Most of the time, you should indicate possession by adding apostrophe s to the noun:

• Steve’s essay
• the dog’s toy
• Education’s ideals

If the noun ends with an “s,” you can either add a apostrophe s or just an apostrophe:

• Charles’ bed or Charles’s bed
• Mr. Adams’ family or Mr. Adams’s family

Be consistent: don’t switch between “Charles’” and “Charles’s” within the same text.

To form possessives of plural nouns, add an apostrophe after the “s:”
Students’ essay
Doctors’ office
“Student’s essay” indicates that one student has possession of the essay; “Students’ essay” indicates that more than one student possess the essay

It’s is a contraction of “it is,” while “its” is actually the possessive of “it.” So, for example:

• The dog napped next to it’s chew toy.

This sentence should be:

• The dog napped next to its chew toy.