PSAT Writing : Correcting Apostrophe Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.

The young bunny waited in the nest for its chance to swiftly grab a morsel of the food.

Possible Answers:

it's chance at swiftly grabbing a morsel of the food.

it’s chance at grabbing a morsel of the food swiftly.

it’s chance to swiftly grab a morsel of the food.

its chance to grab a morsel of the food swiftly.

its chance to swiftly grab a morsel of the food. 

Correct answer:

its chance to grab a morsel of the food swiftly.

Explanation:

“Its” is possessive, while “it’s” is the contraction of “it” and “is.” Also, "to swiftly grab” constitutes a split infinitive, so the adverb “swiftly” must be moved elsewhere in the sentence.

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