opinions were taken seriously.
• The children’s results were excellent.

Compound Nouns: Compound nouns are nouns made of two or more words that function as a single noun.  They describe the nature of the second noun. The first noun will have the same function as the classifying adjective.

For Example:

They can be:

• Open (e.g., car park)
• Hyphenated (e.g., mother-in-law)
• Closed (e.g., toothbrush)

Diagnostic Test for Mastering Possessives and Compound Nouns for IELTS

To make sure you understand the fundamental rules before we go on to the explanation of the Advanced Grammar for IELTS - Possessives and Compound Nouns, we have prepared a diagnostic test. It is recommended that, as you perform the following diagnostic test, you set a timer and record how long it takes you to complete each question.

Example:

• Have you met my stepson’s new girlfriend yet?
• Have you met my stepson’s new girlfriend yet?

1. Did you notice that greasy stain on the side of our sofa?
2. Dave’s company has been awarded a contract to repair all the buses’ engines.
3. People in this street are very proud of theirs manicured front lawns.
4. Isn’t she your secretary’s brother’s boss?
5. These gloves look familiar; I think they’re Joe’s.
6. The villa we’re borrowing belongs to my sisters-in-law’s parents.
7. I adore Lennon’s and McCartney’s music, especially the early stuff.
8. This is Mario, he’s a colleague of Professor Grigson.
9. I might be able to get you an interview; the owner’s a friend of me.
10. Is that the new car for Hilary?
11. Elizabeth’s the youngest daughter of Mr. Granger.
12. Jem saw a fantastic article in the local paper of today.
13. Galileo was NASA’s biggest project.
14. It’s in a great location, only five minutes’ walk from the supermarket.
15. Could you give me a dollar’s worth of those bananas, please?
16. How about all of us going back to the house of my brother for some coffee?
17. Did you manage to get an appointment at the doctor?
18. Oh, for the sake of heaven, can’t you get a move on?
19. He’s doing some research for his dissertation on anthropology’s history.
20. The celebrities acknowledged the crowd’s cheers who lined the street.
21. Astronomers predict an eclipse of the sun on April the thirteenth morning.
22. Inspector Walters achieved fame with the famous serial killer’s arrest.
23. Commentators have been stunned by the scale of the scandal.
24. The processor is the computer’s main component, wouldn’t you agree?
25. This term the class will be reading the short stories’ collection of Graham Greene.
26. Everyone’s been admiring my expensive wife’s car.
27. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s fussy children’s clothes.
28. There’s a beautiful old house for sale at the local estate agent’s.
29. If you want a really unique wedding dress, you need to find a good maker of dresses.
30. Great news – the college is going to give me a one-year sabbatical.

Answer Key for the Advanced Grammar for IELTS - Possessives and Compound Nouns Diagnostic Test

Now let's cross-check the answers to identify the areas where you need help. After concentrating on those areas, monitor your progress.

1. on a-side => on the side
2. ✓
3. their’s -» their
4. ✓
5. ✓
6. sister’s -in-law’s => sister-in-law’s
7. Lemon’s-and => Lennon and
8. ✓ (but also of Professor Grigson’s)
9. a friend of me => a friend of mine
10. the new car of Hilary => Hilary’s new car
11. the youngest daughter of Mr Granger => Mr Granger’s youngest daughter
12. the local paper of today => today’s local paper
13. ✓
14. ✓
15. ✓
16. the house of- my brother => my brother’s (house)
17. ✓
18. for the sake of heaven => for heaven’s sake
19. anthropology’s history => the history of anthropology
20. crowd’s cheers ==> cheers of the crowd
21. April-the-thirteennth’s morning => the morning of April the thirteenth
22. the famous serial killer’s arrest => the arrest of the famous serial killer
23. ✓
24. ✓
25. the short stories’ collection of Graham-Greene => the/a collection of short stories by Graham Greene/ Graham Greene’s collection of short stories
26. my expensive wife’s car => my wife’s expensive car
27. ✓
28. estate’s agent’s => estate agent’s
29. maker of dresses => dressmaker
30. ✓ (but also one year’s sabbatical)

Detailed Lesson for Advanced Grammar for IELTS: Possessives and Compound Nouns

It is time to discuss the relationship between two nouns by using possessive forms or compound nouns. There are two basic possessive forms: the genitive (’s – eg. the company’s shareholders) and the structure (e.g. the shareholders of the company). 

This unit describes the forms and uses of the genitive and explains how we choose between this and of phrases. It also contrasts the use of possessives and compound nouns. Let’s get started and be prepared for the IELTS exam!

Form and Meaning: Possessive Forms

We can indicate the possessive form of a noun by adding ‘s or we can use the structure (noun + of + noun):

• There was a scratch on my car’s paintwork.
• There was a scratch on the paintwork of my car.

Note: We usually use the definite article before an of structure (except with the ‘double possessive’):

 X on a paintwork of my car.

 X on paintwork of my car.

 ✓ on the paintwork of my car.

There are possessive forms of pronouns and also possessive adjectives:

• You can’t use that card, it’s mine
• Oh sorry. I didn’t realize it was your personal photocopy card.

‘s – Basic Rules

These are the key rules about which form of the genitive ( ‘s/ s / ‘ ) to use:

‘s – Special Rules

We can have two genitives together:

• We were beginning to get fed up with our neighbor’s tenant’s loud music.

If the meaning is clear from the context, we can use the genitive without a following noun:

• That isn’t my handwriting. It’s Selina’s. (= Selina’s handwriting)

If the possessive form consists of a compound noun or two or more nouns which form a single team or group we put the ’s on the last noun only:

• Are you coming to my brother-in-law’s party? (compound noun)
• I’m a great fan of Lerner and Lowe’s musicals. (They wrote as a single team.)

Note: When the nouns do not form a single group we must use ‘s with both nouns:

• Schrodinger’s and Heisenberg’s versions of quantum mechanics had seemed different. (two versions of the theory)

If the possessive noun is part of a short phrase (without a verb in it), we usually put the ‘s at the end of the phrase:

 X The man’s in the corner dog began to bark.

 ✓ The man in the corner’s dog began to bark. (= The dog belonging to the man in the corner …)

The Double Possessive ( of structure + genitive)

We can use the genitive form and the structure in the same phrase (the double possessive) when we want to make the first noun specific, but at the same time shows that it is one of several. We usually use the indefinite article with this pattern:

• I heard the story from a friend of my brother’s. (= from one of my brother’s friends)

We do not always include the genitive ‘s on the second noun:

• They got a tip-off from a friend of the owner.

Note: The double possessive is common with pronouns. We always use the possessive pronoun:

 XShe’s a friend of us.

 X She’s a friend of our.

 ✓ She’s a friend of ours. (= We have several friends. She is one of them.)

The Genitive (‘s) or of Structure

The Genitive

We usually use the genitive ‘s (and not the of structure) to express the following ideas:

The of Structure (noun + of + noun)

We usually use the structure (and not the genitive ‘s) in the following situations:

Either Pattern

We can usually use the genitive ’s or the structure to express the following ideas:

Genitive + of structure

The genitive and the structure can describe different types of relationships such as ownership, origin, and subject. To avoid confusion when we are describing more than one relationship between nouns in a phrase, we prefer to use the ’s genitive for the origin, owner or creator, and the of structure for the subject or topic:

 X I wasn’t convinced by the quarrel’s description of the witness

 ✓ I wasn’t convinced by the witness’s description of the quarrel.

(the witness = the person who made the description; the quarrel = the topic of the description)

• One of our most popular exhibits is Van Dyck’s portrait of King Charles

(Van Dyck = the creator of the portrait; King Charles = the subject of the portrait)

We can also combine possessive forms with prepositions to describe a number of different relationships:

• Have you seen the National Gallery’s (ownership'(s)) portrait of King Charles (Subject (of structure)) by Van Dyck (creator (preposition))?

New Information With the of Structure

We can use the structure to put new information at the end of a sentence. Compare:

• American presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

 X He was former president John F Kennedy’s younger brother.

 ✓He was the younger brother of former president John F Kennedy. (The new information is the reference to John F Kennedy.)

Specifying or Classifying Possessives and Compound Nouns

Specifying or Classifying Possessives

Possessive forms of nouns can describe two types of relationships. In most cases we use possessive nouns as ‘specifying’ words, showing a relationship with something specific, such as a person or place (underlining = stressed word):

• Marion washed the children’s clothes every Thursday. (= the clothes belonging to Marion’s children)

In other cases, possessive nouns can describe a ‘classifying’ relationship, describing the type of thing something is (underlining = stressed word):

• Janice decided to open a shop specializing in children’s clothes (= clothes designed for any children to wear)

We use adjectives in a different way depending on which type of relationship the possessive form is describing. With specifying possessives the adjective only describes the noun following it:

• She was suspicious of her wealthy brother’s girlfriend (= Her brother is wealthy.)
• She didn’t like her brother’s wealthy girlfriend (= His girlfriend is wealthy.)

But when we use adjectives in front of a possessive noun with a ‘classifying’ meaning, the adjective describes the whole phrase, not just the possessive noun which follows it:

• Janice’s shop had a large selection of hand-made children’s clothes (= The children’s clothes are hand-made, not the children.)

Other Classifying Relationships

We use and other prepositions to describe classifying relationships such as type of content, subject, source, and purpose:

• I’ve got a marvelous book of short stories by Somerset Maugham. (content)
• The kids have been watching a film about rollerblading (subject)
• I’m hoping to buy a sofa from that Swedish store (source)
• Our uncle’s company manufactures lubricants for ball-bearings (use/purpose)

Note: We do not use a possessive if there is a compound noun with the same meaning:

 X I bought a new racquet at the sport s shop

 ✓ I bought a new racquet at the sports shop (sports shop is a compound noun)

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are words that have been created by combining two nouns that are related to each other. They are similar to classifying possessives because the first noun ‘classifies’ the second noun, it describes it or tells us its purpose:

• dressmaker (= maker of dresses)
• fashion magazine (= magazine about fashion)

Compound nouns can be written as a single word (dressmaker), two separate words (fashion magazine) or two words joined by a hyphen (waste-bin). There are no rules for this and it is best to check in an up-to-date dictionary.

Compound nouns can also be formed by combining nouns with verbs or adjectives:

Note: Some compound nouns are formed from multi-word verbs. They usually follow the same order as the verb, but there are a few exceptions:

• turn out => turnout
• spill over => overspill
• turn down => downturn

We can also make compound nouns from time expressions:

• a three-week holiday
• a four-hour delay
• a ten-minute drive

Note: Be careful with compound nouns describing containers. The compound form only describes the container itself, not its contents. Compare these examples:

Practice Exercise for Mastering Possessives and Compound Nouns for IELTS

It is important to be able to utilize the theoretical knowledge of the use of Possessives and Compound Nouns for IELTS Grammar to make your answers for writing and speaking tasks more sophisticated and polished. Given below are some adverb exercises with answers for your practice and to improve your understanding of the use of Possessives and Compound Nouns in the IELTS exam.

• The stories Steve told and the stories Jane told were completely different.
• Steve’s and Jane’s stories were completely different……

1. I’m sure this bag belongs to somebody.
2. Let’s go to the shop the girls own.
3. That is the hotel belonging to Mr. Hollis.
4. I love the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
5. It’s the fault of nobody.
6. They had respect for the opinions of each other.
7. The dog belonging to my next-door neighbour never stops barking.
8. I’m fed up with the hopeless inefficiency of the secretary of my boss.
9. The personality of my mother and the personality of my father are very alike.
10. These aren’t my keys, they are the keys belonging to my flatmate.
11. The new Act of Parliament will protect the right of everyone to privacy.
12. The toilet for men is over there on the right.
13. I’ve just inherited the house belonging to the brother of my grandmother.
14. The opinions of residents of sink estates are rarely taken into consideration.
15. The dance routines of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are legendary.

1. Elizabeth is a good friend of him.
2. I’m really fed up with my landlord’s wive’s endless complaints about noise.
3. As the English say, ones’ home is ones’ castle.
4. You should pay attention to what he says; he’s a close associate of the managing director.
5. Don’t blame him; it was my own fault.
6. She’s been put in charge of children’s’ activities at the summer camp in Maine.
7. Since they got married they’ve only been interested in each other.
8. My brother-in-law’s parents have decided to emigrate.
9. We don’t know him very well; he’s just an acquaintance of us from our university days.
10. There’s something wrong with that buses’ brake lights.

1. What did you do …

1. at the course’s end?
2. at the end of the course?

2. Have you met …

1. Sam’s new girlfriend?
2. the new girlfriend of Sam?

3. … is a constant source of inspiration.

1. Barcelona’s architecture
2. The architecture of Barcelona

4. I need to visit …

1. the doctor’s surgery.
2. the surgery of the doctor.

5. Some debris got caught under …

1. the conveyor belt’s wheels.
2. the wheels of the conveyor belt.

6. Our organization strives towards …

1. poverty’s elimination.
2. the elimination of poverty.

7. The Ninth Symphony is arguably …

1. Beethoven’s greatest work.
2. the greatest work of Beethoven.

8. ….. is the search for personal fulfilment in a hostile world.

1. The novel’s theme
2. The theme of the novel

9. He’s taking … from his job at the university.

1. a year’s sabbatical
2. a sabbatical of a year

10. … sometimes drives me up the wall.

1. My husband’s impatience
2. The impatience of my husband

11. Throughout the flight, we had to put up with …

1. the children sitting in the back row’s antics
2. the antics of the children sitting in the back row.

12. The most senior clergyman in the Church of England is …

1. Canterbury’s Archbishop.
2. the Archbishop of Canterbury.

13. We’re going to hold the party at …

1. Michael’s place.
2. the place of Michael.

14. … was an important turning point in French history.

1. 1789’s revolution
2. The revolution of 1789

15. Researchers have been amazed by the … to mutate when attacked.

1. virus’s ability
2. ability of the virus

16. The vet wasn’t very pleased with …

1. Fido’s progress.
2. the progress of Fido.

17. Her doctoral thesis investigates … in medieval China.

1. Confucianism’s spread
2. the spread of Confucianism

18. The blessing will take place at …

1. the Twelve Apostle’s church.
2. the church of the Twelve Apostles.

19. Why can’t you just hand in your notice, …

1. for heaven’s sake!
2. for the sake of heaven!

20. … are generating a lot of excitement at the Paris fashion shows.

1. Galliano’s latest designs
2. The latest designs of Galliano

• (o) lap
• (oo) buyer’s

Today’s consumer guide looks at (0)_laptop_computers. The range of these portable computers on the market can be daunting, but a good place to start is computer magazines. These often contain useful (00)___buyer’s guides__and reviews of models currently on the market. Suppliers of the leading (1) ____often sell their products at cut prices through these magazines. If you decide to buy by (2)___you will find the advertisements a good source of bargains. And if you pay by (3)____you will automatically be insured. But if you need help in choosing a model, it might be better to shop in the (4)____where you can ask (5)_____for impartial guidance and advice.

You should make a (6)_____of the features and facilities you require and these will depend to a large extent on the way you plan to use your machine. If you use a lot of graphics (7)______you’ll need a fast processor, a large (8)_____and a high-definition screen. If you are only going to be using the machine for (9)_____processor speed will not be so important, but you will want a comfortable and sturdy (10) ______

Almost everyone these days needs to access the Internet in order to use e-mail and cruise the (11)______so look for a high-speed modem. Be aware of the input and (12)_____devices you want; CD and floppy disk drives usually come as standard, but you may want a DVD drive or a PC-card slot.

Once you have checked all these features you can compile a (13)_____of models you are interested in. Check that your chosen models include comprehensive (14)_______and ask your supplier about warranties and (15)______service.

1. Stephanie loved her beautiful daughter’s sports car.

1. Stephanie’s daughter was beautiful.
2. The car belonging to Stephanie’s daughter was beautiful.

2. There’s a new doctor’s surgery on the corner of Greenford Street.

1. The doctor has recently qualified.
2. The surgery has recently opened.

3. She inherited a wonderful wooden doll’s house.

1. The doll is made of wood.
2. The house is made of wood.

4. The company manufactures low-cost nurses’ uniforms.

1. The nurses earn low wages.
2. The uniforms aren’t expensive.

5. Gary didn’t think much of his new boss’s management techniques.

1. Gary has a new boss.
2. Gary’s boss has some new management techniques.

6. Bill and Suzy found hiring a well-educated children’s nanny was worth every penny.

1. Their nanny was well-educated.
2. Their children were well-educated.

7. I managed to find a place in the 24-hour supermarket’s parking lot.

1. The supermarket is open 24 hours.
2. The parking lot is open 24 hours.

8. Dave was often embarrassed by his aggressive flatmate’s comments.

1. Dave’s flatmate was aggressive.
2. His flatmate’s comments were aggressive.

9. My uncle is restoring a redundant tax inspector’s office in Newcastle.

1. Some tax inspectors have been made redundant in Newcastle.
2. The office in Newcastle is no longer required by the tax inspectors.

10. Who’s going to look after our sick neighbour’s puppy?

1. Our neighbour is sick.
2. Our neighbour’s puppy is sick.

• The only thing missing from (the office belonging to my boss) is a______
• The only thing missing from my boss’s office is a filing cabinet.

1. Could you pop down to the___and pick up (the evening paper that Charles orders).
2. That silver-topped_____belongs to (one of the friends that I have).
3. The (private beach of the hotel) is only a_____from here.
4. The (privatization organized by the government) of the_____is going ahead next year.
5. The_____wouldn’t allow (the girlfriend of his tenant) to move in.
6. (The pension fund of my father) has been badly affected by the_____in the value of blue-chip stocks.
7. Clare bought a beautiful new_____for (the wedding of the sister of her brother-in-law).
8. The_____managed to ignore (the screams of the crowd) lining the beach.
9. Whenever we are over at (the house belonging to Dad) we seem to spend the entire time watching _____on the television
10. The______refused to accept (the jurisdiction of the legal system) over him.
11. (The firm my wife works for) specializes in setting up_____for insurance companies.
12. The_____was caused by the volume of cars setting out for the south coast at (the start of the bank holiday)

Level up your IELTS grammar preparation with our Exclusive Grammar Workbook!

Answer Key of the Practice Test for Advanced Grammar for IELTS: Possessives and Compound Nouns

Let's check the answers now that you've completed the practice exercises. Make sure you note the reason why a response is correct. It will help you to enhance your skills for the exam, as you will be able to note the next steps for mastering Possessives and Compound Nouns.

Q A.

1. I’m sure this is somebody’s bag.
2. Let’s go to the girls’ shop.
3. That is Mr. Hollis’s/Mr. Hollis’ hotel.
4. I love Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas.
5. It’s nobody’s fault.
6. They had respect for each other’s opinions.
7. My next-door neighbour’s dog never stops barking.
8. I’m fed up with the hopeless inefficiency of my boss’s secretary/my boss’s secretary’s hopeless inefficiency.
9. My mother’s and (my) father’s personalities are very alike.
10. These aren’t my keys, they are my flatmates (keys).
11. The new Act of Parliament will protect everyone’s right to privacy.
12. The men’s toilet is over there on the right.
13. I’ve just inherited my grandmother’s brother’s house/the house belonging to my grandmother’s brother.
14. Residents of sink estates’ opinions/Sink estates’ residents’ opinions are rarely taken into consideration.
15. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ dance routines are legendary.

Q B.

1. him => his
2. wive’s => wife’s
3. ones’ home is ones’ castle => one’s home is one’s castle
4. ✓/managing director’s
5. mine => my
6. childrens => children’s
7. ✓
8. brother’s in- law’s => brother-in-law’s
9. us => ours
10. buses’ => bus’s

Q C.

1. B
2. A
3. A, B
4. A
5. A, B
6. B
7. A
8. A, B
9. A
10. A
11. B
12. B
13. B
14. A, B
15. A
16. B
17. B
18. A
19. A

Q D.

1. brand names
2. mail-order
3. credit card
4. high street
5. shop assistant
6. checklist
7. software
8. hard disk
9. word processing
10. keyboard
11. world-wide-web
12. output
13. shortlist
14. instruction manuals
15. after-sales

Q E.

1. A
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. A

Q F.

1. Could you pop down to the newsagent and pick up Charles’/Charles’s evening paper.
2. That silver-topped walking stick belongs to a friend of mine.
3. The hotel’s private beach is only a five- minute walk from here.
4. The government’s privatization of the railways is going ahead next year.
5. The landlord wouldn’t allow his tenant’s girlfriend to move in.
6. My father’s pension fund has been badly affected by the downturn in the value of blue-chip stocks.
7. Clare bought a beautiful new outfit for her brother-in-law’s sister’s wedding/the wedding of her brother-in-law’s sister.
8. The windsurfer managed to ignore the screams of the crowd lining the beach.
9. Whenever we are over at Dad’s (house) we seem to spend the entire time watching horse racing on the television.
10. The bank robber refused to accept the legal system’s jurisdiction/ the jurisdiction of the legal system over him.
11. My wife’s firm specializes in setting up databases for insurance companies.
12. The traffic jam was caused by the volume of cars setting out for the south coast at the start of the bank holiday.

To sum up, understanding when to use possessives and when to opt for compound nouns is essential for writing polished, high-level IELTS responses. These grammatical structures enhance clarity, demonstrate control over formal tone, and reflect academic and professional registers. So, practice using them in different contexts, and you will start to use both forms naturally and accurately, giving your grammar score a real boost.

Useful Links:

• Advanced Grammar Structures for IELTS to Achieve Band 7+   
• Top 10 IELTS Grammar Books
• Especially vs Specially for IELTS Grammar: Lessons, Examples, Usage & Exercises
• Preposition: Advanced Grammar for IELTS
• Adverbs: Advanced Grammar for IELTS