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Difficulty: MediumApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Although the committee members were impressed by the design of the new library, they voiced concerns about it's visitors' access to the parking options, which were already crowded with hundreds of vehicles.

Which of the following is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    its' visitors'
  3. its visitors'Answer
  4. D
    its visitor's

Answer

The correct option is the one that reads "its visitors'".
The correct answer correctly uses "its" as the possessive pronoun for the singular noun "library" and "visitors'" as the plural possessive noun. The possessive pronoun "its" never takes an apostrophe, and placing the apostrophe after the "s" in "visitors'" correctly shows that the access belongs to multiple visitors, matching the plural context of the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the correct possessive form for the pronoun referring to the library.
The pronoun refers to the singular noun "library." The possessive form of "it" is "its" without any apostrophe. The spelling "it's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," and the spelling "its'" is not a valid English word.
Choosing the correct possessive pronoun avoids homophone and spelling confusion.
2
Determine whether the noun "visitor" should be singular or plural, and possessive or not.
The context mentions "hundreds of vehicles," indicating there are multiple visitors. The access belongs to these visitors, requiring a plural possessive noun: "visitors'". Placing the apostrophe before the "s" ("visitor's") would incorrectly make it singular possessive.
Applying the correct plural possessive punctuation fits the context of the sentence.

Key Concept

Possessive Pronouns and Plural Possessives
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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