Question noveli

3.1 Boundaries - Parenthetical punctuation: commas, dashes, parentheses
0:00

Novelist Jane Austen greatly admired the work of Fanny Burney, a popular English author. In fact, scholars believe that a passage from the last chapter of Cecilia, a 1782 novel by Burney, likely inspired the title of one of blank Pride and Prejudice.

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

A.

Austen’s most famous novels,

B.

Austens’ most famous novels’,

C.

Austens most famous novels,

D.

Austen’s most famous novel’s,

Novelist Jane Austen greatly admired the work of Fanny Burney, a popular English author. In fact,

Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries — Parenthetical punctuation: commas, dashes, parentheses. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive proper noun "Austen’s" and the plural noun "novels" correctly indies that Austen wrote multiple novels that were famous.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive proper noun "Austen’s" and the plural noun "novels," not the plural possessive nouns "Austens’" and "novels’." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive proper noun "Austen’s," not the plural proper noun "Austens." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "novels," not the singular possessive noun "novel’s."