Question 104·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Shakespeare’s King Lear is often studied scene by scene, but a new edition presents the tragic narrative as a series of _____ title character, an innovative structure that emphasizes Lear’s gradual descent into madness.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For this type of Standard English conventions question, read the whole sentence and identify the grammatical role of the missing phrase (here, it’s the object of "series of" and a modifying phrase about the title character). Then systematically check each option for (1) correct singular/plural agreement, especially after patterns like "a series of," and (2) correct possessive forms and apostrophe placement based on how many of the noun there are. Eliminate any option that violates number agreement or misuses apostrophes, and only then pick from what’s left.
Hints
Check the word after "series of"
Focus on the phrase "a series of ___." Should the noun right after "of" be singular or plural in standard usage?
Think about how many plays are mentioned
The sentence names King Lear. Is that one play or more than one? How should that affect where the apostrophe goes on "play"?
Pay attention to apostrophes
Look at how "monologue’s" and "play’s/plays’" use apostrophes. Ask yourself: are we showing possession, forming a contraction, or just using a regular plural noun?
Use meaning plus grammar
Ask: Does it make sense that there would be multiple speeches? And is the title character from one play or from several plays? Let those answers guide your choice of plural vs. possessive forms.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Focus on the core phrase: "presents the tragic narrative as a series of _____ title character."
We are completing the blank so the sentence reads smoothly and grammatically. The words in the options all follow this pattern:
- monologue(s) + delivered by the play(’s / s’) title character.
So we must decide:
- Should monologue be singular or plural?
- Should play be singular possessive (play’s) or plural possessive (plays’)?
Decide on singular vs. plural: monologue or monologues
Look at the phrase "a series of ___".
In standard English, after "a series of," we normally use a plural noun:
- a series of books
- a series of lectures
- a series of episodes
So here, we want "a series of monologues," not "a series of monologue". That means the correct answer must use monologues (plural), not monologue’s (which is singular + apostrophe).
Decide on the correct possessive form: play’s or plays’
Now focus on the second part: "delivered by the play’s/plays’ title character."
Ask: Is there one play or multiple plays?
- The sentence talks about Shakespeare’s King Lear, which is one play.
For one play owning something (its title character), we use the singular possessive:
- play’s title character = the title character of the play
The form plays’ (apostrophe after s) would mean more than one play sharing the same title character, which does not match the context of a single play, King Lear. So we need play’s, not plays’.
Match both requirements to pick the answer
We have two grammatical needs:
- After "a series of," we need a plural noun → monologues.
- For one play (King Lear), we need a singular possessive → the play’s title character.
The only choice that has both monologues and the play’s is:
D) monologues delivered by the play’s.
So the completed sentence is:
“…presents the tragic narrative as a series of monologues delivered by the play’s title character, an innovative structure that emphasizes Lear’s gradual descent into madness.”