The word community’s is the singular possessive form of community. E.g., “The community’s crime rate has risen.” Furthermore, communities’ is the plural possessive form. E.g., “Local communities’ relationship with the police has deteriorated.” Lastly, communities is the plural form of community.
The following table shows the four forms of the word community:
| Singular | Community |
| Plural | Communities |
| Singular possessive | Community’s |
| Plural possessive | Communities |
From this, you can see that the apostrophe is only needed when you are using the possessive forms. Furthermore, because community is irregular, the plural is formed with the suffix “-ies.”
Here are the four forms in example sentences:
- Singular: I live in a community that consists of families and young professionals.
- Plural: People from deprived communities have a lower life expectancy than those from affluent ones.
- Singular possessive: The community’s strong point is that it is close to transport links.
- Plural possessive: Nationwide, communities’ requirements are not being met by the government.
Please continue reading the rest of the article to learn more about the plural and possessive forms of the term community.
We’ll show you some great example sentences that will help clear out all your doubts about the possessive forms!
Community’s
To begin, the term community’s is the singular possessive form of community. Therefore, its purpose is to indicate that something belongs to a single community.
In addition, common things that you could mention that usually “belong” to communities are people, statistics, facilities, and characteristics.
We have shown this in the example sentences below, where community’s is being used:
- The community’s spokesperson said that the committee members were unhappy with the development plans.
- Residents have pledged to clean up the community’s green spaces.
- The community’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country.
- The community’s annual festival attracts visitors from all over the region.
- Many people were concerned about the decline in the community’s overall safety.
- The community’s youth center has been a positive influence on the younger generation.
- There’s been a strong push to support the community’s local businesses during these challenging times.
Now, let’s talk about whether communities’ is a correct possessive form to use.
Communities’
The term communities’ is the plural possessive form of community. Therefore, you can use it to indicate that something belongs to multiple communities.
Here are some examples of how communities’ can be used in a sentence:
- The representatives read out the communities’ needs and demands at the meeting.
- Religious communities’ views on equality vary according to their religion.
- The communities’ leaders convened for an annual summit to address shared challenges.
- Different communities’ festivals often overlap, leading to vibrant and diverse celebrations.
- Multiple communities’ water resources are being threatened by the new dam project.
- Various communities’ traditional recipes were showcased at the international food fair.
However, although the word communities’ is correct, it is not a massively common form because, usually, things do not belong to multiple communities.
Also, people often express the same thing in slightly different ways.
Here are some great examples of how you could rephrase the sentences shown above so you don’t need to use the plural possessive, communities’:
- Each of the representatives read out the needs and demands of their respective communities.
- Views on equality vary within different religious communities.
- Leaders from various communities convened for an annual summit.
- Festivals from different communities often overlap.
- The water resources of several communities are under threat.
- Traditional recipes from different communities were displayed.
Now, we only have the word communities left to discuss. Continue reading to see examples of how to use this phrase in your sentences!
Communities
The term communities is the standard plural form of community. Therefore, you use it when mentioning two or more communities, and the thing you mention does not belong to the community.
Furthermore, the term communities can refer to a specified number of communities:
- Our two communities are near each other geographically but are a million miles apart in terms of prosperity.
- These communities have banded together to protect their shared heritage.
- The five communities, despite their linguistic differences, share a unified cultural history.
- These three communities, situated along the river, face similar environmental challenges.
- The two neighboring communities have always enjoyed a friendly sports rivalry.
- Four communities in the region, each with its own tradition, come together annually for a grand festival.
Alternatively, it can refer to an unspecified number of communities:
- Communities across the country are feeling the pinch of the cost of living increases.
- We aim to bridge the gaps between urban and rural communities.
- Cultural events provide an opportunity for communities to showcase their unique identities.
- Educational outreach programs are being established in underserved communities.
- Communities around the world are joining forces to combat the impacts of climate change.
That’s all you need to know to use the possessive forms of community correctly. You can always come back and revisit this site if you have any doubts!