Which sentence correctly uses the possessive form?

Question

Accepted Answer

The children's toys were scattered everywhere.. The correct answer is "The children's toys were scattered everywhere." Since "children" is an irregular plural that does not end in "s," the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and "s" (children's). This follows the same rule as other irregular plurals like "men's," "women's," and "people's."

"Childrens'" is incorrect because "childrens" is not a word; "children" is already plural, so adding "s" before the apostrophe creates a nonexistent form. "Childrens toys" lacks any apostrophe, showing no possession. "Children toys'" places the apostrophe on "toys" instead of "children," reversing which noun is the possessor.

Possessive forms are frequently tested on the CLEP exam. The rules are: for singular nouns, add apostrophe-s (dog's); for regular plurals ending in s, add just an apostrophe (dogs'); for irregular plurals not ending in s, add apostrophe-s (children's). Students should also know the possessives of proper nouns (James's or James') and the distinction between "its" (possessive) and "it's" (contraction).

CLEP College Composition: Question of the Day

Get a free CLEP College Composition question every day

Ready for the full CLEP College Composition? Earn 6 college credits.