PSAT Writing and Language Question 199: Answer and Explanation

Question: 199

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. an
• C. its
• D. that

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

Difficulty: Medium

Category: Agreement: Pronouns

Getting to the Answer: Recall that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent, or the word to which it refers. Begin by identifying the antecedent of the pronoun. Then, check each choice against the antecedent to find the best match. The antecedent for the pronoun "their" is "this phenomenon," which appears in the main clause. The antecedent and its pronoun do not currently agree as "this phenomenon" is singular and "their" is plural. Although the "s" in "Lights" implies many lights, it is still considered a singular phenomenon and so requires a singular pronoun. Choice (C) is the correct answer.