Tuesday’s vs. Tuesdays – Which is Correct?
“Tuesday’s” and “Tuesdays” are both correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. “Tuesday’s” is the possessive form of Tuesday or a contraction of “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has.” “Tuesdays” is the plural noun for more than one Tuesday. Choose the form based on whether you mean ownership, contraction, or repetition.
Tuesday’s or Tuesdays – Which is Correct?
Tuesday’s and Tuesdays are both correct spellings, but they cannot usually be substituted for one another. The apostrophe in Tuesday’s has a specific grammatical purpose: it can show possession or form a contraction. Without the apostrophe, Tuesdays is simply the plural of Tuesday.
Use Tuesday’s when something belongs to, occurs on, or is associated with one Tuesday: “Tuesday’s meeting was canceled.” It can also mean “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has”: “Tuesday’s going to be busy.”
Use Tuesdays when referring to more than one Tuesday or to Tuesdays as a recurring day: “The store is closed on Tuesdays.”
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the apostrophe swap test. If you can replace Tuesday’s with “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has,” the apostrophe is part of a contraction. If the sentence means that something belongs to Tuesday, the apostrophe shows possession. If you mean several Tuesdays or a repeated Tuesday routine, use Tuesdays without an apostrophe.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday’s | Possessive noun or contraction | Belonging to Tuesday; “Tuesday is”; or “Tuesday has” | Tuesday’s forecast predicts rain. |
| Tuesdays | Plural noun | More than one Tuesday or Tuesdays in general | We practice on Tuesdays. |
How to Use Tuesday’s
Tuesday’s has two main uses. First, it is the singular possessive form of Tuesday, used when a noun is connected with or attributed to that particular day. For example, “Tuesday’s agenda” means “the agenda for Tuesday.”
Second, Tuesday’s can be a contraction. It may shorten “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has,” depending on the sentence. This use is common in casual speech, messages, headlines, and informal writing. In formal writing, spelling out “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has” may be clearer.
Example 1: Tuesday’s appointment begins at 10 a.m.
Example 2: Tuesday’s the only day I can meet.
Example 3: Tuesday’s been unusually quiet at the office.
What are the different forms of Tuesday’s?
The base noun is Tuesday. Its plural form is Tuesdays, meaning multiple Tuesdays. Its singular possessive form is Tuesday’s, as in “Tuesday’s schedule.” The possessive form does not necessarily indicate literal ownership; it can show a time association, such as “Tuesday’s class.”
When Tuesday’s is a contraction, its expanded form depends on context. “Tuesday’s cold” means “Tuesday is cold,” while “Tuesday’s arrived” means “Tuesday has arrived.”
Etymology of the word Tuesday’s
Tuesday comes from Old English Tīwesdæg, meaning “Tiw’s day.” Tiw, also called Tyr, was a Germanic god associated with war and law. The apostrophe and s in Tuesday’s are modern English grammatical markers showing possession or contraction.
How to Use Tuesdays
Tuesdays is the regular plural of Tuesday. Use it when discussing two or more specific Tuesdays, or when describing something that happens every Tuesday. It commonly appears with words such as every, on, most, some, and several.
When describing a recurring event, the phrase on Tuesdays is usually the clearest choice. Do not add an apostrophe merely because the word ends in s; apostrophes do not form ordinary plurals.
Example 1: The library hosts a writing group on Tuesdays.
Example 2: Several Tuesdays in June are available for appointments.
Example 3: She works remotely every Tuesday, but the office is busier on other days.
What are the different forms of Tuesdays?
Tuesday is the singular form, and Tuesdays is its regular plural form. The plural does not require an apostrophe. The possessive form of one Tuesday is Tuesday’s, while the possessive form of multiple Tuesdays is Tuesdays’, as in “the Tuesdays’ schedules.” However, that plural possessive form is relatively uncommon and is often rewritten for clarity.
Etymology of the word Tuesdays
Tuesdays combines the historical noun Tuesday with the regular English plural ending -s. The name ultimately developed from Old English Tīwesdæg, or “Tiw’s day,” and is related to similar words in other Germanic languages.
Related Concepts
Understanding possession, contractions, and regular plurals makes the difference between Tuesday’s and Tuesdays easier to recognize.
- Possessive nouns: A possessive noun identifies ownership, association, or connection. In “Tuesday’s deadline,” the deadline is associated with one Tuesday.
- Contractions: A contraction combines words and replaces omitted letters with an apostrophe. “Tuesday’s” can represent “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has.”
- Regular plurals: Most English nouns form plurals by adding -s or -es. “Tuesdays” means more than one Tuesday and does not need an apostrophe.
- Time expressions: Expressions such as “on Tuesdays,” “by Tuesday,” and “Tuesday’s meeting” use different grammatical structures to describe time.
Examples from Media and Literature
The distinction appears in familiar titles, headlines, and everyday descriptions:
- Tuesdays with Morrie: The title of Mitch Albom’s memoir uses the plural Tuesdays because it refers to a series of recurring Tuesdays.
- Tuesday’s Gone: The title of a song by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd uses possessive or poetic Tuesday’s, not the ordinary plural form.
- Super Tuesday: Political reporting often refers to “Super Tuesdays” when discussing multiple elections held on similarly significant Tuesdays.
- News headlines: A headline might say “Tuesday’s storm disrupts travel,” where the storm is associated with one particular Tuesday.
- Schedules and announcements: A notice may state, “Classes meet on Tuesdays,” using the plural for a recurring weekly event.
Tuesday’s Synonyms
| Synonym or Alternative | Definition |
|---|---|
| of Tuesday | A formal or expanded alternative to the possessive “Tuesday’s” |
| scheduled for Tuesday | Describes an event planned for that day |
| Tuesday is | The expanded form of the contraction in contexts such as “Tuesday’s warm” |
| Tuesday has | The expanded form of the contraction in contexts such as “Tuesday’s arrived” |
Tuesdays Synonyms
| Synonym or Alternative | Definition |
|---|---|
| each Tuesday | Every individual Tuesday in a recurring sequence |
| every Tuesday | A weekly event or action that takes place on Tuesday |
| Tuesday afternoons | Afternoons occurring on multiple Tuesdays |
| weekly Tuesdays | A repeated Tuesday schedule, though this phrase is less natural than “every Tuesday” |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “Tuesday’s” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Tuesday’s” is correct when it shows possession or association, as in “Tuesday’s meeting,” or when it contracts “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has.”
Question 2: Is “Tuesdays” plural or possessive?
“Tuesdays” is the regular plural of “Tuesday.” It refers to more than one Tuesday or to Tuesdays generally. It is not possessive because it has no apostrophe.
Question 3: Should I write “every Tuesday” or “every Tuesdays”?
Write every Tuesday. The word “every” is followed by a singular noun. Use on Tuesdays when expressing a recurring activity without “every.”
Question 4: Is “Tuesdays’” ever correct?
Yes, but it is the plural possessive form and is relatively uncommon. Use it when something belongs to multiple Tuesdays, as in “the Tuesdays’ schedules,” although “the schedules for Tuesdays” is often clearer.
Conclusion
Tuesday’s and Tuesdays are both correct, but they have different functions. Choose Tuesday’s for possession or as a contraction of “Tuesday is” or “Tuesday has.” Choose Tuesdays for the plural or for recurring events. Pro Tip: Using the correct apostrophe can make professional emails, reports, and schedules look more polished and credible.
