In many cases, they are poets and novelists, not historians, who catch the spirit of an era
- A. they are
- B. those
- C. that is
- D. it is
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The phrase "it is" effectively introduces the main idea of the sentence, emphasizing the poets and novelists' role in capturing the spirit of an era. This construction clearly states a fact about their significance. Option A, "they are," shifts focus away from the overarching statement and makes the sentence less impactful. Option B, "those," lacks the necessary clarity and directness, making the sentence feel incomplete. Option C, "that is," suggests a definition rather than emphasizing the poets and novelists' importance, weakening the statement's overall strength.
The phrase "it is" effectively introduces the main idea of the sentence, emphasizing the poets and novelists' role in capturing the spirit of an era. This construction clearly states a fact about their significance. Option A, "they are," shifts focus away from the overarching statement and makes the sentence less impactful. Option B, "those," lacks the necessary clarity and directness, making the sentence feel incomplete. Option C, "that is," suggests a definition rather than emphasizing the poets and novelists' importance, weakening the statement's overall strength.
Other Related Questions
Which of the following is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 12 (reproduced below)? Cavendish bananas might appear to be strong, with its thick skins and ability to be shipped long distances without rotting or even bruising.
- A. (as it is now)
- B. its'
- C. their
- D. there
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
In this context, "Cavendish bananas" is plural, so using "their" is appropriate to match the subject. This option correctly indicates possession, referring to the bananas' thick skins. Option A maintains the original phrasing, which incorrectly uses "its," a singular possessive pronoun, creating a mismatch with the plural subject. Option B, "its'," is also incorrect as it implies a possessive form that doesn't apply here, and it is not a standard grammatical form. Option D, "there," is unrelated to possession and does not fit the context of the sentence.
In this context, "Cavendish bananas" is plural, so using "their" is appropriate to match the subject. This option correctly indicates possession, referring to the bananas' thick skins. Option A maintains the original phrasing, which incorrectly uses "its," a singular possessive pronoun, creating a mismatch with the plural subject. Option B, "its'," is also incorrect as it implies a possessive form that doesn't apply here, and it is not a standard grammatical form. Option D, "there," is unrelated to possession and does not fit the context of the sentence.
In context, which of the following sentences would most effectively be placed immediately after sentence 10 (reproduced below)? Eventually my stubbornness paid off.
- A. Stubbornness seems to run in my family, since my brother is just as stubborn as I am.
- B. Stubborn people can achieve much success and satisfaction.
- C. I still like to juggle, even though I am no better at it now than I was in grade school.
- D. I became a pretty competent juggler and am now almost as skilled as my brother.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Option D seamlessly follows the statement about stubbornness, directly linking the trait to a tangible outcome: becoming a competent juggler. This connection emphasizes the payoff of stubbornness, reinforcing the idea that persistence leads to success. Option A, while mentioning family stubbornness, diverges from the personal achievement theme and lacks direct relevance to the juggling context. Option B generalizes about stubbornness without connecting to the narrator's specific experience. Option C shifts focus to juggling skills without addressing the outcome of stubbornness, making it less effective in this context.
Option D seamlessly follows the statement about stubbornness, directly linking the trait to a tangible outcome: becoming a competent juggler. This connection emphasizes the payoff of stubbornness, reinforcing the idea that persistence leads to success. Option A, while mentioning family stubbornness, diverges from the personal achievement theme and lacks direct relevance to the juggling context. Option B generalizes about stubbornness without connecting to the narrator's specific experience. Option C shifts focus to juggling skills without addressing the outcome of stubbornness, making it less effective in this context.
Which of the following is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 13 (reproduced below)? But hunters capable of successfully hunting either aggressive animal should prefer buffalo; since one reaps more food from a larger animal.
- A. (as it is now)
- B. buffalo: since
- C. buffalo,
- D. buffalo since
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Option B, "buffalo: since," effectively links the two independent clauses while maintaining clarity. The colon indicates that the second clause explains the reasoning behind the preference for buffalo, enhancing the flow of the sentence. Option A retains the original structure, which creates a comma splice, leading to grammatical confusion. Option C, "buffalo," uses a comma, which incorrectly separates the clauses and disrupts the logical connection between them. Option D, "buffalo since," lacks punctuation, making it less clear that the second part elaborates on the first, resulting in a run-on sentence. Thus, option B is the most precise and grammatically correct choice.
Option B, "buffalo: since," effectively links the two independent clauses while maintaining clarity. The colon indicates that the second clause explains the reasoning behind the preference for buffalo, enhancing the flow of the sentence. Option A retains the original structure, which creates a comma splice, leading to grammatical confusion. Option C, "buffalo," uses a comma, which incorrectly separates the clauses and disrupts the logical connection between them. Option D, "buffalo since," lacks punctuation, making it less clear that the second part elaborates on the first, resulting in a run-on sentence. Thus, option B is the most precise and grammatically correct choice.
Marco won a trophy each of the three times he competed in the junior tennis tournament, but still the first prize eluded him.
- A. eluded
- B. alluded
- C. elided
- D. allied
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
In this context, "eluded" means that the first prize was out of Marco's reach despite his successes, which fits the sentence perfectly. Option B, "alluded," refers to making an indirect reference, which does not apply here. Option C, "elided," means to omit or leave out, which does not convey the intended meaning of something being out of reach. Option D, "allied," means to join or unite, which is irrelevant in this context. Thus, "eluded" accurately captures the sense of a goal that remains unattained despite effort.
In this context, "eluded" means that the first prize was out of Marco's reach despite his successes, which fits the sentence perfectly. Option B, "alluded," refers to making an indirect reference, which does not apply here. Option C, "elided," means to omit or leave out, which does not convey the intended meaning of something being out of reach. Option D, "allied," means to join or unite, which is irrelevant in this context. Thus, "eluded" accurately captures the sense of a goal that remains unattained despite effort.