Which sentence needs a possessive apostrophe?
A. When the cats away, the mice will play.
B. Back in 68, we though the world was our oyster.
C. Parson Brown said we’re all our brothers keepers.
D. Be sure to mind your Ps and Qs.
C. Parson Brown said we’re all our brothers keepers.
Where does the apostrophe go in C?
To determine which sentence needs a possessive apostrophe, you need to look for a situation where someone possesses or owns something. Specifically, a possessive apostrophe is used to show that something belongs to someone or something.
Let's analyze each sentence:
A. "When the cats away, the mice will play." Here, we do not see any possession occurring.
B. "Back in 68, we though the world was our oyster." Again, there is no indication of possession.
C. "Parson Brown said we’re all our brothers keepers." In this sentence, there is a possessive relationship. Parson Brown is referring to being responsible for our brothers, implying ownership or possession. However, there is a mistake with the use of the apostrophe. It should be written as "our brother's keepers" to indicate that each individual is responsible for their own brother.
D. "Be sure to mind your Ps and Qs." In this sentence, there is no possessive relationship.
Therefore, sentence C, "Parson Brown said we’re all our brothers keepers," is the sentence that needs a possessive apostrophe, but it should be corrected to "Parson Brown said we’re all our brother's keepers."
Remember, when using a possessive apostrophe, it is important to determine ownership or possession and place the apostrophe correctly.