The major difference between “Mothers” and “Mother’s” is that the first one (mothers) is used as a plural, where we are talking about several mothers and the second (Mother’s) is related to an object and indicates that the person holds possession of the particular thing.
“I’m a companion of your mom.” Or “I’m your mom’s companion.” “Mother’s” is possessive (not plural – that would be demonstrated by the “s” with no punctuation before it), so it needs an apostrophe to show WHAT Mother has.
“Moms” would be utilized uniquely as a plural structure; while you’re discussing at least two moms (i.e., “There were a few moms assembled at the gathering.”)
“Mother’s” would be used to show possession of something or as a contraction. For example, you can use it like this:
1) To indicate possession or something that belongs to your mother (eg “This is my mother’s wallet” uses an apostrophe to indicate possession… The wallet is my mother’s)
2) Mother’s could also be used as a contraction, instead of saying “mother is” (i.e., “Mother’s going to the play with me,” meaning “Mother is going to the play with me.”)
Keep reading to know more.
Which is more correct: mothers day or mother’s day?
“Mothers Day” is not the correct choice. We need to use a possessive form of mother because the day belongs to her, therefore “Mother’s Day” is more correct.
However, it depends upon the situation and the usage of the word in terms of whether considering the meaning of the phrase targeting towards single mother or more than one mother.
When greeting a mother, “Happy Mother’s Day” is used.
Why is there an apostrophe in mother’s?
The apostrophe is present in terms like “Mother’s Day” to indicate possession. The day belongs to mother, therefore it is “Mother’s Day”. However, if the apostrophe was after the “s”, as in “Mothers’ Day”, it would still indicate possession but to the plural form of “Mother”.
The general rules for placing an apostrophe are:
Important Rule
The apostrophe is before the “s” for a single owner, but after the “s” for multiple owners.
- The dog’s dinner (the owner of the dinner is one dog)
- The dog’s dinners (the owner of the dinners is one dog)
- The dogs’ dinner (there are multiple owners of the dinner)
- The dogs’ dinners (the owner of the dinners is more than one dog)
Even if this rule looks simple, it can cause problems. It may be unclear whether the “owner” is singular or plural. This is most commonly done with the following terms:
- Father’s/Fathers’ Day
- Mother’s/Mothers’ Day
- Manager’s/Managers’ Meeting
- Veteran’s/Veterans’ Day
- Chief Executive’s/Chief Executives’ Meeting.
EXAMPLES:
- Mother’s Day or Mothers’ Day
Mother’s Day is an official name of a holiday. It is up to all families to celebrate their mother. Of course, grammatically it could be Mothers’ Day (that is, a day to celebrate every mother in the world). However, Mother’s Day is the version used by US holiday law and is used as a precedent.
- Father’s Day or Fathers’ Day
Same as above. The term Father’s Day was used by the US Congress in 1913 in the process of setting that day as a holiday. This is the precedent for now.
- Veterans Day, Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day
Veterans Day (without possessive apostrophes) is the official name for the holiday. Some claim that this is a day for Veterans, instead of a day that would belong to the Veterans. Therefore, the possessive apostrophe will be removed. Still, the official name is Veterans Day.
- Manager’s Meeting or Managers’ Meeting
For terms such as manager/manager meetings, the placement of apostrophes depends on whether the meeting is for one manager or multiple managers. for example:
· Manager’s Meeting = Meeting held by or on behalf of one manager. (However, it may be a meeting led by a single general manager.)
· Managers’ meeting = meeting of multiple managers (This can be a meeting for all managers.)
- Chief Executive’s Meeting or Chief Executives’ Meeting
As above, the location of the apostrophe depends on whether the meeting is for more than one leader. E.g:
· CEO’s Meeting = Meeting convened by the CEO. (This may be a one-person meeting chaired by the CEO.)
· Chief Executives’ Meeting = an assembly for numerous leader executives (This could be a meeting for all CEOs.)
What is the difference between Mom and Mom’s?
“Moms” is the plural form of the singular noun ‘mom.’ To make the plural of a singular noun, we usually add ‘s’ or ‘es’ after the words. “Mom’s” is the possessive case of the plural noun “mom”. In English grammar, the possessive case is used to indicate ownership and relationships between people and things.
To make a word possessive in the plural sense, we usually add an apostrophe (‘) to the end of the word. Possessive plural of noun “moms” will be “moms'”.
“Moms” is the possessive of the plural of the noun “Mom”. In English grammar, possessive pronouns are used to indicate the relationship and possession between a person and an object. Apostrophes (‘) are usually added to the end of the word to form the plural possessive. The possessive of the plural noun “moms” is “moms’”.
If you’re confused as to which term is more correct, mom or mother, have a look at this video:
Should I use Moms or Moms’ or Mom’s?
If you are talking about more than one mom, you must use moms. It’s not about possessions or relationships, but “moms” is the plural form of the word “mom”. Example: Moms were invited to the party.
“Moms'” should be used when talking about one or more mothers and their property or relationship. For example: Moms’ teachings. However, if you are using the singular form of mom and are referring to her possessions, you should use “Mom’s”. For example: Mom’s breakfast.
To summarize, take a look at this table:
| Singular | Mom |
| Plural | Moms |
| Singular possessive | Mom’s |
| Plural possessive | Moms’ |
5 examples of how to use Moms in a sentence
1. Remember that all moms attend the award ceremony and take pictures of their children.
2. All the fathers were invited to the parent-teacher meeting, but most of the guests were moms and I think we have to include them as an insight in our research.
3. Moms must help their children learn the societal ethics and moral values to act as responsible citizens.
4. I invited many moms, but most of them didn’t show up and when asked they said they were working ladies, so got busy with their chores.
5. The maid was responsible for distributing food to all the moms present at the event, and instead, she left to wash the clothes.
5 examples of how to use Moms’ in a sentence
1. Moms’ unconditional willingness and love for their children resembles the inevitable sunshine. There are several books available in this genre, which contain superb facts and examples.
2. Her presents on moms ‘day were adorable and we definitely should learn the ways of wrapping the gift in a perfect manner.
3. The lady in the white dress had recently sold an antique painting about mom’s power and she must have earned a handsome amount of dollars for the painting.
4. This is a wonderful idea to highlight all the moms’ challenges they face for their children, and we can discuss publishing it too.
5. Moms’ respect must be the utmost for children, no matter what their age is because respect teaches a person to be humble, modest, and responsible in society.
In Conclusion
Sometimes English can be confusing, what with all these plural and possessive forms, it can be quite hard to keep up with. But really, once you understand how it all works, it’s easy.
The term “Mothers” is used to describe more than one mother. For example: Mothers were gathered at the park today.”
On the other hand, the term “Mother’s” is a possessive form of the singular noun mother. It is to show possession belonging to the mother. For example: “My mother’s purse is at home.”
“Mothers’” is also a possessive form, but instead of showing possession to a singular noun, it shows possession to the plural form “Mothers”, hence the apostrophe.
Remember, if the apostrophe is before the “S”, it is to show possession of a singular noun, but if it is after the “S”, it is to show possession of a plural noun.