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Question

Difficulty: EasyApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

The majestic oak tree in the center of the park is famous for it's massive, sweeping branches.

Which of the following choices is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. itsAnswer
  3. C
    its'
  4. D
    their

Answer

its
The correct answer is the possessive pronoun 'its'. In the sentence, the branches belong to the singular tree, so a singular possessive pronoun is required. The contraction 'it's' (it is) would make the sentence read 'famous for it is massive...', which is grammatically incorrect. Therefore, the simple possessive form without any apostrophe is the correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the relationship between the tree and the branches.
The branches belong to the tree, which means we need a possessive form.
This helps determine whether we need a possessive pronoun or a contraction.
2
Identify the number of the noun being referred to.
The noun 'tree' is singular.
The pronoun must agree in number with the noun it represents (singular 'its' vs. plural 'their').
3
Select the correct singular possessive pronoun.
'its' is the correct spelling of the singular possessive pronoun, whereas 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is' and 'its'' is incorrect.
This rules out the contraction 'it's' and the non-existent word 'its''.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between the possessive pronoun 'its' and the contraction 'it's.'
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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