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Difficulty: MediumPronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case

Although a newly formed council of medieval history scholars has compiled an extensive digital database of rare fourteenth-century manuscripts, _______ has struggled to secure the long-term financial support necessary to keep the archive open to public researchers. Consequently, historians worldwide worry that access to these fragile primary sources will soon be restricted.

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

  1. A
    they
  2. itAnswer
  3. C
    them
  4. D
    these

Answer

The singular pronoun 'it' correctly agrees with the singular collective noun 'council' and serves as the subject of the clause.
The pronoun in the blank must refer to the singular collective noun 'council,' which is the main subject of the preceding subordinate clause. Because 'council' is singular, the pronoun must also be singular. Additionally, since the pronoun functions as the subject of the verb phrase 'has struggled,' it must be in the subjective case. The singular pronoun 'it' correctly meets both of these requirements.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in the sentence.
The antecedent is 'council,' which is a singular collective noun.
Determining whether the antecedent is singular or plural is necessary to ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement.
2
Identify the grammatical role of the pronoun in the clause.
The pronoun acts as the subject of the verb phrase 'has struggled.'
Determining the pronoun's role helps identify the correct case (subjective case).
3
Select the pronoun that matches both the singular number and the subjective case.
The singular subjective pronoun 'it' is the correct choice.
This pronoun satisfies both number agreement and case requirements.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case
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Topics

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case

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