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Question

Difficulty: MediumPlural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

The passage below contains a blank. Based on the grammatical context of the passage, what form of the noun 'planet' correctly completes the blank?

Answer:In the early seventeenth century, German astronomer Johannes Kepler analyzed detailed observational data of Mars collected by his predecessor, Tycho Brahe. Through rigorous calculations, Kepler discovered that planetary orbits are elliptical rather than perfectly circular. This breakthrough revolutionized astronomy by challenging the long-held assumption that a 【planet's】 path through space must conform to ancient ideals of geometric perfection.

Answer

planet's
The correct answer is the singular possessive noun 'planet's'. The singular indefinite article 'a' preceding the blank indicates that the noun must be singular, while the presence of the noun 'path' immediately following the blank indicates that the possessive form is required to show ownership or association.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the noun modified by the blank to determine if possession is required.
The blank precedes the noun 'path', indicating that the noun in the blank must be in the possessive case to show that the path belongs to the noun ('the path of a planet').
Possessive nouns are used to show ownership or association with a following noun.
2
Determine the grammatical number (singular or plural) of the noun in the blank.
The blank is preceded by the singular indefinite article 'a', which requires a singular noun. Therefore, the singular possessive form is needed.
The singular indefinite article 'a' cannot modify a plural noun.
3
Form the singular possessive of the noun 'planet'.
Adding an apostrophe and an 's' to the singular noun 'planet' yields 'planet's'.
Singular nouns are made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an 's'.

Key Concept

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns
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Topics

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

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