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Difficulty: HardPronoun Clarity and Reference

During the mid-nineteenth century, naturalists frequently traveled alongside surveyors to document the flora of the American West. While the surveyors mapped the rugged terrain, the naturalists collected specimens of rare wildflowers. Because they were often preoccupied with the physical demands of the journey, many specimens remained undocumented for decades.

Which of the following choices most effectively clarifies the underlined pronoun in the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. the naturalistsAnswer
  3. C
    it
  4. D
    they themselves

Answer

The correct answer is the option that replaces the pronoun with 'the naturalists' to resolve the ambiguity.
The correct choice replaces the ambiguous pronoun 'they' with the specific noun 'the naturalists.' In the original sentence, 'they' could refer to either 'the surveyors' or 'the naturalists,' both of which are plural nouns in the preceding sentence. Specifying 'the naturalists' clarifies who was preoccupied with the demands of the journey.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined pronoun and its potential antecedents in the preceding context.
The pronoun 'they' is plural and has multiple potential plural antecedents: 'naturalists,' 'surveyors,' and 'wildflowers.'
To evaluate pronoun clarity, you must trace the pronoun back to its logical antecedent in the sentence.
2
Determine if the pronoun reference is clear or ambiguous.
The reference is ambiguous because both 'naturalists' and 'surveyors' could logically be preoccupied with the physical demands of the journey.
Pronouns must refer clearly and unambiguously to a single noun antecedent.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that replaces the pronoun with a clear, specific noun.
Replacing 'they' with 'the naturalists' directly resolves the ambiguity without introducing redundancy or grammatical errors.
ACT English questions require choosing the most clear, precise, and grammatically correct phrasing.

Key Concept

Pronoun Clarity and Reference
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Topics

Pronoun Clarity and Reference

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