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SAT Apostrophes and Possessives Practice

Decide whether a noun owns something, is plural, or needs a contraction before choosing an apostrophe.

Practice apostrophes and possessives in Dolphin SATPractice questions
8-12 min practice time3 questions in practice blockStandard English Conventions
Practice time8-12 min
Practice questions3 questions
Best forStandard English Conventions

What this tests

What to know for this SAT skill

How do you distinguish a plural from a possessive?

First decide whether a noun names one thing or several. Then check whether it shows a relationship to another noun. These worked examples separate ordinary plurals from singular possessives, including choices with two nouns to check.

Which noun owns the photos, and which noun is simply plural?

Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of the blank of landscapes were intended not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at Yosemite National Park had hired Adams to take pictures of the park for restaurant menus and brochures.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. photographer's early photo's
  2. photographers early photo's
  3. photographer's early photos
  4. photographers early photos

Answer: C. photographer's early photos

  1. Identify the owner before placing an apostrophe: the passage names one photographer, Ansel Adams. The photos are his, so write the singular possessive "photographer's."
  2. Now check what is being counted. "Many" refers to several photos, so use the ordinary plural "photos," without an apostrophe. Together these give C, "photographer's early photos."

Common trap

Do not add an apostrophe just because a noun ends in s. "Photo's" would mark a singular possessive (or a contraction in another context), not the several photos needed here. "Photographers" is a plain plural and does not show the singular ownership this sentence requires.

Passage context: Adams's commercial work for Yosemite's concessionaire is documented by the National Park Service and curator Rebecca Senf. A marketing commission can also produce art; the passage contrasts intended uses, not artistic value.

Dolphin question bank #2688. Worked explanation reviewed .

How do you check two apostrophe decisions in one choice?

Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel The Poet X, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, is composed of blank protagonist, fifteen-year-old Xiomara Batista.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. poems putatively written by the novel's
  2. poem's putatively written by the novel's
  3. poem's putatively written by the novels'
  4. poems putatively written by the novels'

Answer: A. poems putatively written by the novel's

  1. Separate the two nouns. The book contains multiple poems, and the words following "poems" describe who supposedly wrote them. Nothing in this phrase calls for a possessive form of poem, so use "poems."
  2. The sentence names one novel, The Poet X, and refers to its protagonist. Use "novel's" for that singular relationship, even though the book contains many poems. A, "poems putatively written by the novel's," gets both decisions right.

Common trap

Check each noun independently. An option can correctly use "poems" but still fail by using "novels'": the apostrophe after s would indicate multiple novels. "Poem's" also fails here because the sentence needs the plural noun, not ownership by one poem.

Passage context: The National Book Foundation confirms the book's 2018 award, and the American Library Association identifies its fifteen-year-old protagonist, Xiomara Batista. The plural poems belong within one novel, not several novels.

Dolphin question bank #2667. Worked explanation reviewed .

Dolphin practice questions

Practice your skill

Question 1 of 3Easy
Which choice shows that one student owns the notebook?
  1. students notebook
  2. student's notebook
  3. students' notebook
  4. student notebook
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. student's notebook

Solution walkthrough

  1. One student owning one notebook uses singular possessive form: student apostrophe s.
Question 2 of 3Medium
Which choice shows that several teachers share one lounge?
  1. teacher's lounge
  2. teachers' lounge
  3. teachers lounge
  4. teacher lounge's
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. teachers' lounge

Solution walkthrough

  1. Several teachers means plural teachers, and ownership adds the apostrophe after the s.
Question 3 of 3Hard
Which sentence uses its or it is correctly?
  1. Its important to check the answer.
  2. It's color changed after heating.
  3. It's important to check the answer.
  4. The app improved it's design.
Show answer and solution
Correct answerC. It's important to check the answer.

Solution walkthrough

  1. "It is important" contracts to "It's important. "
  2. The possessive form "its" has no apostrophe.

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes on this skill

Using an apostrophe to form a plural

Most plurals take s without an apostrophe; apostrophes usually mark possession or omitted letters.

Confusing its and it is

Its is possessive. It's is the contraction for it is or it has.

Study plan

How to practice this skill in Dolphin

  1. Decide whether the noun is plural, possessive, or both before placing an apostrophe.
  2. For possession, identify whether the owner is singular or plural.
  3. Expand every contraction to confirm that the sentence still makes sense.
Practice apostrophes and possessives in Dolphin SAT

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FAQ

Questions about SAT Apostrophes and Possessives Practice

Where does the apostrophe go in a plural possessive?

For a regular plural already ending in s, place the apostrophe after the s, as in students' projects.

Why does its have no apostrophe?

Possessive pronouns such as its, his, hers, and theirs do not use apostrophes.