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Question

Difficulty: MediumApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

The sanctuary's success is due to [it's volunteers'] dedication, as they spend countless hours monitoring the nesting sites of endangered sea turtles.

Which choice is the most effective correction for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. its volunteers'Answer
  3. C
    its' volunteer's
  4. D
    its volunteers

Answer

its volunteers'
The correct choice is 'its volunteers''. The possessive pronoun 'its' correctly modifies 'volunteers' to show they belong to the sanctuary. The plural possessive 'volunteers'' (with the apostrophe after the 's') correctly agrees with the plural pronoun 'they' later in the sentence and indicates that the dedication belongs to the volunteers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if a contraction or possessive pronoun is needed for the word modifying 'volunteers'.
The sanctuary is a singular noun that owns the volunteers, so we need the singular possessive pronoun 'its'. The contraction 'it's' (it is) is incorrect, and the form 'its'' does not exist.
Choosing the correct pronoun prevents pronoun-contraction confusion.
2
Determine if the noun 'volunteers' should be singular or plural.
The context mentions that 'they' spend countless hours, which indicates multiple people. Therefore, the noun must be plural: 'volunteers'.
Ensuring agreement between the noun and the plural pronoun 'they' that refers to it later.
3
Determine the correct possessive form for the plural noun 'volunteers' modifying 'dedication'.
Since the dedication belongs to the plural volunteers, the apostrophe must go after the 's': 'volunteers''. Without an apostrophe, the relationship is ungrammatical.
Applying the rule for plural possessive nouns ending in 's'.

Key Concept

Possessive pronouns and plural possessive nouns
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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