Which sentence shows the correct plural possessive form after 'class of 2024'?

Which sentence shows the correct plural possessive form after 'class of 2024'?

• A. The class of 2024 graduates will attend.
• B. The class of 2024's graduates will attend.
• C. The class of 2024's graduate will attend.
• D. The class of 2024 graduate's will attend.

Answer: (A)

When a year-group like “class of 2024” acts as a descriptor for a group, you don’t need to add a possessive. You simply pair it with the plural noun that names the members of that group. So “the class of 2024 graduates” correctly identifies all the graduates in that class without any extra possessive form. Using the possessive, as in “the class of 2024’s graduates,” is awkward here because it tries to show ownership where none is needed; it doesn’t change who the graduates are and sounds clumsy. Using a singular noun, like “graduate,” doesn’t agree with the plural subject implied by the sentence (the graduates of the class), so that also doesn’t fit. The clean, natural choice is to place the plural noun directly after the year-group phrase: the class of 2024 graduates will attend.

When a year-group like “class of 2024” acts as a descriptor for a group, you don’t need to add a possessive. You simply pair it with the plural noun that names the members of that group. So “the class of 2024 graduates” correctly identifies all the graduates in that class without any extra possessive form. Using the possessive, as in “the class of 2024’s graduates,” is awkward here because it tries to show ownership where none is needed; it doesn’t change who the graduates are and sounds clumsy. Using a singular noun, like “graduate,” doesn’t agree with the plural subject implied by the sentence (the graduates of the class), so that also doesn’t fit. The clean, natural choice is to place the plural noun directly after the year-group phrase: the class of 2024 graduates will attend.