Which one of the following sentences contains an incorrect usage of the singular possessive? A. Icarus's fate was sealed when he approached the sun.B. The north forty has always been my family's land.C. Mary was dominant among Jesus' disciples.D. The alpha male is often the pack's leader.
What is your answer? Have you consulted your text materials? We'll be glad to check your answer.
Experts don't agree on how to write the possessive form of a singular noun that end in "s." Some say to add an apostrophe and another "s." Others just add an apostrophe.
As Reed recommended, please check your text to see what its author believes is correct.
The answer is A Icarus's fate was sealed when he approached the sun
The sentence that contains an incorrect usage of the singular possessive is option C: "Mary was dominant among Jesus' disciples."
To determine whether a sentence contains the incorrect usage of the singular possessive, we need to understand the rules for forming possessives.
In general, to form the possessive of a singular noun, we add an apostrophe followed by an "s" to the end of the word. For example, "cat's toy," "dog's tail," or "girl's book."
However, there is an exception when the singular noun ends with an "s" sound. In that case, we add only the apostrophe without the additional "s" at the end. For example, "Icarus' fate," "Jesus' disciples," or "boss' office."
In option C, the sentence incorrectly uses "Jesus'" instead of "Jesus's." According to the rules, since "Jesus" ends with an "s" sound, we need to use "Jesus's." Therefore, option C contains the incorrect usage of the singular possessive.