Both express possession, of course.

We use 's with singular nouns. For example, "my son's toys" will be "the toys that belong to my son".

We use only an apostrophe (') after plural nouns that end in -s: "my sons' toys" means that I have more than one son and these are their toys.

We use 's for possession with the other plural nouns. For example: "my children's toys; women's wishes, etc.

Answer from fluffy on Stack Exchange
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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › when to use apostrophe s (‘s) | guide & examples
When to Use Apostrophe S ('s) | Guide & Examples
November 27, 2023 - Children’s likes and dislikes can change quickly. Martha’s son is under the au pair’s supervision. An exception is usually made in expressions like “for goodness’ sake.” Here, the “s” is left out (even though “goodness” is singular) to avoid having an awkward series of “s” sounds in one place. The same applies to other singular nouns ending in an “s” sound when they are used before “sake.” The other common examples are “for conscience’ sake” and “for appearance’ sake.”
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Stack Exchange
ell.stackexchange.com › questions › 30133 › what-is-the-difference-between-s-and-s
meaning - What is the difference between S' and 'S? - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
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Both express possession, of course.

We use 's with singular nouns. For example, "my son's toys" will be "the toys that belong to my son".

We use only an apostrophe (') after plural nouns that end in -s: "my sons' toys" means that I have more than one son and these are their toys.

We use 's for possession with the other plural nouns. For example: "my children's toys; women's wishes, etc.

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Fluffy's answer is correct about the possessive usages, so I won't repeat those. However, it misses an important point.

Possession isn't the only use for 's; it can also be a contraction for is. For example: it's, how's, he's, she's, that's, etc. In standard English, s' is never a contraction*.

The double meaning of 's leads to one of the most common mistakes in written English: confusing its, which is the possessive form of it, and it's, which is a contraction of it is.

* - When approximating certain dialects or slang in writing, s' may be used, rarely, as an abbreviation or contraction of it is when placed at the front (never the back!) of another word. For example, there's a famous comedy puppetry bit which makes heavy use of s'alright to mean it's alright. However, this is absolutely neither standard nor something you should emulate.

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Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › grammar › online-grammar › possessive-s-and-s
Possessive 's and s' | Learn and Practise Grammar
‘Have you seen Sam and Emma's garden?’ ‘It's really big.’
People also ask
What’s the possessive of a name ending in “s”?
You normally form a possessive noun from a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and an “s,” but there’s disagreement about how to form the possessive of a name like “James.” · Most style guides recommend adding the apostrophe and “s” like normal: James’s. But some argue that it should depend on which version feels most natural to pronounce, so that you could instead write James’, without the additional “s.” · We recommend the first approach, adding the “s” consistently, as it’s recommended by most authorities. Whatever you choose, be consistent about how you form the possessive of a particula
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › when to use apostrophe s (‘s) | guide & examples
When to Use Apostrophe S ('s) | Guide & Examples
Is its or it’s possessive?
Its and it’s are often confused, but its (without apostrophe) is the possessive form of “it” (e.g., its tail, its argument, its wing). You use “its” instead of “his” and “her” for neuter, inanimate nouns.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › when to use apostrophe s (‘s) | guide & examples
When to Use Apostrophe S ('s) | Guide & Examples
When do you put the apostrophe after the “s”?
When forming the possessive of a plural noun that already ends in “s,” you should add an apostrophe after “s” and not add an extra “s.” For example, the plural noun houses becomes the possessive nounhouses’. · This is different from forming the possessive of a singular noun (e.g., “house”) or an irregular plural noun that doesn’t end in “s” (e.g. “men”). In those cases, you add an apostrophe followed by an “s”: house’s; men’s.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › when to use apostrophe s (‘s) | guide & examples
When to Use Apostrophe S ('s) | Guide & Examples
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › differences between s,'s and s'. also, "it"
r/grammar on Reddit: Differences between s,'s and s'. Also, "it"
February 28, 2020 -

I am not a native english speaker and for years I've been puzzled by this. I will tell you how I understand each one should be used, so you can correct me.

's: it is used to show the second noun is refering to the first. Example: "My friend's boardgames" is refering to the boardgames that are owned by one friend(singular)

It can also be used as a short form of "is"

s: it is used to show plural. Example: "My friends boardgames" is refering to boardgames which I consider being my friends.

s': its like a mix of the other ones. Example: "My friends' boardgames" is refering to the boardgames that are owned by several friends(plural). It add possesive and plural at the same time.

And for the question that made me rethink the apostrophes in english: when you people say "for fucks sake", which is the correct form? I will list what I think each version means, and then choose which ones are correct for me:

1- "for fucks sake": This version in wrong, since the sake should be on behalf of the fucks.

2- "for fuck's sake": I think this one is correct, but lacks puch. The sake is on behalf of a particular, singular fuck. I guess you use this one when you're mildly exasperated.

3- "for fucks' sake": This one is also correct, exept this one is most likely the one that is more used, since it is in behalf of several, or all the fucks.

Anyway, if someone could clarify if this is correct, I would be grateful. I don't mind people making jokes, as long as some of you can help me clarify all this. And if it's a gammar joke, please explain.

If I want to write "it is" it's written "it's" and not "its", right? Is "its" a plural it? or is "it" an exception to the rule? I get so confuse with the s.'s and s' when it comes to "it".

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Your second example ("My friends boardgames") is not correct. The boardgames are either owned by one or more friends. So, the "s" on "Friend" must either be "friends'" or "friend's". You are correct that an "s" alone simple pluralizes the noun. See, for example, the way you always put an "s" at the end of "boardgames" with no apostrophe. As for your "fuck's sake" question: I know I personally use "'s" because I think of it as a single fuck (e.g., "I don't give a fuck."). It is definitely no "fucks sake." As for your "it is" question: "it is" can be contracted to "it's". "Its" is not plural -- it is simply the possessive form of the pronoun "it". There is no need for an apostrophe there. See here: https://www.dictionary.com/e/its-vs-its/
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Lots of questions! A few answers: Personal determiners don't include apostrophes. So "its" means "belonging to it", and "hers" is a pronoun for something that belongs to her. Apostrophes can be used to show that letters have been removed from a word, as in "cap'n" (captain), or more than one word, as in "don't" (do not). These words with letters left out are called contractions. The words "is" and "has" can be contracted to 's after a pronoun or noun: "it's" can mean "it is" or "it has", and "Mark's" can mean "Mark is" or "Mark has" (but see the next paragraph). The other use for an apostrophe is to show possession. The apostrophe goes immediately after the person(s) or thing(s) who/that possess what follows, and you follow the apostrophe with an "s" when showing possession by one person or thing. So "Mark's house" means "the house belonging to Mark". If the possessors are a plural ending in s, then you just use an apostrophe: "the authors' books". If the plural doesn't end in s, you add an s after the apostrophe: "the people's princess". This means that a possessive usually sounds like a plural. Now, this is a simplified explanation of the rules for using apostrophes. There are special cases, cases where you have a choice about whether to add an s after a possessive apostrophe, variations between British and American English, times when you can use an apostrophe for something other than contractions and possessives, and exceptions. But I won't go into those as they make things confusing, and many English-speakers don't understand them anyway and don't agree what the rules are supposed to be (and argue about them on r/grammar ). As for why the possessive forms are the way they are: it's said that they started out as contractions of genitive forms of nouns. So "Markes house" might have been how we would have written it in the past, and then, over time, the e got dropped and this became contracted to "Mark's house". Determiners like hers and its were already written like that (or the equivalent in older English), so there was nothing to contract, so they don't have apostrophes.
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GrammarBook
grammarbook.com › punctuation › apostro.asp
Apostrophes | Punctuation Rules and Examples
Rule 4a. If two people possess the same item, put the apostrophe + s after the second name only. Example: Cesar and Maribel’s home is constructed of redwood.
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-difference-between-s-and-s-in-English
What is the difference between 's and s' in English? - Quora
Answer (1 of 26): In English, the use of -'s is used in two ways: 1) to show that a letter (or letters) has been omitted from a word, (what's up?) or 2) to indicate possession. The use of -s' almost always indicates possession. There are very simple rules to possession. Instead of using the phra...
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British Council
learnenglish.britishcouncil.org › grammar › a1-a2-grammar › possessive-s
Possessive 's | LearnEnglish
April 18, 2023 - We often use possessive 's or s' when we talk about family and friends. Grandma and Grandpa are my mum's parents. Maria's best friend is Juanita.
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Preply
preply.com › home › english › how to use s 'and' s?
How to use s 'and' s? | Learn English
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The S’ and ‘S are possessive attributes. We use ‘S for a word that is singular or doesn’t end with S. We useS’ when the word is in plural form or normally ends in an s.
Find elsewhere
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ProWritingAid
prowritingaid.com › apostrophe-after-s
Apostrophe After S: Correct Usage and Examples
August 15, 2022 - Let’s check out some more examples of how to use possessive apostrophes with plural words ending in S. Please check the avocados’ ripeness before purchasing them. The Dunns’ new house looks like it came from a magazine. Here are my cats. Will you clean out the cats’ litter box while I’m on vacation? The houses’ lawns on this block are all brown and dead.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/writing › age old question - do you use s' or s's?
r/writing on Reddit: Age old question - do you use s' or s's?
September 18, 2021 -

When I was school I was taught s' is correct at the end of a possessive noun than ends in s and it really bugs me to see it written as s's. Is there a condition I have (like OCD) that causes this mini rage or do other writers also feel quite passionate about clean grammar? 🤔

Edit: I did not expect to receive so many insightful and helpful answers! In summary the responses have been:

  1. Follow a style guide for consistency

  2. 's is added to all other names so should be no different for James or Jones unless you are talking about Jesus or Moses

  3. s's follows the way it would be pronounced and makes sense for a lot of readers

  4. however some writers (like myself) find s's a bit messy

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I write s's if I pronounce the extra s (e.g., James's car) and s' if I don't (e.g., the guys' bets). I believe that's the British rule.
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When I was in school (and trust me, it's been a really long time), I was taught that a plural possessive ends in -s', whereas a possessive proper noun that ends in -s is written as -s's. For instance: (and this is my biggest pet peeve when I see this on signs) puppies' (plural possessive) vs. puppy's (singular possessive) James' (plural possessive, as in a family last name) vs. James's (singular possessive, as in a person's first name) I don't know what the writing style name is, but with me also being quite mathematically-minded I see these as a form of mathematical proof in a way. I've always stuck to this as a hard and fast rule, so it's far easier to reconcile it in my mind when I think of possessives this way.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › difference between 's and s'?
r/grammar on Reddit: Difference between 's and s'?
November 21, 2019 -

My friend doesn't have reddit and I can't really explain it clearly. We're both not native speakers so we learnt English at school.

What's the difference between ending a word with an s' or and 's? I've seen both used but don't know when it's correct.

Example: I'm going over to Marie's house. / It is a two days' journey.

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To answer your main question, the difference is plural vs singular. "It's the cat's bowl" means the bowl belongs to the cat. "It's the cats' bowl" means the bowl belongs to more than one cat. As an aside, this isn't a response to your main question but hopefully you won't mind. Believe it or not, the second example you gave: "It is a two days' journey" should actually be "it is a two-DAY journey". Even though the journey is two days long, we still say "two-day journey". English is funny this way; a lot of ESL speakers have trouble with it. I'll give you a few examples: It was a five-hour train ride. It was a ninety-minute flight. I was on a three-day hike. I've heard a few different reasons as to why this is but unfortunately I don't recall them now. I believe there may be something regarding it in the FAQ. With that said though, if you say "two days journey" or "five hours road trip" everyone will understand you, but it definitely sounds a little odd to native speakers.
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It's for plural and singular possessive nouns. In your example: I'm going over to Marie's house. "Marie" is a singular noun, so the apostrophe goes before the s. In the example: It is a two days' journey. "Days" is plural, so the apostrophe goes after the s. For more information https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/apostrophe.html
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Stack Exchange
english.stackexchange.com › questions › 108150 › apostrophes-and-s-s
grammatical number - Apostrophes and s’s - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
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I’m sure this is a duplicate question, but here’s something I wrote for a friend. If your noun is singular and ends in s then whether you add another s after the apostrophe is a matter of style, not grammar.

The London Underground has a station called St. James’s Park (after the Royal Park of that name). There is a stadium in Newcastle called St. James’ Park, which is pronounced like the Underground station.

Apostrophes and how not to be confused

Apostrophes are easy. Here’s a short summary which your teachers could have used. There isn’t even a test at the end. Note: I’m criticising the education you were given, not you for having suffered that.

Simple plurals never have an apostrophe, even if you’re a greengrocer.

  • My lists are scattered all over the house.
  • All the tomatoes are green.
  • I was born in the 1960s.
  • All MPs are [fill in something here].

Possessives do have an apostrophe. Write the noun, with its plural “s” if it’s a plural and then put an apostrophe, and add an s if necessary. You don’t need another s if you’ve already got one.

  • The car’s owner ran off. (One car, then the apostrophe, then an s because you don’t already have one)
  • My MP’s expenses are entirely above board. (One MP, apostrophe and s)
  • The cats’ owner fed them. (More than one cat, then the apostrophe and you don’t need another s)
  • The soldiers’ CO was awarded the DSM. (More than one soldier, apostrophe and no additional s)
  • James’ book was blue. (One James, then the apostrophe, and you don’t need another s although you could add one because James is singular)
  • The sheep’s wool was white. (One sheep, apostrophe, s)
  • The sheep’s wool was white. (Two sheep, apostrophe, s)

Possessive pronouns don’t have an apostrophe.

  • Their car
  • The car is theirs.
  • Its wheels are chrome.
  • Your car is black.
  • The black car is yours.

“It’s” only has an apostrophe when it’s a contraction of “it is”, and the apostrophe indicates a letter missed out, in much the same way as “don’t” for “do not” or “you’re” for “you are”. When it is a pronoun you want to make a possessive pronoun, remember the rule that possessive pronouns don’t have an apostrophe.

  • It’s a car. Its wheels are chrome.

Simples :-)

One reason given for why possessives have an apostrophe is that they are actually contractions similar to “don’t/do not”. For example, there is a 16th century dance called “Lord Salsbury his Pavan”, which became shortened to “Lord Salsbury’s Pavan” because it’s easier to say. That’s why possessive pronouns like “theirs” and “your” have no apostrophe: they’re not contractions. This may or may not be correct — evolution of language is more complex than that — but it’s a handy way of remembering.

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University of Guelph
guides.lib.uoguelph.ca › c.php
Using Apostrophes - Write Clearly: Punctuation - Guides at University of Guelph
If adding an apostrophe “s” would result in a double or triple “s” at the end of the word, erase the “s” after the apostrophe and leave the apostrophe in place. Example: Sophocles'(Sophocles apostrophe) house, NOT Sophocles's(Sophocles apostrophe s) house ·
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Grammar Palette
grammarpalette.com › home › writing tips › apostrophe after s: easy rules and examples
Apostrophe After S: Easy Rules and Examples
June 23, 2024 - For example, “Charles’ hat” or “witness’ testimony.” · Proper nouns that end in “s” can be tricky. Here’s the deal: If the pronunciation of the name adds an extra “s” sound when showing possession, then use an apostrophe and “s.” For example, “Dickens’ novels” (because we say “Dickens-es”).
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Simple Book Publishing
openoregon.pressbooks.pub › ctetechwriting › chapter › grammar-lesson-apostrophes-possessive-s
Grammar Lesson – Apostrophes/Possessive S – Technical Writing for Technicians
Pronouns, such as him, her, they, and them are stand-ins for proper nouns; in other words, they refer to someone or something specific without using the proper noun or name. Possessive pronouns show ownership. Some are used alone, while others are used to modify or describe a noun. Used alone: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, whose · EXAMPLE: That computer is hers.
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Hamilton College
hamilton.edu › academics › centers › writing › seven-sins-of-writing › 4
Seven Rules of Writing - Using the Apostrophe - Hamilton College
Examples: The children’s toys; The students’ books · The apostrophe, or the “-’s” ending, never indicates that the word is plural. The word will always be marked as plural before a possessive ending is added. Possessive pronouns, such as yours, hers, its, and ours, take no apostrophe.
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Quora
quora.com › When-do-I-use-s-s-and-s
When do I use -'s, -s', and -s? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): S is for the plural of nouns: one cat, two cats ’S is for the possessive case singular: John’s cat S’ is for the possessive case plural: my parents’ car is red *** ’S can be the abbreviation of IS: my cat’s fat ’S ...
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Stack Exchange
english.stackexchange.com › questions › 519346 › apostrophe-s-or-ss-when-to-use-each
Apostrophe s' or s's - When to use each? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
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On the use of so-called 'zero genitive', marked by a simple apostrophe in spelling ('), as opposed to the 's genitive, Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech and Svartvik specify in A Comprehensive grammar of the English Language (pp. 320 & 321) that:

In addition to its normal use with regular plurals such as boys', the 'zero genitive' is used to avoid repetitive or awkward combinations of sounds in the following cases:

(i) with Greek names of more than one syllable that end in -s, as in:

Euripides' /di:z/ plays, Xerxes' army, Socrates' wife

(ii) with many other names ending in /z/, where in speech zero is a variant of the regular /ɪz/ genitive. There is vacillation both in the pronunciation and in the spelling of these names, but most commonly the pronunciation is /ɪz/, and the spelling is an apostrophe only. (In the following examples, the minority form is given in parentheses.)

WRITTEN FORMS

Burns' (Burns's) poem

Dickens' (Dickens's) novels

Jones' (Jones's) car

SPOKEN FORMS

/ˈbɜ:nzɪz (bɜ:nz)/

/ˈdɪkɪnzɪz (ˈdɪkɪnz)/

/ˈdʒəunzɪz (dʒəunz)/

Names ending in other sibilants than /z/ have the regular /ɪz/ genitive: Ross's /ˈrɒsɪz/ theories. However, Jesus and Moses normally have the zero form of the spoken genitive, /ˈdʒi:zəs/ and /ˈməuzɪz/, and are written Jesus' and Moses' (as well as Jesus's and Moses's).

(iii) with fixed expression of the form for . . . sake, as in for goddness' sake, for conscience' sake, where the noun ends in /s/.

Fadnavis presumably does not end with a /z/ sound but with /s/, just like Ross in Quirk's example, and therefore should form its genitive with 's, giving Fadnavis's.

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Grammar Book
grammarbook.com › home › apostrophes › apostrophes with words and names ending in s
Apostrophes with Words and Names Ending in s - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
January 26, 2022 - Rule 2: To show plural possession of a word ending in an s or s sound, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe. Examples: the classes’ hours the Joneses’ car guys’ night out two actresses’ roles · Place the apostrophe (and perhaps an s) where appropriate.
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Synonym
classroom.synonym.com › use-s-s-correctly-4247.html
How to Use 's and s' Correctly | Synonym
June 25, 2018 - When you want to show plural ... applies, such as in the actresses’ union. If the regular noun ends in an s, it requires a different way to make it plural. For example, axis becomes axes and patch becomes patches....