Question french
French philosopher René Descartes doubted whether he could prove his own existence. Eventually, he found proof in his famous phrase “we think, therefore we am.” The blank complexity: only those who exist would be able to ponder their existence.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
phrases’ simplicity masks its
phrases simplicity masks their
phrase’s simplicity masks their
phrase’s simplicity masks its
French philosopher René Descartes doubted whether he could prove his own existence. Eventually, he found proof
Hard-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense — Modifier placement and clarity. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice D is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of possessive nouns and the use of possessive determiners. The singular possessive noun "phrase’s" correctly indies that there is only one simple phrase. The singular possessive determiner "its" agrees in number with the singular possessive noun "phrase’s," reinforcing the idea that there is only one simple yet complex phrase.
Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "phrase’s," not the plural possessive noun "phrases’." Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "phrase’s" and the corresponding singular possessive determiner "its," not the plural noun "phrases" and the corresponding plural possessive determiner "their." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive determiner "its," not the plural possessive determiner "their."
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