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Difficulty: MediumPronoun Clarity and Reference

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

In 1911, the archaeologist Hiram Bingham arrived in Peru to search for the lost ruins of the Incas. A local farmer named Melchor Arteaga guided Bingham across the Urubamba River. Although he was unfamiliar with the local terrain, the farmer led the explorer safely to the ruins.

Which of the following choices most clearly and precisely identifies who was unfamiliar with the local terrain?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. BinghamAnswer
  3. C
    they
  4. D
    him and Bingham

Answer

Bingham
The option replacing the pronoun with the proper noun 'Bingham' is correct because it resolves the ambiguity of the pronoun 'he'. In the context of the passage, both Hiram Bingham and Melchor Arteaga are mentioned. Specifying 'Bingham' makes it clear who was unfamiliar with the terrain, as the local guide (the farmer) would naturally be familiar with it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined pronoun in the sentence to identify any ambiguity or grammatical errors.
The pronoun 'he' is grammatically ambiguous because the context introduces two singular male characters: Hiram Bingham and Melchor Arteaga.
ACT English requires every pronoun to have a single, clear, and unambiguous antecedent.
2
Determine the intended meaning based on the context of the passage.
The local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, is guiding the archaeologist, which implies the farmer is familiar with the terrain and the archaeologist (Bingham) is not.
Logical context helps determine which specific noun should replace the ambiguous pronoun.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that is both grammatically correct and unambiguous.
Replacing 'he' with 'Bingham' makes the sentence clear, while the other choices introduce errors like missing antecedents or incorrect pronoun case.
The correct choice must resolve pronoun ambiguity without introducing new grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Pronoun clarity and reference require that every pronoun has a single, clear, and grammatically correct antecedent.
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Topics

Pronoun Clarity and Reference

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