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The possessive of PLURAL nouns ending in -s is formed by adding a final apostrophe: girls'. Plurals that do not end in -s form the possessive by adding -'s: women's

Because the already end in the letter "s" such as octopus

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13y ago
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1w ago

The apostrophe at the end of some plural words indicates possession rather than plurality. For example, "students' books" means the books belong to multiple students.

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Q: Why do some plural words have to have the apostrophe at the end?
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Continue Learning about Linguistics

Does the plural form of an acronym have an apostrophe like the plural form of an individual letter?

No, the plural form of an acronym does not have an apostrophe. Acronyms are treated as regular words, so adding an 's' at the end is sufficient to indicate their plural form.


How do you tell if you add an apostrophe or an apostrophe s to words to make them plural?

To make a word plural, typically just add an "s" at the end. Use an apostrophe only when indicating possession or in contractions, not for pluralization. For example, "dogs" is the plural of "dog," and "dog's" shows possession.


How do you indicate if a word is possessive when it is plural?

To indicate possession when a word is plural, you generally add an apostrophe after the "s" at the end of the word. For example, if you have "girls" as the plural form, the possessive form would be "girls'" (e.g., "the girls' toys"). However, if the plural word does not end in "s", you would add an apostrophe and then "s" to show possession (e.g., "the children's books" for the plural form of "child").


Do you do apostrophe s after a z?

Yes, you can use an apostrophe S after any word -- even words that end in Z. The exception is for words that end in S because they are plural. In this case, the apostrophe goes at the end of the word. Examples: John's house Cats' tails


What is the plural of quay?

the plural for quay is quay's :DNo, the plural for quay is quays - no apostrophe. An apostrophe indicates either a possessive or a contraction - not a plural.This applies even for words that end in a vowel (eg the plural of bee is bees, not bee's) and for abbreviations (eg the plural od DVD is DVDs, not DVD's).Don't use apostrophes in plurals!

Related questions

Does the plural form of an acronym have an apostrophe like the plural form of an individual letter?

No, the plural form of an acronym does not have an apostrophe. Acronyms are treated as regular words, so adding an 's' at the end is sufficient to indicate their plural form.


Do you do apostrophe s after a z?

Yes, you can use an apostrophe S after any word -- even words that end in Z. The exception is for words that end in S because they are plural. In this case, the apostrophe goes at the end of the word. Examples: John's house Cats' tails


What does the apostrophe after the word mean?

An apostrophe used after the letter S at the end of the word generally means it is a plural possessive, such as "cats' meow" which is basically referring the meow to all of the cats (plural).Sometimes, however, some words will end in an S without being a plural, such as names, but the apostrophe still indicates that it is possessive. For example "James' notebook" which is saying that the notebook belongs to a singular James.


What does an apostrophe after the word mean?

An apostrophe used after the letter S at the end of the word generally means it is a plural possessive, such as "cats' meow" which is basically referring the meow to all of the cats (plural).Sometimes, however, some words will end in an S without being a plural, such as names, but the apostrophe still indicates that it is possessive. For example "James' notebook" which is saying that the notebook belongs to a singular James.


Why apostrophe is in the end in the word mistress'?

There is no apostrophe at the end of the word mistress. An apostrophe goes at the end of PLURAL possessives ending in -s, not singular ones. The possessive singular of mistress is mistress's, and the plural possessive is mistresses'.


Where does the apostrophe go in companies?

"Companies" is the plural "company" and doesn't require an apostrophe unless you are using a plural possessive. With the plural possessive, the apostrophe should appear at the end of the word after the 's'.


What is the plural possessive of cherrys?

cherries' (with an apostrophe at the end)


How do you indicate if a word is possessive when it is plural?

To indicate possession when a word is plural, you generally add an apostrophe after the "s" at the end of the word. For example, if you have "girls" as the plural form, the possessive form would be "girls'" (e.g., "the girls' toys"). However, if the plural word does not end in "s", you would add an apostrophe and then "s" to show possession (e.g., "the children's books" for the plural form of "child").


What is a apostrophe followed by the letter s is used to make the contracted form of the verb?

No, an apostrophe is used to form contractions (they'll) and to show ownership (Bob's kite).Possessive nouns are the words that show ownership by adding an apostrophe 's' to the end of the word or just an apostrophe after the 's' at the end of a plural noun.


What is the plural possessive of the word possessive?

The plural possessive form is possessives'.The possessives' forms are recognized by the apostrophe -s or the -s apostrophe at the end of the word.


What is the plural of quay?

the plural for quay is quay's :DNo, the plural for quay is quays - no apostrophe. An apostrophe indicates either a possessive or a contraction - not a plural.This applies even for words that end in a vowel (eg the plural of bee is bees, not bee's) and for abbreviations (eg the plural od DVD is DVDs, not DVD's).Don't use apostrophes in plurals!


How do you form the possessive of plural nouns?

To form the possessive of plural nouns, you typically add an apostrophe after the "s" at the end of the word. For example, "The dogs' leashes were tangled." However, if the plural noun does not end in "s," you add an apostrophe followed by an "s." For example, "The children's toys were scattered everywhere."