Identify the sentence that correctly uses the apostrophe for plural possession:
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The scientists' collective recommendations were incorporated into the final ministerial decree.
- Step 1: The noun referring to multiple researchers is the regular plural 'scientists'.
- Step 2: To indicate possession for regular plural nouns ending in 's', the apostrophe is placed immediately after the 's' (scientists').
- Step 3: Placing the apostrophe before 's' (scientist's) denotes possession by a single individual.
Answer
The scientists' collective recommendations were incorporated into the final ministerial decree.
Why not the others: 'The scientist's collective recommendations...' indicates a single individual, which contradicts 'collective'; 'The scientists collective recommendations...' omits the required possessive apostrophe entirely; 'The scientists's collective recommendations...' adds an unnecessary extra 's' after the apostrophe.
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