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Difficulty: HardPlural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

Which form of the noun in parentheses correctly completes the passage?

Answer:To protect their vulnerable nests from sudden tidal flooding, saltmarsh sparrows construct intricate, woven cup structures suspended within the dense cordgrass of coastal estuaries. However, these 【birds'】 (bird) nesting efforts are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise and coastal development, both of which degrade the delicate marsh ecosystems that these avian species rely on for survival.

Answer

birds'
The correct spelling 'birds'' functions as a plural possessive noun. The sentence refers to the nesting efforts of multiple saltmarsh sparrows, as indicated by the plural subject 'saltmarsh sparrows' earlier in the passage and the plural demonstrative determiner 'these' immediately preceding the blank. Because the nesting efforts belong to the birds, a possessive form is required. For a regular plural noun ending in -s, the possessive is formed by adding a single apostrophe at the end.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context to determine if the noun 'bird' should be singular or plural.
The noun must be plural ('birds').
The sentence begins by discussing 'saltmarsh sparrows' (plural) and later uses the plural demonstrative determiner 'these' to modify the noun in question, indicating that we are referring to multiple birds.
2
Determine if the noun needs to be possessive or non-possessive.
The noun must be possessive ('birds'').
The noun modifies the noun phrase 'nesting efforts,' which are the efforts belonging to the birds, thereby requiring the possessive case.
3
Apply the correct punctuation rule for a plural possessive noun.
The final form is 'birds''.
For plural nouns ending in -s, the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe at the end of the word after the -s.

Key Concept

Plural and possessive nouns are used to indicate number (singular vs. plural) and ownership or modification (possessive vs. non-possessive). A plural possessive noun ending in -s requires only an apostrophe at the end.
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Topics

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

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