Community’s or Communities’ or Communities? Understanding the Difference

When it comes to possessives, many people often get tripped up by the differences between community’s, communities’, and communities. These three forms may seem confusing at first glance, but they each serve a distinct purpose in English grammar. In this article, we’ll break down the singular and plural possessive forms, provide practical examples, and help you better understand how to use each one correctly.

What is a Possessive Form?

Before we dive into the specifics of community’s, communities’, and communities, it’s essential to understand what a possessive form is. The possessive form in English shows ownership or association between one thing and another. For example:

• The dog’s collar (the collar belongs to the dog).
• The teachers’ lounge (the lounge is used by multiple teachers).

In the case of the word “community,” knowing when to apply singular and plural possessive forms is key to clear communication.

Singular Possessive: Community’s

The singular possessive form of “community” is community’s. This form indicates that something belongs to one community. Whenever you’re referring to a single community and want to show ownership or association, you’ll use this possessive form.

Example Scenarios:

• The community’s park was newly renovated.
  (The park belongs to one specific community.)
• Our community’s efforts in cleaning the beach were successful.
  (Efforts made by a single community.)

In both cases, the word community’s highlights that these things (park, efforts) are associated with or belong to one specific group or place.

Plural Possessive: Communities’

The plural possessive form of “community” is communities’. You’ll use communities’ when you’re talking about something that belongs to multiple communities. This form shows that two or more communities share ownership or a relationship with something.

Example Scenarios:

• The communities’ shared goals have led to better cooperation.
  (Multiple communities share these goals.)
• Several communities’ support is essential for the success of the project.
  (Support comes from more than one community.)

In these examples, the apostrophe comes after the “s”, signaling that more than one community is involved.

Related: Business’ or Business’s? A Comprehensive Guide to Possessive Forms

Plural Form: Communities

Now, let’s talk about communities, which is simply the plural form of “community.” This form doesn’t indicate ownership or possession but rather refers to multiple communities. If you’re referring to more than one community but don’t need to show possession, communities is the correct choice.

Example Scenarios:

• Different communities around the world celebrate Earth Day.
  (Here, you’re referring to multiple communities without indicating ownership.)
• Urban and rural communities often have different priorities.
  (This example contrasts various groups, but there’s no possession involved.)

In both of these examples, communities is used in its basic plural form without any apostrophe, simply to talk about more than one community.

Singular vs. Plural: What’s the Difference?

To recap:

• Community’s (singular possessive): Shows that something belongs to one community.
• Communities’ (plural possessive): Shows that something belongs to more than one community.
• Communities (plural): Refers to multiple communities without indicating ownership.

How to Choose the Correct Possessive Form

When deciding which form to use—community’s, communities’, or communities—it all comes down to whether you’re dealing with one community or multiple communities, and whether you’re expressing ownership or association.

Let’s look at a few questions you can ask yourself to make the right choice:

1. Am I referring to one community or more than one?
   If it’s just one, you’ll likely need community’s. If it’s more than one, you’ll use communities’ or simply communities.
2. Is there ownership or association involved?
   If you’re showing that something belongs to or is associated with the community, you’ll need to use the possessive form.
3. Is it a general statement about communities?
   If you’re just talking about communities in general and not about possession, use the plural form communities.

Ownership and Association in Language

One of the reasons why possessive forms are important is because they help us clarify ownership or association in communication. When you correctly use the singular or plural possessive, you make your writing more precise and avoid confusion.

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For example, imagine you’re writing a grant proposal and want to highlight the collaboration between multiple communities. If you say “the communities collaboration“, it’s clear that multiple communities are involved. If you accidentally write “the community’s collaboration”, it sounds like only one community is collaborating, which could change the meaning entirely.

When to Use Singular Possessive

Use community’s when you’re talking about something owned by or associated with just one community. For instance:

• Our community’s identity is deeply rooted in local traditions.
• The community’s annual event draws hundreds of people each year.

Here, the singular form clearly indicates that you’re speaking about one specific community.

When to Use Plural Possessive

Use communities’ when ownership or association involves more than one community. This is particularly useful when referring to efforts, goals, or resources shared by multiple groups.

• The communities’ combined resources made the project possible.
• Several communities’ cultural traditions are celebrated in this festival.

The plural possessive form adds clarity by showing that multiple groups are involved.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong possessive form. Let’s go over a few scenarios where writers often get confused and how to correct them:

• Incorrect: The communities’s park was closed for renovations.
  Correct: The community’s park was closed for renovations.
  (In this case, only one community owns the park.)
• Incorrect: The community’s support of the new policy was widespread across different regions.
  Correct: The communities’ support of the new policy was widespread across different regions.
  (Here, multiple communities are involved in the support.)

By double-checking whether you’re referring to one or more communities, you can easily avoid these errors.

Subgroup Ownership and the Use of Possessives

Another interesting point to consider is how subgroups within communities use the possessive form. For instance, if you’re referring to a smaller group within a community, you’d still apply the same rules. Let’s look at an example:

• The community’s youth group volunteered to clean up the park.
  (One community has one youth group.)
• The communities’ various subgroups all contributed to the event.
  (Multiple communities have multiple subgroups that contributed.)

In these cases, the subgroup still takes on the possessive form, depending on whether it’s a singular or plural group.

Conclusion

The difference between community’s, communities’, and communities boils down to singular vs. plural forms and whether you’re showing ownership or simply referring to multiple groups. Here’s a quick recap:

• Community’s: Refers to something that belongs to one community.
• Communities’: Refers to something that belongs to more than one community.
• Communities: Just the plural form of community, with no possessive meaning.

By following these guidelines and paying attention to singular and plural possessive forms, you’ll communicate more clearly and avoid common mistakes.

Keep this article handy for your next writing project, and remember—ownership and association are the keys to mastering possessive forms!