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Question

Difficulty: EasyPronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case

The giant sequoia tree, which grows naturally only on the western slopes of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, relies on wildfire to clear the forest floor so that ______ seeds can germinate in the nutrient-rich soil.

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

  1. A
    their
  2. B
    they're
  3. itsAnswer
  4. D
    it's

Answer

its
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' correctly refers back to the singular noun phrase 'The giant sequoia tree' and indicates possession over the noun 'seeds'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun that needs to fill the blank.
The antecedent is 'The giant sequoia tree', which is a singular noun phrase.
The pronoun must agree in number with the noun it represents.
2
Determine the required grammatical case for the pronoun.
The pronoun modifies the noun 'seeds', indicating possession, so the possessive case is required.
The sentence describes the seeds belonging to the tree.
3
Select the option that is both singular and possessive.
The word 'its' is the singular possessive pronoun. The contraction 'it's' means 'it is', and 'their' and 'they're' are plural.
Only 'its' correctly satisfies the agreement and case requirements of the sentence.

Key Concept

Pronoun-antecedent agreement in number and case
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Topics

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case

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