SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
In 1909, two neighboring countries signed a treaty to share the fish of a large lake along their border. Under the agreement, the two ______ fishing fleets were each limited to the same number of boats.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
countries'
country's
countries
country
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The fleets belong to two countries, so the plural possessive is needed. For a plural ending in s, add only an apostrophe: "countries'."
Choice B is possessive, but "country's" refers to a single country, and the fleets belong to two.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. "Country's" refers to one country, but the fleets belong to two countries.
- C. "Countries" is plural but not possessive, so it can't show that the fleets belong to the countries.
- D. "Country" is singular and not possessive.
Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free, or take a free full-length practice test.