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Difficulty: MediumPronoun Clarity and Reference

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

In the early 1990s, paleontologists discovered fossilized feathers in the Liaoning Province of China. This finding provided crucial evidence linking theropod dinosaurs to modern birds, a connection that had long been debated. Although the researchers analyzed both the dinosaur fossils and the avian specimens, they could not determine the exact evolutionary timeline from them.

Which of the following choices is the most effective and grammatically correct replacement for the underlined word?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. the fossilsAnswer
  3. C
    this
  4. D
    which was difficult

Answer

the fossils
Replacing the pronoun with the specific noun phrase 'the fossils' is correct because it resolves the ambiguity of the original pronoun. In the original sentence, the plural pronoun has multiple potential plural antecedents ('dinosaur fossils', 'avian specimens', 'researchers'), making it unclear which noun is being referenced. The specific noun phrase clearly indicates what the researchers were analyzing to determine the timeline.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined pronoun and its potential antecedents in the sentence.
The pronoun is the plural 'them', and the preceding clause contains multiple plural nouns: 'researchers', 'dinosaur fossils', and 'avian specimens'.
To ensure clarity, a pronoun must refer unambiguously to a single logical antecedent.
2
Evaluate the clarity of the pronoun reference.
Because 'them' can grammatically and logically refer to either the fossils or the specimens (or even the researchers), the reference is ambiguous.
An ambiguous pronoun reference is a grammatical error on the ACT that must be corrected by replacing the pronoun with a specific noun.
3
Select the option that replaces the pronoun with a clear, specific noun phrase while maintaining correct sentence structure.
Replacing 'them' with 'the fossils' makes the sentence clear, whereas other options introduce vague references or fragment errors.
The correct option must resolve the pronoun 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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