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Question

Difficulty: EasyApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

To prepare for the winter storm, the two family's houses were reinforced with extra insulation and storm shutters. Which of the following options represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    family's
  2. families'Answer
  3. C
    families
  4. D
    families's

Answer

The correct answer is the plural possessive form 'families'' because the sentence refers to two families who own houses.
The plural possessive form 'families'' is correct because the word 'two' establishes that multiple families are being referenced, and they own the houses being described. For plural nouns ending in 's', possession is shown by adding only an apostrophe at the end of the word.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify if the underlined noun is singular or plural based on the context.
The modifier 'two' indicates that the noun refers to more than one family, so the plural form 'families' is required.
To determine the correct base noun form before applying possessive punctuation.
2
Determine whether possession is required in the sentence.
The noun modifies 'houses', showing that the houses belong to the families, so a possessive form is necessary.
To decide if an apostrophe is needed to show ownership.
3
Apply the correct apostrophe rule for regular plural nouns ending in 's'.
For a plural noun ending in 's', the apostrophe is placed after the 's', resulting in 'families''.
To correctly format the plural possessive noun.

Key Concept

Plural Possessive Nouns
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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