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Difficulty: HardPronoun Clarity and Reference

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay on archaeological discoveries.

In 1948, archaeologist Henri Lhote uncovered vibrant rock paintings in the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau of Algeria. He immediately shared the detailed sketches of the murals with his colleague, Abbé Breuil. Because he was an expert on prehistoric art, the discovery soon attracted global attention. Ultimately, the documentation of these ancient desert murals revolutionized the study of Saharan history.

Which choice makes the underlined portion of the sentence most clear and precise?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. BreuilAnswer
  3. C
    it
  4. D
    Breuil, who

Answer

The correct answer is the option that replaces the ambiguous pronoun with the proper noun 'Breuil'.
Replacing the pronoun with the proper noun 'Breuil' resolves the ambiguity of the original pronoun 'he' by clearly identifying which person was the prehistoric art expert, while maintaining a grammatically complete subordinate clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined pronoun and its potential antecedents.
The pronoun 'he' appears in a clause following a sentence that mentions two male individuals: Henri Lhote and Abbé Breuil.
To determine pronoun clarity, we must check if the pronoun has a single, unambiguous antecedent.
2
Evaluate the clarity of the original phrasing.
The pronoun 'he' is ambiguous because it is unclear whether Lhote or Breuil was the expert.
Standard grammar rules require pronouns to refer clearly and directly to a single antecedent.
3
Analyze the answer choices to resolve the ambiguity.
Replacing 'he' with the specific proper noun 'Breuil' eliminates the ambiguity, while 'it' is grammatically incorrect for a person and 'Breuil, who' creates a sentence fragment.
The correct option must resolve the ambiguity without introducing new grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Pronoun Clarity and Reference
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Pronoun Clarity and Reference

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