PSAT Writing and Language Question 288: Answer and Explanation

Question: 288

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. their
• C. Joyce’s
• D. Homer’s

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

Difficulty: Medium

Getting to the Answer: The underlined pronoun is possessive, indicating that the "book" either belongs to or was written by someone. The antecedent is unclear, as the sentence previously refers to The Odyssey, written by Homer, and The Odyssey's "hero." However, the context indicates that the "book" referred to in this case is the "opposite" of The Odyssey, so it must be the book written by Joyce. Although you can logically determine the pronoun's antecedent, the writer should eliminate the grammatical ambiguity by using Joyce's name rather than a pronoun, so (C) is correct.