Which sentence uses the possessive form of nouns with an apostrophe?

Which sentence uses the possessive form of nouns with an apostrophe?

• A. Mary's horse.
• B. Marys horse.
• C. Mary's horses.
• D. Marys' horse.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how to form possessives with an apostrophe for a singular noun. When a singular name owns something, you add ’s. So Mary’s horse shows that one horse belongs to Mary, using the standard singular possessive pattern. The other forms miss or misuse the apostrophe: Marys horse leaves out the apostrophe entirely, so it doesn’t mark possession; Marys' horse would imply possession by multiple Marys; and Mary’s horses, while grammatically correct, changes the meaning to Mary owning more than one horse. The sentence that uses the conventional singular possessive form clearly and unambiguously shows possession, which is why it’s the best choice.

The main idea is how to form possessives with an apostrophe for a singular noun. When a singular name owns something, you add ’s. So Mary’s horse shows that one horse belongs to Mary, using the standard singular possessive pattern. The other forms miss or misuse the apostrophe: Marys horse leaves out the apostrophe entirely, so it doesn’t mark possession; Marys' horse would imply possession by multiple Marys; and Mary’s horses, while grammatically correct, changes the meaning to Mary owning more than one horse. The sentence that uses the conventional singular possessive form clearly and unambiguously shows possession, which is why it’s the best choice.