Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
- A.The patient's chart shows three medication allergy's.
- B.Its important to wash your hands before every procedure.
- C.The nurses' station is located near the elevator.
- D.She completed all of the doctor's order's before lunch.
Show answer & rationale
Correct answer
C. The nurses' station is located near the elevator.
Rationale
C is correct: 'Nurses'' uses the apostrophe after the plural noun 'nurses' to show possession, the station belonging to the nurses. This is correct plural possessive form. A is incorrect: 'Allergy's' incorrectly uses an apostrophe to form a plural. The correct plural is 'allergies' (no apostrophe). B is incorrect: 'Its' without an apostrophe is the possessive pronoun. 'It's' (with apostrophe) is the contraction for 'it is,' which is what the sentence requires. D is incorrect: 'Order's' incorrectly forms a plural with an apostrophe. 'Orders' (no apostrophe) is correct.
Key concepts
Apostrophe usagePlural possessivesContractions vs. possessives