Use correct noun forms (plural vs possessive) as required by meaning.
Choose plural, singular possessive, or plural possessive forms based on meaning.
核心知识
Plural nouns ("the students"), possessive nouns ("the student's report"), and plural possessive nouns ("the students' reports") look similar but mean different things. The SAT tests whether you can pick the form that fits the sentence's meaning.
深入理解
The difference between students, student's, and students' is entirely about meaning:
- students — more than one student (plain plural)
- student's — something belonging to one student (singular possessive)
- student's report = the report of one student
- students' — something belonging to multiple students (plural possessive)
- students' reports = the reports of multiple students
The SAT typically gives you a sentence where one of these forms fills a blank, and the answer choices offer all the variants. Your job: figure out what the sentence means, then pick the form that matches.
Ask two questions:
- Is ownership involved? If something belongs to the noun, you need an apostrophe.
- Is the owner singular or plural? That determines where the apostrophe goes.
If no ownership is involved, you just need a plain plural — no apostrophe.
Common SAT trap: offering a possessive where a simple plural is needed (or vice versa). Read carefully to see whether the noun is owning something or simply being counted.
分步讲解
- Read the sentence and identify the noun in question.
- Ask: does this noun own or possess anything in the sentence?
- If no — use the plain plural (no apostrophe).
- If yes — determine whether the owner is singular or plural.
- Singular owner: noun + 's (the student's). Plural owner ending in s: noun + s' (the students').
常见误解
- Adding an apostrophe whenever a noun ends in s. Apostrophes signal possession, not plurality. "The scientists conducted research" — no apostrophe needed.
- Confusing "its" (possessive) with "it's" (contraction of "it is"). Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes.
- Misplacing the apostrophe in plural possessives. "The teachers' lounge" (multiple teachers) vs. "the teacher's lounge" (one teacher) — the position of the apostrophe changes the meaning.
示例解析
A recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased several __________ personal journals, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the creative processes behind some of the twentieth century's most celebrated literary works.
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