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Question

Difficulty: EasyApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Every pupils' desk was polished until it's surface shined.

Which choice is the correct spelling and punctuation of the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. pupil's desk was polished until itsAnswer
  3. C
    pupils desk was polished until its'
  4. D
    pupil's desk was polished until it's

Answer

pupil's desk was polished until its
The correct choice uses the singular possessive 'pupil's' because the determiner 'Every' modifies a singular noun. It also correctly uses the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify 'surface' because the sentence refers to the surface of the desk, not 'it is surface'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the singular or plural possessive requirement for the subject.
The distributive determiner 'Every' requires a singular noun. Therefore, the singular possessive form 'pupil's' is correct.
To maintain proper subject-modifier agreement.
2
Determine whether to use a contraction or a possessive pronoun.
The sentence indicates that the surface belongs to the desk. The possessive pronoun 'its' must be used, rather than the contraction 'it's' (it is).
To show possession without introducing an illogical verb phrase.

Key Concept

Apostrophes for possessives and contractions
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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