Which word should replace the underlined word? “The cat licked [it's] paws after dinner.”

Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 4–5 writing. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Reporting category 2: find and fix an error in a short text. On the real test some of these are typed answers or sentence rewrites. Here they are multiple choice so they can be checked.

The question

Choose the best answer.

Read the sentence. The underlined word has an error. The cat licked [it's] paws after dinner. Which word should replace the underlined word?

• AitsCorrect answer
• Bits'
• Cit
• Dtheir

Why “its” is correct

This tests its and it's. "It's" always means "it is" or "it has": "It's raining." "Its," with no apostrophe, shows that something belongs to it: its paws. This is confusing because other words that show belonging do use an apostrophe, as in "the cat's paws."

Why the other answers are wrong

• its' — There is no word "its'" in English.
• it — "It paws" does not show that the paws belong to the cat.
• their — "Their" is for more than one owner; there is one cat.

Practice more of this

More writing practice for Grades 4–5, or see the TELPAS practice test for 4th and 5th grade.