The word mother’s is the singular possessive form of mother. E.g., “The mother’s advice was invaluable.” Furthermore, mothers’ is the plural possessive form. E.g., “The mothers’ meeting was held at the community center.” Also, mothers is the standard plural of mother. E.g., “The mothers gathered for a parenting workshop.”
The following chart provides a summary of the different forms of mother.
| Form | Example Sentence |
| Singular | Mother |
| Plural | Mothers |
| Singular possessive | Mother’s |
| Plural possessive | Mothers’ |
You can make the plural form by adding an “s” to mother.
Furthermore, you can make the singular possessive by inserting an apostrophe and an “s” after mother. In comparison, the plural possessive is made by adding an apostrophe to the end of mothers.
In the following examples, you can see the different forms of the word mother in context:
- Singular: My mother is an excellent cook.
- Plural: The mothers decided to form a support group.
- Singular possessive: The mother’s love for her child is unconditional.
- Plural possessive: The mothers’ association organizes monthly events.
The difference between the singular and plural possessives is that we are talking about one mother in the singular possessive sentence. However, in the plural possessive sentence, we are talking about something that belongs to multiple mothers.
Now you have learned the basics of how to use the possessive forms of mother. However, you should keep reading so you can learn more about each form and how to use them.
Mother’s
The word mother’s is the singular possessive of the word mother. Therefore, you use it when you want to say that something belongs to one mother.
You can mention things that are a physical part of a mother or part of her character.
- The mother’s hands were gentle and caring.
- Our mother’s wisdom guided us through tough times.
Mothers’
The word mothers’ is the plural possessive of mother. Therefore, you use it when you want to indicate that something belongs to multiple mothers.
The plural possessive can refer to physical objects owned by mothers, as well as things like results or opinions.
- The mothers’ contributions were acknowledged by the school.
- Somebody borrowed the mothers’ recipe books from the library.
Furthermore, the term mothers’ can also refer to spaces explicitly designed for mothers, as well as periods of time that mothers spend without fathers.
- She works in the mothers’ section of the hospital.
- They planned a mothers’ getaway to the beach.
Mothers
The term mothers is the standard plural of the word mother. Therefore, you use it when you want to talk about more than one mother in non-possessive sentences.
You can use the plural version to mention a specific number of mothers.
- Five mothers attended the meeting.
Also, you can use it to refer to all mothers in a general sense.
- Mothers often share their parenting experiences.
