Tipworld -> Usage
Apostrophe Placement

A reader asks, "Where should the apostrophe go in each of these cases?

The men's/mens' group voted to adjourn for the day.
The women's/womens' baseball team challenged the men's/mens' team."

The first choice in each of the above examples is correct. The plural of "man" and "woman" are, respectively, "men" and "women" ("mens" and "womens" are nonwords). The possessive forms of these plural words are "men's" and "women's". The apostrophe goes after the word and before the "s." Think "team of women" or "group of men." You wouldn't say "team of womens" or "group of mens."

RIGHT: The men's group voted to adjourn.
RIGHT: The women's team challenged the men's team.
RIGHT: Little Maisy has a fine collection of children's books