English Grammar & Syntax Quiz: Possessives Vs Contractions
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Possessives Vs ContractionsQuestion 1 of 10

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "The applicant   portfolio was misplaced asked the receptionist   responsible for maintaining the records."

who's; whose
whose; who's
who's; who's
whose; whose
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English Grammar & Syntax Quiz

English Grammar & Syntax Quiz: Possessives Vs Contractions

Practice Possessives Vs Contractions in English Grammar & Syntax with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Possessives Vs Contractions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for English Grammar & Syntax.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "The applicant   portfolio was misplaced asked the receptionist   responsible for maintaining the records."

  1. who's; whose
  2. whose; who's (correct answer)
  3. who's; who's
  4. whose; whose
Explanation: When a sentence contains two blank spaces requiring either whose or who's, you need to analyze each blank independently based on its grammatical function. These two words are homophones — they sound identical but serve completely different purposes. Whose is a possessive pronoun, used to show that something belongs to someone. Who's is a contraction of "who is" (or "who has") — nothing more. A reliable trick: mentally substitute "who is" into each blank. If the sentence still makes sense, use who's. If it breaks down, use whose. Apply this to the sentence. For the first blank — "The applicant   portfolio was misplaced" — substituting "who is" gives you "The applicant who is portfolio was misplaced," which is grammatically nonsensical. The blank needs to show possession (the applicant's portfolio), so whose is correct. For the second blank — "asked the receptionist   responsible for maintaining the records" — substituting "who is" gives "asked the receptionist who is responsible for maintaining the records," which reads perfectly. So who's is correct here. That confirms answer B) whose; who's as correct. Choice A reverses the two words, placing who's where possession is needed and whose where a contraction belongs — the exact opposite of what's required. Choice C uses who's in both blanks, which collapses the first clause into nonsense. Choice D uses whose in both blanks, making the second clause a fragment since it lacks a verb ("who is responsible" needs that linking verb). Your go-to strategy: always plug in "who is" as a test. If it fits, contract it; if it doesn't, you need the possessive whose.

Question 2

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "Of the two proposals,   addresses the budget more thoroughly, but   no evidence that either committee has adopted it."

  1. theirs; there's (correct answer)
  2. their's; theirs
  3. there's; their's
  4. theirs; theres
Explanation: When a question asks you to fill in multiple blanks with similar-sounding words, you're being tested on homophones — words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. Here, the two words in play are theirs (a possessive pronoun) and there's (a contraction of "there is"). In the first blank, the sentence refers to one of two proposals belonging to a committee — so you need the possessive pronoun theirs ("of the two proposals, theirs addresses the budget..."). In the second blank, the sentence introduces the existence of something: "there's no evidence" = "there is no evidence." That's the contraction there's. This makes A the correct answer. Looking at the wrong choices: B uses their's in the first position, which is never correct — possessive pronouns in English (his, hers, theirs, ours) never take an apostrophe. Then it uses theirs in the second blank, where you actually need "there is," so both blanks are wrong. C reverses the correct pair entirely — it places there's ("there is") where a possessive pronoun belongs and invents their's (again, an invalid spelling) in the second blank. D gets the first blank right with theirs, but then writes theres without an apostrophe, which is simply a misspelling of the contraction there's. A handy tip: possessive pronouns (his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours) never use apostrophes — apostrophes in pronouns signal contractions. Memorizing this rule alone will help you eliminate trap answers on any grammar exam.

Question 3

After the navigation system lost it's connection, the pilots reported that their switching to a backup channel.

Which revision corrects both possessive-contraction errors in the sentence?

  1. After the navigation system lost its connection, the pilots reported that they're switching to a backup channel. (correct answer)
  2. After the navigation system lost it's connection, the pilots reported that they're switching to a backup channel.
  3. After the navigation system lost its connection, the pilots reported that their switching to a backup channel.
  4. After the navigation system lost it's connection, the pilots reported that their switching to a backup channel.
Explanation: When a sentence contains both a pronoun possessive and a contraction, you need to pause at each it's/its and they're/their and ask: "Do I need ownership, or do I need a shortened verb phrase?" The rule is simple but frequently confused. Possessives (its, their, his, her) show belonging and never use apostrophes. Contractions (it's = "it is," they're = "they are") use apostrophes to mark missing letters. The original sentence has two errors: "it's connection" misuses a contraction where a possessive is needed, and "their switching" misuses a possessive where a contraction is needed. In the first clause, the navigation system owns the connection, so the correct form is its (no apostrophe). In the second clause, the pilots "are switching," meaning they are — which contracts to they're. Answer A applies both fixes correctly: its connection and they're switching, making it the only revision that resolves both errors simultaneously. Answer B keeps the wrong it's in the first clause while fixing they're in the second — only one error corrected, not both. Answer C fixes its correctly but leaves their switching, meaning the possessive error in the second clause remains untouched. Answer D makes no corrections at all — both errors from the original sentence are preserved. A quick memory trick: if you can substitute "it is" or "they are" into the sentence and it still makes sense, use the apostrophe form. If it sounds wrong, you need the possessive. Apply this swap test to every it's/its and they're/their you encounter.

Question 4

(1) It's clear that the neighborhood association values it's reputation. (2) The officers say their prepared to publish the report, but the final decision is their's.

Which set of revisions corrects all and only the possessive-contraction errors in the passage?

  1. Change "it's reputation" to "its reputation," "their prepared" to "there prepared," and "their's" to "theirs."
  2. Change "It's clear" to "Its clear," "their prepared" to "they're prepared," and "their's" to "theirs."
  3. Change "it's reputation" to "its reputation," "their prepared" to "they're prepared," and "their's" to "there's."
  4. Change "it's reputation" to "its reputation," "their prepared" to "they're prepared," and "their's" to "theirs." (correct answer)
Explanation: Possessive-pronoun questions hinge on one core distinction: possessive pronouns (its, their, theirs) never use apostrophes, while contractions (it's = "it is," they're = "they are") always do. When you spot an apostrophe in a pronoun, ask yourself: can I expand it into two words? If yes, it's a contraction; if not, it needs no apostrophe. Walking through the passage: "it's reputation" uses it's ("it is"), but the sentence needs the possessive its — the association owns its reputation. "Their prepared" needs to mean "they are prepared," so the contraction they're is correct, not the possessive their. Finally, "their's" is never a valid word — the possessive pronoun is simply theirs, no apostrophe needed. Answer D makes exactly these three corrections and nothing else, making it right. Answer A is tempting but swaps "their prepared" for "there prepared" — there indicates a place or is used existentially, which makes no sense here. It fixes one error while introducing a different kind of mistake. Answer B goes in the wrong direction entirely by changing "It's clear" to "Its clear," which breaks a contraction that was already correct — "It is clear" is exactly what the sentence means. B also correctly fixes they're and theirs, but that opening change disqualifies it. Answer C correctly fixes its and they're, but then replaces their's with there's ("there is"), which doesn't belong in that context at all. A useful memory trick: run through the ownership test — if you can substitute "belonging to it/them," use the apostrophe-free possessive. If you can expand to two words, use the contraction.

Question 5

The delegates are expected to arrive after their scheduled briefing.

Which revision preserves the original meaning while correctly replacing "The delegates are" with a contraction?

  1. Their expected to arrive after they're scheduled briefing.
  2. They're expected to arrive after they're scheduled briefing.
  3. They're expected to arrive after their scheduled briefing. (correct answer)
  4. Their expected to arrive after their scheduled briefing.
Explanation: When a question asks you to replace a subject-noun phrase with a contraction, you need to distinguish between two easily confused homophones: they're (a contraction of "they are") and their (a possessive pronoun showing ownership). Getting these right requires you to test each word by expanding it back to its full form. In the original sentence, "The delegates are expected to arrive" uses "are" as part of the verb phrase. Replacing "The delegates are" with a contraction gives you they're (they + are), which preserves the verb function exactly. The second half of the sentence — "their scheduled briefing" — uses a possessive to show the briefing belongs to the delegates, so their stays unchanged. That makes C the correct revision: They're expected to arrive after their scheduled briefing. Looking at the wrong choices: A uses their in the first clause ("Their expected to arrive"), which is a possessive pronoun standing in for a verb phrase — grammatically nonsensical. D makes the same error in the first clause and compounds it by keeping their throughout, never forming any contraction at all. B is a tempting trap because it correctly forms they're in the first clause, but then misapplies it to the second clause: "they're scheduled briefing" would mean "they are scheduled briefing," which makes no sense — that position requires the possessive their. A quick tip: whenever you see they're, their, or there, mentally expand the contraction. If "they are" fits, use they're; if it shows ownership, use their. That substitution test will save you on nearly every question like this.

Question 6

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "The museum has revised   policy because   been receiving complaints that several paintings have lost   protective coverings."

  1. its; it's; their (correct answer)
  2. it's; its; they're
  3. its; its; they're
  4. it's; it's; their
Explanation: When a sentence contains multiple homophones in a row, the key is to slow down and test each blank independently rather than letting one choice influence another. The words its, it's, their, they're, and their are classic traps because they sound identical but serve completely different grammatical roles. Start with the first blank: the museum's policy belongs to the museum, so you need the possessive pronoun its (no apostrophe). An apostrophe would signal a contraction meaning "it is," which makes no sense here — "the museum has revised it is policy" is grammatically broken. The second blank describes what the museum has been doing, so you need the contraction it's (meaning "it has been receiving complaints"). The possessive its would leave the sentence without a subject performing an action. The third blank refers to the protective coverings belonging to the paintings — plural ownership, so you need the possessive pronoun their. The contraction they're (meaning "they are") would produce the nonsensical phrase "have lost they are protective coverings." That reasoning confirms A) its; it's; their as the correct answer. Looking at the wrong choices: B swaps the first two — using the contraction where you need the possessive and vice versa. C uses its correctly in the first blank but then uses it again for the second blank, where a contraction is required, and also incorrectly uses they're in the third blank. D uses it's in both the first and second blanks, making the first blank wrong, and their in the third, which is correct but can't save the rest of the sentence. A reliable strategy: substitute the full word or phrase behind each contraction — "it is/it has," "they are" — and see if the sentence still makes sense. If it doesn't, you need the possessive form instead.

Question 7

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "If   certain that the totals match   supervisor's records, explain why   submitting the report without further review."

  1. your; you're; your
  2. you're; your; you're (correct answer)
  3. you're; you're; your
  4. your; your; you're
Explanation: When you see your and you're tested together, your job is to replace each blank with its full meaning and see which version makes grammatical sense. Your is a possessive pronoun (belonging to you), while you're is a contraction meaning you are. Apply that substitution test to each blank. The first blank needs "certain" to describe a state of being: "If you are certain" — so you need you're. The second blank modifies "supervisor's records," showing ownership: "your supervisor's records" — so you need the possessive your. The third blank precedes "submitting," again expressing a state of being: "you are submitting" — so you're is correct again. That pattern — you're / your / you're — matches answer B, the correct choice. Answer A (your; you're; your) gets the first and third blanks wrong by using the possessive where a verb contraction is needed — "If your certain" means nothing grammatically. Answer C (you're; you're; your) correctly handles the first blank but misidentifies the second: "you are supervisor's records" is nonsensical. Answer D (your; your; you're) makes the same mistake as A in the first blank and treats the second possessive correctly but fails at the start. A reliable strategy: whenever you see your/you're, mentally substitute you are into the sentence. If it reads naturally, use you're. If it sounds wrong or breaks the sentence's meaning, use the possessive your. This quick swap takes only a second and eliminates most errors on these questions.

Question 8

Choose the words that correctly complete the sentence: "Although   confident that the samples retained   original labels, the technicians will verify that   stored at the required temperature."

  1. their; they're; their
  2. they're; their; they're (correct answer)
  3. they're; they're; their
  4. their; their; they're
Explanation: When you see their, they're, and there mixed together in a sentence, your job is to identify what grammatical role each blank plays — possession, contraction, or location — before choosing any word. Let's walk through each blank in order. The first blank follows "Although  ," describing how the technicians feel — this requires a contraction of they are (they're confident). The second blank modifies labels, indicating ownership — that calls for the possessive their (their original labels). The third blank completes "verify that   stored," again contracting they are (they're stored). That gives you they're / their / they're, which is answer B. Here's why the other choices fail. A (their / they're / their) uses the possessive in the first blank, which makes "Although their confident" grammatically nonsensical — you can't own confidence in this context. C (they're / they're / their) gets the first and third blanks right but stumbles on the second: "they're original labels" would mean they are original labels, which is absurd. D (their / their / they're) makes the same error as A in the first blank and also misuses the possessive in the second blank where a contraction works fine — but since A is already wrong, D is doubly flawed. A reliable trick: wherever you see one of these words, mentally substitute they are. If the sentence still makes sense, use they're. If it breaks down, you need the possessive their. Practicing this substitution test on a few sentences before your exam will make homophones much less intimidating.

Question 9

Which sentence uses every possessive and contraction correctly?

  1. The agency delayed it's audit because its reviewing newly submitted evidence.
  2. Although its late, the crew says it's equipment can still be tested.
  3. The device lost its signal because it's internal antenna was damaged.
  4. The company changed its policy because it's responding to repeated complaints. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question tests its versus it's, your first move should be to apply a simple substitution test: replace the word with "it is" or "it has." If the sentence still makes sense, you need the contraction it's (with an apostrophe). If it doesn't, you need the possessive pronoun its (no apostrophe — just like his or her, possessive pronouns never take apostrophes). Choice D holds up perfectly under this test. "Its policy" correctly uses the possessive (the company's policy), and "it's responding" correctly uses the contraction standing in for "it is responding." Both words are used exactly right, making D the answer. Choice A gets both words backwards. "It's audit" uses the contraction where a possessive is needed (the agency's audit), and "its reviewing" uses the possessive where the contraction "it is reviewing" is required — a clean double swap of errors. Choice B makes the same kind of mistake. "Its late" should be "it's late" (it is late), and "it's equipment" should be "its equipment" (the crew's equipment). Again, both instances are swapped incorrectly. Choice C is the sneakiest distractor. "Its signal" is correctly possessive, which might lull you into confidence — but "it's internal antenna" is wrong. The antenna belongs to the device, so you need the possessive its, not the contraction it is internal antenna, which is nonsense. Your go-to strategy: always run the "it is" substitution test on every instance of its/it's in the sentence. One wrong usage disqualifies the entire answer choice.

Question 10

In which sentence does the boldfaced form function as a contraction rather than as a possessive?

  1. The manager's abrupt departure surprised the entire review committee.
  2. The manager's revised schedule includes two additional planning sessions.
  3. The manager's unusually cautious about approving changes this quarter. (correct answer)
  4. The manager's objections were included in the final meeting minutes.
Explanation: When you see 's attached to a noun, your job is to figure out whether it's doing possessive work (showing ownership) or contraction work (replacing the verb is or has). The trick is to mentally substitute "is" or "has" in place of the 's and check whether the sentence still makes grammatical sense. In choice C, "The manager's unusually cautious about approving changes" becomes "The manager is unusually cautious about approving changes" — a perfectly grammatical sentence. Here, 's contracts the verb is, making this the contraction. Nothing is being owned or possessed; the 's simply links the subject to a predicate adjective. The other three choices all use 's as a true possessive. In A, "the manager's abrupt departure" means the departure belonging to the manager — substituting "is" gives you the nonsensical "the manager is abrupt departure." The same logic applies to B: "the manager's revised schedule" refers to a schedule the manager owns or oversees, and "manager is revised schedule" makes no sense. D follows the same pattern — "the manager's objections" are objections attributed to the manager, and swapping in "is" produces gibberish. A quick strategy to carry with you: always perform the substitution test. Replace 's with is or has and read the sentence aloud. If it holds up grammatically, you have a contraction. If it falls apart, you have a possessive. This test works reliably across exam questions and real writing situations, so make it your default move whenever apostrophe-s appears.