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Difficulty: MediumApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Although the engineering department hired several automotive designers to build the new hybrid vehicle, the designers' main concern was it's heavy battery pack.

Which of the following options represents the correct punctuation and word usage for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. designers' main concern was itsAnswer
  3. C
    designer's main concern was its
  4. D
    designers' main concern was they're

Answer

The correct answer is 'designers' main concern was its' because it uses the plural possessive form 'designers'' to match the multiple designers mentioned, and the possessive pronoun 'its' to show ownership of the battery pack.
The correct option correctly uses the plural possessive noun 'designers'' to indicate that the concern belongs to the multiple designers mentioned earlier in the sentence. It also properly uses the possessive pronoun 'its' to show that the heavy battery pack belongs to the singular hybrid vehicle.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if the noun 'designers' should be singular or plural, and possessive.
The context mentions 'several automotive designers', indicating a plural noun. Since the concern belongs to these designers, the plural possessive form 'designers'' (with the apostrophe after the 's') is required.
This establishes the correct noun form based on plural context.
2
Identify the correct pronoun to describe the relationship between the hybrid vehicle and the heavy battery pack.
The battery pack belongs to the singular 'hybrid vehicle', so the singular possessive pronoun 'its' is required.
This avoids homophone confusion with the contraction 'it's' (it is) or the plural contraction 'they're' (they are).
3
Combine the correct noun and pronoun choices to select the right option.
Combining 'designers'' and 'its' yields the correct phrasing: 'designers' main concern was its'.
This ensures both grammatical agreement and correct punctuation are maintained.

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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