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Zorluk: OrtaPronoun Clarity and Reference

During the Gilded Age, paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope sent a reconstruction of an *Elasmosaurus* fossil to his rival, Othniel Charles Marsh. Although Cope expected a favorable review from the scientific community, he publicly pointed out that Cope had accidentally placed the creature's skull on its tail. This embarrassing blunder intensified the bitter feud between the two men.

Which choice most effectively clarifies the underlined pronoun's reference in the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    they
  3. C
    which
  4. MarshCevap

Cevap

Marsh
The correct option is 'Marsh' because replacing the ambiguous pronoun 'he' with the specific proper noun 'Marsh' clarifies that Marsh was the one who pointed out the error on the fossil reconstruction, resolving the ambiguity between Cope and Marsh.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the underlined pronoun and its potential antecedents in the passage.
The pronoun is 'he', and the preceding masculine singular nouns are 'Edward Drinker Cope' and 'Othniel Charles Marsh'.
To check for pronoun clarity, you must identify all nouns the pronoun could reasonably refer to.
2
Evaluate the clarity and logic of the pronoun's reference.
Using 'he' is ambiguous because it is unclear whether Cope or Marsh pointed out the error; contextually, it must be Marsh, but grammatically it is vague.
ACT English requires pronouns to have a single, clear, and unambiguous antecedent.
3
Select the option that replaces the pronoun with a specific noun to resolve the ambiguity without introducing new grammatical errors.
Replacing 'he' with 'Marsh' clearly identifies the person who pointed out the error and maintains proper sentence structure.
Using the specific noun 'Marsh' eliminates all ambiguity and completes the independent clause.

Anahtar Kavram

Pronoun clarity and reference issues occur when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, or when it lacks a clear antecedent entirely. Replacing the vague or ambiguous pronoun with a specific noun resolves the ambiguity.
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Konular

Pronoun Clarity and Reference

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