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Difficulty: MediumApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

During the international pastry competition, the two bakers worked under intense pressure. The bakers' chief concern was it's structural stability, as the warm kitchen threatened to melt the delicate sugar sculpture.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    baker's chief concern was its
  3. bakers' chief concern was itsAnswer
  4. D
    bakers' chief concern was its'

Answer

The correct option is the one that uses the plural possessive noun 'bakers'' and the possessive pronoun 'its' without an apostrophe.
The correct option uses 'bakers'' to indicate the possession of the two bakers (plural possessive) and 'its' as the singular possessive pronoun referring to the sugar sculpture.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine whether the noun describing the possessor of the concern should be singular or plural.
The phrase 'two bakers' indicates that a plural possessive noun is required.
To form the possessive of a plural noun ending in -s, an apostrophe must be placed after the -s, which results in 'bakers''.
2
Determine the correct pronoun to describe the structural stability of the sugar sculpture.
The pronoun refers to the singular 'sugar sculpture', meaning the singular possessive pronoun 'its' (without an apostrophe) is required.
The spelling 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has', which does not fit grammatically in this context, and 'its'' is a non-existent word.
3
Combine the correct noun and pronoun forms to choose the final answer.
The correct combination is 'bakers' chief concern was its'.
This is the only choice that resolves both errors by correctly placing the plural possessive apostrophe and using the proper possessive pronoun.

Key Concept

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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