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Standard English ConventionsEasyPossessive its versus it's

Standard English Conventions practice question

When threatened, the octopus changes ____ color in less than a second and jets away behind a cloud of ink.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. itsCorrect
  2. B. it's
  3. C. their
  4. D. its'

Answer: A. its

The pronoun must be the possessive 'its,' agreeing with the singular 'octopus': 'the octopus changes its color.'

Why the other answers are wrong

B. it's
'It's' means 'it is,' which makes no sense before 'color.'
C. their
'Their' is plural, but 'octopus' is singular.
D. its'
'Its'' is not a word in Standard English.

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