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Difficulty: MediumPlural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

Based on the grammar and context of the passage, what form of the noun 'dragonfly' correctly completes the blank?

Answer:Unlike most insects, which rely on simple muscle contractions to flap their wings, a dragonfly utilizes direct muscle attachments to control each wing independently. This unique anatomical feature allows the 【dragonfly's】 maneuverability to surpass that of almost any other aerial predator, enabling it to hover, fly backward, and change direction mid-flight with remarkable precision.

Answer

dragonfly's
The singular possessive noun 'dragonfly's' correctly attributes the maneuverability to a single dragonfly. The singular context is established by the phrase 'a dragonfly' in the first sentence and the pronoun 'it' in the second sentence. To form a singular possessive, an apostrophe and an 's' must be added to the singular noun.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context to determine if the noun should be singular or plural.
The passage introduces the subject in the singular form ('a dragonfly') and subsequently uses the singular pronoun 'it' ('enabling it to hover'). Therefore, the target noun must be singular.
Identifying the number of the noun ensures correct agreement with the surrounding context.
2
Determine if the noun requires a possessive form.
The noun modifies the resource 'maneuverability', indicating that the maneuverability belongs to the dragonfly. Thus, a possessive case is required.
Identifying the case of the noun determines the correct punctuation structure.
3
Form the singular possessive noun.
Adding an apostrophe followed by 's' to the singular noun 'dragonfly' yields 'dragonfly's'.
Applying standard English orthography rules for singular possessives provides the correct spelling.

Key Concept

Plural and Possessive Nouns
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

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