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Difficulty: MediumPlural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

Located in modern-day Jordan, the ancient city of Petra contains hundreds of monumental tombs carved directly into red sandstone cliffs by Nabataean builders. These extraordinary rock-cut structures have fascinated archaeologists and travelers for centuries. The _______ elaborate facades, which seamlessly blend Hellenistic architectural elements with traditional Arabian designs, demonstrate both a sophisticated understanding of engineering and a distinct artistic vision.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    structures
  2. B
    structure's
  3. structures'Answer
  4. D
    structure

Answer

The correct form is the plural possessive noun 'structures''.
The plural possessive noun 'structures'' is correct because the passage refers to multiple rock-cut structures ('These extraordinary rock-cut structures') and indicates that the 'facades' belong to them. For regular plural nouns ending in '-s', the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe at the end.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the noun being modified and determine if possession is required.
The blank is followed by the noun phrase 'elaborate facades', which belong to the structures mentioned in the preceding sentence. Therefore, a possessive noun is required.
Establishing possession is necessary to determine whether the noun requires an apostrophe.
2
Determine the number (singular or plural) of the noun.
The preceding sentence refers to 'These extraordinary rock-cut structures', which establishes that there are multiple structures. Therefore, a plural noun is required.
Determining the number helps identify whether to use a singular or plural possessive form.
3
Form the plural possessive of the noun 'structure'.
To make the plural noun 'structures' possessive, add an apostrophe to the end of the word, resulting in 'structures''.
Adding an apostrophe after the plural '-s' is the standard rule for forming plural possessive nouns.

Key Concept

Plural and Possessive Nouns
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Topics

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

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