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Difficulty: Very hardApostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

Although the two software companies share a database, each company's developers must update its interface independently.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    companies' developers must update it's
  3. C
    company's developers must update it's
  4. D
    companies' developers must update its

Answer

NO CHANGE
The sentence is grammatically correct as written. The singular determiner 'each' requires a singular noun, so the singular possessive form 'company's' is correct. The possessive pronoun 'its' is correctly used to show ownership of the interface, while the contraction 'it's' (meaning 'it is') would be incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the determiner 'each' to determine whether the modified noun should be singular or plural.
The word 'each' is a singular determiner, meaning it must modify the singular noun 'company' (possessive 'company's') rather than the plural 'companies' (possessive 'companies'').
Correct modifier-noun agreement is required for grammatical correctness.
2
Determine whether the possessive pronoun 'its' or the contraction 'it's' is appropriate to modify 'interface'.
The sentence requires a possessive pronoun to show ownership of the interface, which is 'its'. The contraction 'it's' stands for 'it is' or 'it has' and does not fit the context.
Distinguishing between possessives and contractions prevents homophone confusion.
3
Identify the option that correctly combines the singular possessive 'company's' and the possessive pronoun 'its'.
The option containing 'company's developers must update its' is the correct choice, which corresponds to the original underlined text.
Selecting the option that resolves all grammatical issues yields the correct answer.

Key Concept

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Apostrophes for Possessives and Contractions

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