An apostrophe question tests whether a noun names one thing, several things, or an owner. Read around the blank and test for ownership by asking whether the noun owns the thing named next. One owner takes ’s; several owners ending in s take an apostrophe after it; a plural that owns nothing takes none. Then check the words before the noun, because a noun naming one countable person or thing usually needs a, the, or another identifying word.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read past the blank to what follows the noun. Ask whether the noun owns anything named there.
- Hint 2
Check whether the phrase is complete. Read from inform through the end of the sentence and ask whether the noun form needs any words that aren't there.
Step-by-step
Test ownership and number
Step 1Check for ownership
The phrase to inform ______ of means the volunteers tell someone about the schedule. Does the noun in the blank own anything? No, it names whoever receives the information, and the words after the blank tell us what the volunteers tell them about. Receiving information isn't ownership, so this noun doesn't need an apostrophe.
- Step 2
Check what comes before the noun
Next, read volunteers distributed flyers to inform ______. Could a noun naming one person stand here by itself? To name one person here, we'd need a, the, or another identifying word before the noun. The sentence supplies no such word between inform and the blank, so the form for one person can't stand here on its own. A plain plural can name people without that extra word.
- Step 3
Write the plain plural
An attendee is a person at an event, so adding s gives us the plain plural, attendees. In to inform ______ of the day's schedule of events., that form names the people the volunteers tell about the festival's events. Choice A.