These WAEC questions on Apostrophe are all from its sub-topics in the WAEC ENGLISH SYLLABUS.
We have also covered each Apostrophe sub-topic with detailed explanation in our WAEC English lesson online.
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WAEC Apostrophe questions
Attempt each question before checking its correct answer and explanation.
Choose the word(s) that best completes each of the following sentences.
WAEC English 2011 (50)
1. The _____ toys have all been stolen.
A. children
B. childrens
C. childrens'
D. children's
SEE ANSWER ✅
- Singular = Child
- Plural = Children
- Singular possessive: Child’s
- Plural possessive: Children’s
WAEC English 2012 (54)
2. This is not your book, it is _____
A. Andrew
B. Andrew's
C. Andrews
D. Andrews'
SEE ANSWER ✅
The sentence requires a singular name (Andrew) in its possessive form (’s).
WAEC English 2002 (61)
3. We were told to mind our business during the examination and not _____
A. somebody's else.
B. somebody else's
C. somebody's else's.
D. somebody else.
SEE ANSWER ✅
- “Somebody else” – another person.
- “Somebody else’s” – another person’s.
WAEC English 2006 (44)
4. Are you sure this is _____ shop?
A. John's and Elizabeth
B. John and Elizabeth's
C. John's and Elizabeth's
D. John and Elizabeth
SEE ANSWER ✅
Since it’s ONE shop, it means they jointly own it and so, the apostrophe comes only after the final name. Option (C) would be correct if it were “shops” to mean they each own a separate one.
WAEC English 2013 (61)
5. My _____ house is on the next street.
A. father-in- law's
B. father's-in-law
C. fathers'-in-law
D. father-in-laws’
SEE ANSWER ✅
For compound nouns like “father-in-law”, the apostrophe is placed only on the word that represents more of a “person”. (C) would be correct if the sentence was plural.
WAEC English 1990 (56)
6. That is not your book, it is _____
A. Johns
B. John's
C. Johns' own
D. for John's
SEE ANSWER ✅
Only option (B) correctly indicate possession. (D) would have been correct without the apostrophe.
WAEC English 2016 (50)
7. Everyone wants to be the _____ favourite.
A. school principal
B. school's principal's
C. school principal's
D. school's principal
SEE ANSWER ✅
For compound nouns like “school principal”, the apostrophe is placed only on the word that represents more of a “person”.
WAEC English 2008 (49)
8. My friend's son stole the _____ briefcase.
A. director's-general
B. director-general's
C. directors'-general
D. director-general's'
SEE ANSWER ✅
For compound nouns like “director-general”, the apostrophe is placed only on the word that represents more of a “person”. (C) would be correct if the sentence was plural.
WAEC English 2023 (57)
9. The _____ were decorated with flowers.
A. girls shoes
B. girls' shoes
C. girls' shoes'
D. girls shoes'
SEE ANSWER ✅
The (shoes) belong to the (girls). So, only the girls take apostrophe to show ownership.
WAEC English 2008 (66)
10. The principal has gone to Freetown and will come back in _____ time.
A. two weeks
B. two week
C. two week's
D. two weeks'
SEE ANSWER ✅
“two” indicates plural which must go with “weeks”. And since the plural already ends with “s”, it takes only an apostrophe.
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