Plural and Possessive Nouns — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Grade 3 edit: 'The childrens toys were in the boys room.' Which is correct?
A) The childrens' toys were in the boys' room.
B) The children's toys were in the boys' room.
C) The childs' toys were in the boy's room.
D) The children toys were in the boys room.
Children's uses apostrophe s; boys' uses only apostrophe since boys ends in s.
2. Grade 3 edit: 'The leafs fell and the wolfs howled.' Which is correct?
A) The leaves fell and the wolves howled.
B) The leafs fell and the wolves howled.
C) The leaves fell and the wolfs howled.
D) The leafes fell and the wolfes howled.
Leaf becomes leaves and wolf becomes wolves using the f to ves plural rule.
3. Grade 3 edit: 'The mens hats and the womens coats were lost.' Which is correct?
A) The mens' hats and the womens' coats were lost.
B) The men's hats and the womens coats were lost.
C) The men's hats and the women's coats were lost.
D) The mans' hats and the womans' coats were lost.
Men and women are irregular plurals, so men's and women's are the correct possessives.
4. Grade 3 edit: 'The fishs tank and the deers trail are nearby.' Which is correct?
A) The fish's tank and the deer's trail are nearby.
B) The fishes tank and the deers trail are nearby.
C) The fish tank and the deer trail are nearby.
D) The fish's tank and the deers's trail are nearby.
Fish and deer are unchanged plurals, so fish's and deer's show possession.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Fix the Grade 3 error: 'The bookes belongs to the girls' should read the girls' books.
Girls ends in s already, so only an apostrophe is added for possession.
2. Fix the Grade 3 error: 'The childs toys' should read the children's toys.
Child becomes children; children's is the correct irregular plural possessive.
3. Fix the Grade 3 error: 'The knifes blades' should read the knives' blades.
Knife becomes knives; since knives ends in s, add only an apostrophe.
4. Fix the Grade 3 error: 'The sheeps wool' should read the sheep's wool.
Sheep stays the same, so sheep's is the correct possessive form.
5. Fix the Grade 3 error: 'The mices nest' should read the mice's nest.
Mice is the irregular plural, so mice's is the correct possessive.