Agency’s is the singular possessive form of agency. E.g., “The travel agency’s recommendation is that we change the flight.” Also, agencies’ is the plural possessive form. E.g., “Local agencies’ advice is that travelers avoid the area.” Furthermore, agencies is the plural form of agency.
Agency is an irregular plural noun, so you make the plural form with the suffix “-ies.”
In the following table, you can see the four different forms of agency:
| Singular | Agency |
| Plural | Agencies |
| Singular possessive | Agency’s |
| Plural possessive | Agencies’ |
Here you can see the four different forms in context:
- Singular: I reserve all my vacations with the same travel agency.
- Plural: She worked for several security agencies during her career.
- Singular possessive: The agency’s building was unremarkable despite its importance.
- Plural possessive: Agencies’ rates for car insurance have risen by 10% this ear.
Please keep reading the rest of the page so you can learn more about using the possessive forms of agency.
We have some very helpful example sentences to show you!
Agency’s
Agency’s is the singular possessive form of the word agency. Therefore, you use agency’s to indicate that something belongs to one agency.
The thing you refer to can be intangible things like opinions or advice.
Have a look at these examples to get the idea:
- The agency’s position was that they were not to blame for the double booking.
- Our insurance agency’s reply was brief and stated we were not covered.
- The agency’s recommendation was to increase the advertising budget for the next quarter.
- We were impressed with the agency’s strategy for boosting our online presence.
- The travel agency’s suggestion for our honeymoon destination was absolutely perfect.
Or it can be people, physical items, or characteristics. These examples will show you this context:
- The agency’s premises were small and dingy.
- The agency’s staff were incredibly rude.
- The agency’s building had a modern design that stood out in the neighborhood.
- All the agency’s resources are geared toward research and development.
- The agency’s CEO will address the concerns in tomorrow’s press conference.
Furthermore, you only capitalize agency when referring to a specific agency. So, you should use a capital letter when stating that a single agency owns something, and you use the agency’s name.
Here’s a couple of examples:
- The Central Intelligence Agency’s official statement was unconvincing at best.
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulations have been the topic of debate.
So, agency’s is the singular possessive form of agency and should be used to express how things belong to a single agency.
Next, we’ll explain when you should use agencies’.
Agencies’
The term agencies’ is the plural possessive form of agency. Therefore, you use it to state that multiple agencies possess something.
Furthermore, when using the possessive form of a word, you should always ensure that the word order is correct.
The noun must come after the word agencies for you to use the possessive.
Notice how the noun comes after agencies in all of these example sentences:
- Security agencies’ buildings are usually located in capital cities.
- Government agencies’ funding sources are often secretive.
- Advertising agencies’ campaigns often target a younger demographic.
- Travel agencies’ packages can include flights and hotels.
- Research agencies’ reports are vital for policy making.
However, you can actually rephrase the sentence. That way, you don’t need to use the plural possessive, agencies’. Instead, you can just use the plural, agencies.
The examples below are how the same sentences look without the possessive because of different word order:
- The buildings of security agencies are usually well-guarded.
- Funding for government agencies is often shrouded in secrecy.
- The campaigns of advertising agencies often target a younger demographic.
- Packages offered by travel agencies can include flights and hotels.
- The reports from research agencies are vital for policy making.
Now, we just need to take a look at the word agencies and how to correctly use it in your sentences.
Agencies
The term agencies is the plural form of the word agency. Therefore, you use it to talk about multiple agencies simultaneously.
Here are some examples of agencies in a sentence:
- Travel agencies are falling out of fashion because of the internet.
- Security agencies are known for their shady and often illegal methods.
- Recruitment agencies play a pivotal role in connecting employers with potential employees.
- Environmental agencies strive to protect natural resources and ensure sustainable practices.
- Credit rating agencies assess the creditworthiness of individuals and corporate entities.
- Health agencies work tirelessly to combat the spread of contagious diseases.
- Intelligence agencies operate discreetly to safeguard national interests and security.
That’s all we have for you today! Hopefully, you now feel confident using agency’s, agencies’, and agencies in your writing.