Introduction
Standard English Conventions accounts for roughly 26% of operational SAT Reading and Writing questions. Within that domain, Plural and Possessive Nouns questions ask you to choose the correctly punctuated form of a noun or pronoun — no grammar analysis of the whole sentence required, just precision with apostrophes and their absence. This note covers exactly four things the SAT tests: its vs. it's, singular possessives, plural possessives, and possessive pronouns before gerunds.
Core Concept
An apostrophe has two jobs in English: it marks possession (the scientist's data) or contraction (it's = it is). It never marks a simple plural. The SAT exploits this by offering options that mix these two jobs up.
1. its vs. it's
- its = possessive pronoun ("belonging to it"). No apostrophe.
- it's = contraction of "it is" or "it has." Has an apostrophe.
- Quick test: substitute "it is" or "it has." If the sentence still makes sense, use it's. If not, use its.
The river changed its course. → "it is course" ✗ → use its It's been raining since noon. → "it has been raining" ✓ → use it's
2. Singular Possessives (one owner)
Add 's to the singular noun, even if it already ends in -s.
| Owner | Possessive form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the student | student's | the student's notebook |
| Dr. Jones | Dr. Jones's | Dr. Jones's research |
| the class | class's | the class's schedule |
3. Plural Possessives (multiple owners)
- If the plural already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe: students', scientists', countries'
- If the plural does NOT end in -s, add 's: children's, women's, geese's
| Plural noun | Possessive form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| students | students' | the students' projects |
| women | women's | the women's coalition |
| species (plural) | species' | the species' habitat |
4. Possessive Pronouns Before Gerunds
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun ("her singing impressed us"). When a noun or pronoun comes directly before a gerund and acts as the logical subject of that gerund action, it must be in the possessive case.
- Correct: The committee's approving the proposal surprised everyone.
- Correct: His leaving early upset the host.
- Wrong: "Him leaving" or "The committee approving" (these make the noun/pronoun the direct object of the main verb, not the subject of the gerund action).
The SAT usually tests this with a choice between a possessive and an object/nominative form — e.g., the researcher's vs. the researcher before a gerund like "publishing."
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