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Difficulty: Very hardApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Although the symphony hired only one guest conductor for the autumn season, the conductors' critique of they're final rehearsal was met with silent hostility from the musicians.

Which choice most effectively corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. conductor's critique of theirAnswer
  3. C
    conductors' critique of their
  4. D
    conductor's critique of they're

Answer

The correct option is the one that reads 'conductor's critique of their'.
The correct choice is the one that uses the singular possessive noun 'conductor's' and the possessive pronoun 'their'. The sentence states that the symphony hired 'only one guest conductor,' which means the noun must be singular possessive ('conductor's'). Additionally, because 'final rehearsal' is a noun phrase, the possessive pronoun 'their' is required to modify it, rather than the contraction 'they're' (which means 'they are').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine whether the noun indicating possession should be singular or plural based on the context.
The clause states the symphony hired 'only one guest conductor,' meaning the singular possessive form 'conductor's' must be used instead of the plural possessive 'conductors'.
This establishes the correct placement of the apostrophe before the 's'.
2
Determine whether a contraction or possessive pronoun is required before the noun phrase 'final rehearsal'.
The context requires the possessive pronoun 'their' to modify 'final rehearsal' rather than the contraction 'they're' (which stands for 'they are').
This prevents a grammatical error and ensures the sentence makes logical sense.

Key Concept

Distinguishing singular and plural possessive nouns and identifying the correct usage of homophones (their vs. they're).
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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