What is the correct way to add a possessive to a plural word that does not end in "s"? Is it women's or womens'? | Notes and Queries (2024)

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What is the correct way to add a possessive to a plural word that does not end in "s"? Is it women's or womens'? | Notes and Queries? ›

What is the correct way to add a possessive to a plural word that does not end in "s"? Is it women's or womens'? Women's. Just as "cats' pyjamas" means "pyjamas possessed by cats", so "womens'" would mean possessed by "womens".

The possessive is formed in plural nouns by adding “-'s” to the end of words that do not end in “s” and an apostrophe to the end of words that do end in “s.” The apostrophe, or the “-'s” ending, never indicates that the word is plural.

Because women is plural, the apostrophe goes between the "n" and the "s" so the correct possessive form of women is women's.

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).

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.

Here's a list of plural possessive pronouns: Our, ours; your, yours; their, theirs. We use these plural possessive pronouns to indicate plural ownership. The example sentences are from the plural possessive pronoun list above: • Our books, mine and Jim's, were on the top bookshelf. The pencils on the table are ours.

An apostrophe and "s" is added to the end of a plural possessive, or just an apostrophe if the plural ends with an "s." For example, if there are toys that belong to multiple dogs, this would be "The dogs' toys." If there are toys that belong to multiple children, this would be "The children's toys."

So, the children's ward in a hospital belongs to the children – already a plural. The same goes for the men's toilet in the children's ward – although the same doesn't apply to the ladies' toilet, as you can have a lady but not a 'ladie'. Apostrophes aren't scary.

Revised on May 8, 2023. Possessive pronouns are pronouns that are used to indicate the ownership (possession) of something or someone by something or someone else. The English possessive pronouns are mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, and whose.

The possessive pronouns in this sense are 'mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs'.

How do you make a possessive apostrophe when words end in s? ›

Singular common nouns ending in s also define a possessive relationship by adding 's to the end of the word. For example: the hostess's station or the witness's testimony.

Both "Jesus'" and "Jesus's" are considered acceptable forms for the possessive of the name Jesus. The choice between the two depends on the style guide you're following or personal preference. Jesus': This is known as the "apostrophe-only" style.

Singular possessive nouns are formed by adding apostrophe s to singular nouns. Plural possessive nouns are formed by adding an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in s, and by adding an apostrophe s to plural nouns that do not end in s.

key idea. A possessive noun shows who or what owns something or has something. When a noun is singular, add an apostrophe and -s ('s) to form the singular possessive noun. When a noun is plural and ends in -s, just add an apostrophe (') to form the plural possessive noun.

The general rule is that the possessive of a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe and s, whether the singular noun ends in s or not. The possessive of a plural noun is formed by adding only an apostrophe when the noun ends in s, and by adding both an apostrophe and s when it ends in a letter other than s.

An apostrophe is used in a possessive form, like Esther's family or Janet's cigarettes, and this is the use of the apostrophe which causes most of the trouble. The basic rule is simple enough: a possessive form is spelled with 's at the end.

To form the possessive, add apostrophe + s to the noun. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. For names ending in s, you can either add an apostrophe + s, or just an apostrophe. The first option is more common.