#Mastering Plurals and Possessives for the SAT 🎯

Hey there! Let's nail those tricky plural and possessive questions on the SAT. This guide will break it all down so you feel super confident. Remember, it's all about understanding the rules and spotting the common traps. Let's get started!

#Noun Plurals: Regular vs. Irregular 🔗

#Regular Plural Formation 🔗

Most nouns follow a simple pattern:

• Add -s: cats, dogs, books
• Add -es (for words ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z): classes, brushes, boxes
• Change -y to -i and add -es (for words ending in -y with a consonant before it): baby → babies, city → cities
• Add -s (for words ending in -y with a vowel before it): keys, boys
• Add -s (for most words ending in -o): pianos, radios
• Add -es (for some words ending in -o): potatoes, tomatoes

#Irregular Plural Formation 🔗

These don't follow the typical rules, so you'll need to memorize them:

• Same form for singular and plural: sheep, deer, series
• Change spelling: man → men, woman → women, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice
• Add -en or -ren: child → children, ox → oxen
• Borrowed nouns: criterion → criteria, analysis → analyses, nucleus → nuclei
• Change -f or -fe to -ves: leaf → leaves, knife → knives
• Unique forms: person → people, goose → geese

#Possessive Forms of Nouns and Pronouns 🔗

Possessives show ownership or a relationship. Let's break down the rules:

#Singular Noun Possessives 🔗

• Add apostrophe and -s ('s): cat's toy, James's book
• Add apostrophe and -s ('s) (even if the noun ends in -s): boss's office, Chris's car
• Apostrophe alone (for classical/religious names ending in -s): Jesus' teachings, Socrates' philosophy

#Plural Noun Possessives 🔗

• Add apostrophe (') after -s (for plural nouns ending in -s): cats' toys, students' books
• Add apostrophe and -s ('s) (for plural nouns not ending in -s): children's toys, men's room
• Compound possessives: brother-in-law's car, Queen of England's crown

#Pronoun Possessives and Common Mistakes 🔗

• Possessive pronouns (no apostrophes): his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours
• Differentiate between possessive "its" and contraction "it's": its (belonging to it), it's (it is/has)
• Avoid apostrophes with possessive pronouns: (incorrect: her's, your's)
• Use apostrophes in contractions: it's, they're, who's

#Plural vs. Possessive Forms 🔗

Let's make sure you can tell the difference!

#Distinguishing Plurals and Possessives 🔗

• Plural nouns: Indicate more than one (cats, books, houses)
• Possessive nouns: Show ownership or relationship (cat's, book's, house's)
• Plural possessives: Combine both concepts (cats' toys, students' books)
• Proper nouns: Apply possessive rules (James's book, the Smiths' house)

#Context and Usage 🔗

• Plural form: Use for general groups or quantities (e.g., "I have three cats.")
• Possessive form: Use for ownership or belonging (e.g., "The cat's toy is blue.")
• Plural and possessive: Use for group ownership (e.g., "The cats' toys are scattered.")
• Avoid apostrophes for non-possessive plurals: (incorrect: apple's for sale)

#Final Exam Focus 🔗

Okay, you're almost there! Here's what to focus on:

• High-Value Topics: Irregular plurals, possessive pronouns, and the difference between "its" and "it's" are frequently tested.
• Common Question Types: Expect to see questions that require you to choose the correct plural or possessive form in a sentence.
• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question. If you're stuck, make an educated guess and move on.
• Common Pitfalls: Watch out for apostrophe errors in possessive pronouns and non-possessive plurals.

#Practice Questions 🔗

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The company announced that all employee _____ will be reviewed next month. (A) performance's (B) performances (C) performance (D) performaces'

2. The children _____ toys were scattered all over the room. (A)s (B) 's (C) ' (D) 'ss

3. The dog wagged _____ tail excitedly when it saw its owner. (A) it's (B) its (C) it’ (D) its'

Free Response Question

Correct any errors in the following passage. If a sentence is correct, write "Correct" after the sentence.

"The Smiths' house is always full of childrens' laughter. The cat's meows can be heard from every room. It's tail wags whenever someone enters the house. The family's car is parked in the driveway. The house's windows are always sparkling clean. The family loves having friend's over for dinner. They're always such a joy to be around."

Answer Key and Scoring

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. (C) performance
2. (C) '
3. (B) its

Free Response Answers:

• "The Smiths' house is always full of children's laughter." (Correct the plural possessive)
• "The cat's meows can be heard from every room." (Correct)
• "Its tail wags whenever someone enters the house." (Correct the possessive pronoun)
• "The family's car is parked in the driveway." (Correct)
• "The house's windows are always sparkling clean." (Correct)
• "The family loves having friends over for dinner." (Correct the plural form)
• "They're always such a joy to be around." (Correct)

Scoring:

• 1 point for each correct multiple-choice answer.
• 1 point for each correctly identified and corrected error in the free response question. No points are deducted for correct sentences.

Alright, you've got this! Go into the exam with confidence, and remember all the cool tips and tricks we've covered. You're going to do great! 🎉