The Owner or a Close Connection
The possessive form names an owner or a group that something is closely connected with. First, put the owner word with an apostrophe, and then the thing, place or person: children's toys — toys belonging to children.
This is not always literal ownership. The women’s team means a team of women, and the children’s teacher means a teacher of children.
irregular plural owner + 's + thing/person/place
The children's toys are in the box.
The children's toys are in the box.
Children's comes before toys and shows who the toys belong to.
The women’s team is ready.
The women’s team is ready.
Women’s names the group of people who make up the team; this is a connection, not literal ownership.
Irregular Plural + 's
Children, women, men and people are already plural forms, although they do not end in -s. To form the possessive, add an apostrophe and s to the whole word: children + 's = children's.
Do not add another plural ending. The forms childrens, womens and mens are not needed: the plural meaning is already contained in children, women and men.
irregular plural without final -s + 's + noun
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
The women's bags are on the table.
The women's bags are on the table.
Women is an irregular plural without -s, so we add 's.
The men's shoes are by the door.
The men's shoes are by the door.
Men already means several men; the possessive form is men's.
The people's names are on the list.
The people's names are on the list.
In its ordinary meaning, people is the plural of person, so we use people's.
One Owner and Several Owners
Child's and children's both have 's, but they express different numbers. Child's means one child, while children's means several children. The number is determined by the form of the word before the apostrophe.
Similarly, man's means one man, while men's means several men. The visible 's alone does not show the number without the base word.
This is one child's coat.
This is one child's coat.
Child is singular, so there is one owner.
These are the children's coats.
These are the children's coats.
Children is plural, so there is more than one owner.
Contrast with the Regular Plural Ending in -s
If a regular plural already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe after that s: students' books, girls' bikes. This is a related pattern, not the form used for children, women, men or people.
For an irregular plural without a final -s, the apostrophe comes before the added s: children's, women's, men's, people's.
girls + ' → girls'; children + 's → children's
The girls' bikes are outside.
The girls' bikes are outside.
Girls already ends in -s, so we add only an apostrophe after it.
The women's bikes are inside.
The women's bikes are inside.
Women does not end in -s, so we add the complete 's.
The Apostrophe in Writing
The straight apostrophe (') and the typographic apostrophe (’) represent the same form: children's and children’s. The important point is the position of the mark: immediately after the irregular plural and before the added s.
The apostrophe does not create the plural. First, you need the correct plural children, women, men or people, and then 's.
Children's books are here.
Children's books are here.
The straight apostrophe comes after children and before s.
Children’s books are here.
Children’s books are here.
The typographic apostrophe changes the formatting, but not the meaning.
Limits and Transfer to Speech
At A1 level, focus on children's, women's, men's and people's in short everyday phrases. Rare irregular plurals need to be checked separately, and the natural way to name the connection depends on the word.
The mechanical form teeth's is possible in a narrow context where teeth genuinely acts as the owner, but in everyday language tooth colour or the colour of the teeth is more natural. Therefore, we do not practise teeth's here.
In your own answer, identify who the owner is and whether there is more than one owner. For children, women, men or people, put 's after the whole word and add the related noun.
Where are the men's jackets?
Where are the men's jackets?
In the question, the same form men's comes before jackets.
The children's teacher is here.
The children's teacher is here.
Children's naturally shows the connection between a group of children and their teacher.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:The childrens' books are new.
Correct:The children's books are new.
Children is already a plural without a final -s; add 's to it, not s'.
Incorrect:The womens' coats are blue.
Correct:The women's coats are blue.
The correct plural is women; the possessive form is made as women + 's.
Incorrect:The mens' shoes are by the door.
Correct:The men's shoes are by the door.
Men already means several men and needs 's without an additional plural s.
Incorrect:The people' names are on the list.
Correct:The people's names are on the list.
In its ordinary meaning, people is a plural without -s, so it needs the complete 's after it.