EXPLANATION
E30. Identify the sentence that correctly uses a possessive apostrophe:
a) The books' covers were torn.
b) The book's covers were torn.
c) The book covers were torn.
d) The books covers were torn.
ANSWER: b) The book's covers were torn.
EXPLANATION:
The sentence that correctly uses a possessive apostrophe is b) The book's covers were torn.
A possessive apostrophe is used to show ownership. In this sentence, the word "book" is singular, so we add an apostrophe and an "s" to form the possessive form, "book's". The word "covers" is plural, so we do not add an apostrophe.
The other sentences are incorrect. Sentence a) uses a plural possessive apostrophe with a singular noun. Sentence c) does not use any apostrophes, so it is not possessive. Sentence d) uses two apostrophes, which is incorrect.
Here are some other examples of possessive apostrophes:
The girl's book was lost.
The dogs' toys were scattered all over the yard.
The children's clothes were dirty.
The women's shoes were on sale.
