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Question

Difficulty: EasyApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

As the storm approached the coast, the lone lighthouse's beacon flashed its warning to passing ships.

Which of the following is the correct spelling and punctuation of the underlined portion?

  1. lighthouse's beacon flashed itsAnswer
  2. B
    lighthouse's beacon flashed it's
  3. C
    lighthouses' beacon flashed its
  4. D
    lighthouses beacon flashed its

Answer

The correct answer is the option that reads 'lighthouse's beacon flashed its', as it correctly uses the singular possessive noun 'lighthouse's' and the possessive pronoun 'its'.
The correct answer correctly features the singular possessive noun 'lighthouse's' to show that the beacon belongs to the single ('lone') lighthouse. It also uses the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify 'warning', showing that the warning belongs to the beacon.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context to determine whether the noun 'lighthouse' is singular or plural, and if it requires possession.
The word 'lone' indicates a single lighthouse. Since the beacon belongs to the lighthouse, we need the singular possessive form, which is 'lighthouse's'.
Singular possessive nouns are formed by adding an apostrophe and an 's' to the singular noun.
2
Determine if the word before 'warning' should be a contraction or a possessive pronoun.
The warning belongs to the beacon, so we need the possessive pronoun 'its'. The contraction 'it's' (meaning 'it is') would make the phrase 'flashed it is warning', which is grammatically incorrect.
Possessive pronouns like 'its' do not take apostrophes, whereas 'it's' is a contraction.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between singular and plural possessive nouns, and between the possessive pronoun 'its' and the contraction 'it's'.
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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