Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Although the two candidates debated fiercely, each politicians' speech focused on the same economic reforms. Which of the following is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. politician'sAnswer
  3. C
    politicians
  4. D
    politician

Answer

politician's
The correct answer is the singular possessive form because the modifier 'each' requires a singular noun, and the noun must show ownership of the following word, 'speech'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical constraint introduced by the modifier preceding the underlined word.
The word 'each' is a singular modifier, meaning it must modify a singular noun.
This rules out plural noun options.
2
Determine if the noun needs to indicate possession.
The noun modifies 'speech' to show ownership of the speech, so it must be possessive.
An apostrophe is required to show that the speech belongs to the politician.
3
Combine the singular noun requirement with the possessive requirement.
The correct form is the singular possessive 'politician's'.
This is the only choice that is both singular and possessive.

Key Concept

Apostrophes for Possessives
Rate this question

Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

More questions from this topic