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Difficulty: EasyPronoun Clarity and Reference

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay about the history of geology:

"In 1912, Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, explaining that the Earth's landmasses were once joined. Many geologists rejected Wegener's ideas because he could not explain the physical mechanism that moved them. This lack of explanation made it a subject of intense debate for decades."

Which of the following options is the best replacement for the underlined word to ensure the sentence is clear and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. the theoryAnswer
  3. C
    this
  4. D
    them

Answer

The correct answer is 'the theory', as it replaces the vague pronoun with a specific noun phrase to resolve the clarity issue.
The correct option replaces the vague pronoun 'it' with the specific noun phrase 'the theory.' In the original sentence, 'it' is vague because its antecedent is not clearly defined; it could refer to Wegener's theory, the physical mechanism, or the lack of explanation. Replacing the pronoun with a specific noun clarifies the subject of the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined pronoun in the passage.
The underlined word is 'it'.
Before looking at the options, we need to evaluate the underlined word in its context to see if it is grammatically correct and clear.
2
Analyze the antecedent of the pronoun in the context of the sentence.
The pronoun 'it' is intended to refer to Wegener's theory of continental drift, but the preceding sentence also mentions 'landmasses', 'ideas', and 'mechanism', making the reference vague and ambiguous.
A pronoun must have a single, clear, and specific noun antecedent to be correct.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that resolves the vague reference.
Replacing 'it' with the noun phrase 'the theory' clarifies exactly what became a subject of debate.
Using a specific noun phrase instead of a vague pronoun resolves the ambiguity and makes the sentence clear.

Key Concept

Pronoun Clarity and Reference
Estimated Time:50s
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Topics

Pronoun Clarity and Reference

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