Question

which sentence has correct apostrophe usage? select the best answer.

answer

• the jurys decision shocked everyone in the courtroom, including the defense team.
• because henry teaches catherine, some may think that austen advocates the dominance of henrys intellect.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Apostrophe Rules for Possession
Showing ownership for singular and plural nouns.

Step 1: Analyze the first sentence

Let's look at the first option:
"The jury's decision shocked everyone in the courtroom, including the defense team."

• Noun: "jury" (singular collective noun).
• Possession: To show possession for a singular noun, we add 's.
• Application: "jury" + 's = "jury's" (the decision belonging to the single jury). This usage is correct.

Step 2: Analyze the second sentence

Let's look at the second option:
"Because Henry teaches Catherine, some may think that Austen advocates the dominance of Henrys' intel..."

• Noun: "Henry" (singular proper noun).
• Possession: To show possession for a singular proper noun ending in a consonant like "y", we add 's.
• Application: "Henry" + 's = "Henry's" (the intellect belonging to Henry).
• Error: The sentence uses "Henrys'", which incorrectly treats "Henry" as a plural noun ending in "s".

Answer:

The jury's decision shocked everyone in the courtroom, including the defense team.