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Question

Difficulty: HardApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

During the international conference, the coordinators reviewed the progress of the research trials. Although the three partner laboratories worked independently, the scientists' consensus on it's efficacy was clear.

Which choice best represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    scientist's consensus on its
  3. scientists' consensus on itsAnswer
  4. D
    scientists consensus on its'

Answer

The correct phrasing is 'scientists' consensus on its', using the plural possessive 'scientists'' to indicate the collective consensus of multiple scientists and the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify 'efficacy'.
The context refers to 'three partner laboratories,' which implies there are multiple scientists involved. Therefore, the plural possessive 'scientists'' is required to show that the consensus belongs to all of them. Additionally, the sentence requires the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify the noun 'efficacy' (representing the efficacy of the trials), rather than the contraction 'it's' (it is).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the noun performing the possession and determine if it is singular or plural.
The sentence mentions 'three partner laboratories,' establishing that there are multiple scientists whose consensus is described. The plural possessive form is 'scientists''.
To correctly punctuate the possessive noun based on the surrounding context.
2
Identify whether a contraction or possessive pronoun is needed before the noun 'efficacy'.
The sentence describes the efficacy of the subject (the vaccine or treatment), so the possessive pronoun 'its' is correct. The contraction 'it's' (it is) would create a grammatical error.
To distinguish between homophones based on the grammatical requirements of the sentence.
3
Combine the correct plural possessive noun and the correct possessive pronoun.
The correct combination is 'scientists' consensus on its'.
To select the option that resolves both punctuation challenges correctly.

Key Concept

Possessive apostrophes for singular and plural nouns, and distinguishing possessive pronouns from contractions.
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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