During the excavation of the ancient Roman villa at Oplontis, a dedicated team of field archaeologists uncovered a complex network of frescoed corridors. In the report, the researchers noted that each of the mural panels, despite showing significant water damage from centuries of subterranean exposure, had retained much of _______ original pigment.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- Atheir
- itsAnswer
- Cthey
- Dits'
Answer
its
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' is correct because it agrees in number with the singular indefinite pronoun antecedent 'each.' The intervening prepositional phrase 'of the mural panels' and the parenthetical element 'despite showing significant water damage...' do not change the number of the subject 'each,' which remains singular.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Pronoun-antecedent agreement requires pronouns to match their antecedents in number (singular vs. plural). Indefinite pronouns like 'each' are grammatically singular, even when followed by a plural prepositional modifier like 'of the panels.' Additionally, possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes.