others, other's or others'?????

[littlestressy]

Can anyone help me? My OH is writing a report which includes the phrase:

(He) can suggest ways to improve his own and other's performance...

Should it be:
others performance
other's performance
others' performance

I thought that because he is commenting about the performance OF others it would be other's....but now I just don't know and my OH is stuck!

[MummyCoolski]

There are multiple others so because the performance "belongs" to them, it is plural possessive: others'

[seeker]

Others'

[rootypig]

others'

Here's how you work it out (very colloquially, am not a grammar expert as will be abundantly clear in about three mins!)

Write out the possessive relationship in full / longhand ie the performance of others

Then you can see the subject without the complication of the possessive apostrophe or s. Two things:

1. The apostrophe will never break up the subject word, if it ends with s (that is the mistake your DH is making
   
   eg the collar of the dog = the dog's collar
   the collars of the dogs = the dogs' collars and never the dog's collars
   
   
2. add an s to a singular possessive, even if the word ends with s (often a name)
   eg the dress of Lois = Lois's dress

[littlestressy]

Thank you very much! We were thinking of others as a singular, not a plural!! Great help