Hello, I'm an expert in the field of English grammar and linguistics. I'm here to help clarify any doubts you might have about the correct usage of words and phrases in English.
Let's delve into the question you've asked about the possessive form of "women." The issue at hand is whether it should be "Women's" or "womens'" when indicating possession. This is a common point of confusion, but the rules of English grammar provide a clear answer.
In English, the possessive case is used to show ownership or a close relationship between two entities. When dealing with plural nouns that already end in "s," the possessive is formed by adding just an apostrophe (’) at the end. This is because the "s" already indicates the plural form, and adding another "s" would be redundant. Therefore, the possessive form of "women" is "Women's," not "womens'."
Here's why:

1. Plurality: The word "women" is the plural form of "woman." When you're talking about more than one woman, you use "women."

2. Possessive Form: To show possession, English grammar dictates that you add an apostrophe (’s) after the "s" of a plural noun that already ends in "s."

3. Redundancy: Adding an additional "s" after the apostrophe would be redundant because the "s" at the end of "women" already signifies the plural.

4. Contraction: It's important to note the difference between possessive and contraction. "Women's" is possessive, while "women's" without the apostrophe is simply the plural form of "woman."

5. Pronunciation: The pronunciation of "Women's" is also a clue. It's pronounced as "wim-enz," not "wim-enz-es," which would be the case if "s" were added for the possessive.

6. Examples: To further illustrate, consider the phrase "the women's rights movement." Here, "women's" indicates that the rights belong to or are associated with women as a group.
7.
Exceptions: There are a few irregular plural nouns that do not end in "s" and thus take an "es" for the possessive, such as "children's" (from "children"), but "women" is a regular plural noun and follows the standard rule.
8.
Context: Understanding the context is crucial. If you're referring to the rights or belongings of multiple women, "Women's" is correct. If you're simply referring to the women themselves, without any notion of possession, you would use "women."
In conclusion, when you want to express possession for the plural noun "women," you should use "Women's." It's a straightforward application of English grammar rules regarding possessive forms for plural nouns. Remembering these rules will help you use "Women's" correctly in your writing and speech.
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Women's. Because 'women' is already plural, and is possessive. Ergo, you just add the apostrophe 's'. It would only be womens' if womens without the apostrophe was the plural of woman.read more >>