Question 149·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
The committee released its final report yesterday. The _____ recommendations are straightforward: the city must reduce traffic congestion and improve public transit.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For apostrophe questions, first identify what the underlined noun is doing: is it just naming things (plain plural) or showing ownership (possessive)? Then use the sentence context to decide if the noun should be singular or plural—look for clues like "its" vs. "their" or whether the earlier noun is singular or plural. Finally, choose the answer with the apostrophe pattern that matches both the number (singular/plural) and the need for possession, and quickly eliminate any forms that are not real English (like extra or misplaced apostrophes).
Hints
Check what comes after the blank
Look at the word right after the blank: "recommendations." Ask yourself whether the missing word should show who the recommendations belong to or simply describe a quantity.
Look back earlier in the sentence
Focus on the phrase "its final report." Does this refer to one report or multiple reports? That will tell you whether you need a singular or plural form of the noun before "recommendations."
Think about apostrophes
If the sentence needs to show ownership (that the recommendations belong to something), which form of the noun correctly shows possession while still matching singular vs. plural?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the context before the blank
Look at the sentence leading into the blank: "The committee released its final report yesterday." This tells you there is one report ("its final report," not "its final reports"). Keep in mind that the word in the blank will relate back to this "report."
Decide what role the missing word plays
The phrase around the blank is: "The _____ recommendations are straightforward." The word before "recommendations" is describing whose recommendations they are. That means we need a possessive noun (showing ownership), not just a plain plural noun.
Determine singular vs. plural possessive
Because the earlier part of the sentence talks about one report, we need a singular possessive form: the recommendations of that one report. A singular possessive typically adds 's to the end of the singular noun.
Match the correct form to the answer choices
Now check the choices:
- A) report’s → singular possessive (one report’s recommendations)
- B) reports → plural, not possessive
- C) reports’ → plural possessive (more than one report)
- D) report’s’ → incorrect, double apostrophe Only choice A gives the correct singular possessive form that fits the meaning and grammar of the sentence.
Correct answer: report’s.