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Difficulty: Very hardPlural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

Determining the exact date of a shipwreck often depends on analyzing the growth rings of the timber used to construct the vessel. In a 2024 study, marine archaeologist Clara Vance examined several seventeenth-century Dutch merchant ships, noting that each ________ distinct timber ring pattern corresponded to a known period of drought in Northern Europe.

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

  1. ship'sAnswer
  2. B
    ships'
  3. C
    ships
  4. D
    ship

Answer

ship's
The singular possessive noun 'ship's' is correct because the distributive determiner 'each' must modify a singular count noun, and the possessive form is required to modify the subsequent noun phrase 'distinct timber ring pattern'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic context surrounding the blank to determine the required grammatical case.
The blank precedes the noun phrase 'distinct timber ring pattern'. Since this pattern belongs to the vessel, the target word must be in the possessive case to modify the noun phrase.
A possessive modifier is needed to show ownership over the subsequent noun phrase.
2
Determine the grammatical number (singular or plural) of the target noun by identifying its determiner.
The blank is preceded by the distributive determiner 'each'. In English, 'each' must modify a singular count noun.
Although 'several ships' are mentioned, the distributor 'each' refers to them individually, requiring the singular form.
3
Combine the singular number and possessive case to select the correct spelling.
The singular possessive form of 'ship' is formed by adding an apostrophe and 's' to the end of the singular noun, resulting in 'ship's'.
This form satisfies both the grammatical agreement with 'each' and the possessive relationship with 'distinct timber ring pattern'.

Key Concept

Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns
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Plural and Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

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