Easy ACT Apostrophe Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate possession, form contractions, or occasionally mark the pluralization of lowercase letters. For the ACT English section, you must distinguish between singular possession, plural possession, and simple pluralization. According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, the most common mistake is confusing the possessive form of a noun with its plural form. To master these Easy ACT Apostrophe Practice Questions, remember that singular nouns usually take 's, while plural nouns ending in s take only an apostrophe at the end. For more foundational help, check out our guide on ACT Grammar Practice Questions with Answers.

On the ACT Prep journey, you will encounter three primary apostrophe rules:

• Singular Possession: Add 's to the noun (e.g., the cat's tail).
• Plural Possession (ending in s): Add only an apostrophe (e.g., the three dogs' bowls).
• Contractions: Use an apostrophe to replace missing letters (e.g., it's for it is).

One of the trickiest areas for students involves pronouns. Unlike nouns, possessive pronouns like its, whose, and theirs never use apostrophes. If you see an apostrophe in a word like it's or they're, it is always a contraction. This distinction is a frequent target in ACT Punctuation Practice Questions with Answers.

Solved Examples

1. Example: The (student's / students') grades were the highest in the history of the school, according to the principal.
   1. Identify if the noun is singular or plural. The context "were the highest" and "history of the school" implies multiple students.
   2. Since "students" is plural and ends in s, place the apostrophe after the s.
   3. Correct Answer: students'
2. Example: (Its / It's) important to finish your homework before the game starts.
   1. Test if "it is" fits in the sentence. "It is important..." makes sense.
   2. Since it is a contraction, use the apostrophe.
   3. Correct Answer: It's
3. Example: The (childrens' / children's) toys were scattered across the living room floor.
   1. Identify the noun. "Children" is an irregular plural (it doesn't end in s).
   2. For irregular plurals, add 's just like a singular noun.
   3. Correct Answer: children's

Practice Questions

1. The scientist studied the volcanos eruption from a safe distance of five miles away.

2. After a long day of hiking, the travelers backpacks felt much heavier than they had in the morning.

3. The committee decided that it's final report would be released to the public on Tuesday morning.

4. No one expected the team's to lose their winning streak during the final game of the season.

5. The city's mayor announced a new plan to improve public transportation by the end of the year.

6. Whose going to take responsibility for the broken window in the school cafeteria?

7. The birds nests were carefully hidden among the thick branches of the ancient oak tree.

8. Sarah found that they're were many reasons to visit the local library during the summer break.

9. The company's employees were surprised by the sudden change in the vacation policy.

10. Most peoples opinions on the matter were influenced by the recent news reports.

Answers & Explanations

1. Correct Answer: volcano's. The eruption belongs to one volcano. Since it is singular, you add 's.
2. Correct Answer: travelers'. The backpacks belong to multiple travelers. Since "travelers" is a plural noun ending in s, you just add the apostrophe at the end.
3. Correct Answer: its. This is the possessive form of the pronoun "it." "It's" would mean "it is," which does not fit the sentence: "it is final report."
4. Correct Answer: teams. In this context, the word should be a simple plural, not possessive. Nothing belongs to the teams in this specific phrase; they are just subjects.
5. Correct Answer: city's. The mayor belongs to the city. Since it is one city, use 's.
6. Correct Answer: Who's. This is a contraction for "Who is." The possessive "whose" does not make sense here. For more help with pronouns, see our ACT Pronoun Practice Questions with Answers.
7. Correct Answer: birds'. The nests belong to multiple birds. Add the apostrophe after the s.
8. Correct Answer: there. This is a common homophone error. "They're" means "they are," which does not fit. You need the word indicating location or existence.
9. Correct Answer: company's. The employees belong to the company. This is singular possession.
10. Correct Answer: people's. "People" is an irregular plural. Even though it refers to many, it does not end in s, so you must add 's.

1. Which of the following correctly uses an apostrophe to show possession for a single dog?

• AThe dogs bone
• BThe dogs' bone
• CThe dog's bone
• DThe doges bone

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I should use 's or just an apostrophe?

Use 's for singular nouns and irregular plural nouns that do not end in s. Use only an apostrophe at the end of plural nouns that already end in s.

What is the difference between "it's" and "its" on the ACT?

"It's" is always a contraction meaning "it is" or "it has." "Its" is a possessive pronoun meaning belonging to it; it never takes an apostrophe.

Do plural nouns always need an apostrophe?

No, plural nouns only need an apostrophe if they are showing possession. If you are simply talking about more than one of something, no apostrophe is required.

How do I handle names that end in S, like James?

For the ACT, singular names ending in s typically follow the singular rule by adding 's (James's), though some style guides allow just the apostrophe. Usually, the ACT will avoid testing this specific ambiguity or provide only one grammatically defensible option.

Can apostrophes be used to make numbers plural?

Generally, no. To make a year or number plural, such as the 1990s, you simply add an s without an apostrophe. Apostrophes are occasionally used for lowercase letters (like "a's") to avoid confusion, but this is rare on the ACT.

Should I use an apostrophe for possessive pronouns like "hers" or "ours"?

No, possessive pronouns such as his, hers, its, ours, yours, and theirs never use apostrophes. Adding one is a common error that the ACT frequently tests to distract students.