Question

Difficulty: MediumPronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case

Although the conservation task force for the protection of the endangered Mariana fruit bat faced significant logistical hurdles during the rainy season, _______ successfully monitored the nesting patterns of several colonies. The data collected during this period will help researchers design more effective habitat restoration strategies.

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

  1. itAnswer
  2. B
    they
  3. C
    them
  4. D
    those

Answer

The singular pronoun 'it' is the correct choice because it agrees in number with the singular collective noun antecedent 'task force' and serves as the subject of the verb 'successfully monitored.'
The pronoun must refer to the singular collective noun antecedent 'task force.' The singular pronoun 'it' correctly maintains agreement in number and functions as the subject of the clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the missing pronoun.
The antecedent is the singular collective noun 'task force,' which is separated from the blank by the prepositional phrase 'for the protection of the endangered Mariana fruit bat.'
Determining the correct antecedent is necessary to establish pronoun-antecedent agreement in number.
2
Determine the required grammatical case for the pronoun.
The pronoun functions as the subject of the verb phrase 'successfully monitored,' indicating that subject case is required.
The case of the pronoun must match its grammatical role in the clause.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the singular subject pronoun.
The singular subject pronoun is 'it,' whereas 'they,' 'them,' and 'those' are plural.
Only a singular pronoun in the subject case can grammatically complete the sentence.

Key Concept

Pronoun-antecedent agreement requires a pronoun to match its antecedent in both number (singular or plural) and gender. When intervening prepositional phrases separate the antecedent from the pronoun, the correct singular or plural subject must still be identified.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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