Question 40·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Demographer Ellen Ritchie predicted that the city's population would increase steadily over the next decade, but her subsequent report showed that ______ projections were overly optimistic.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For pronoun and possessive questions, first identify what the pronoun refers to (its antecedent), then decide the pronoun’s job in the sentence: is it the subject (she), an object (her), a possessive before a noun (her, their), or a possessive that stands alone (hers, theirs)? Check that the choice matches the antecedent in number and type (person vs. thing) and avoid contractions like "she's" or "it's" in formal sentences unless the meaning truly requires "is" or "has."
Hints
Look at the word after the blank
Focus on the word that comes immediately after the blank: how does that affect what kind of word you need in the blank?
Think about possession vs. contraction
Two of the options use or suggest apostrophes. Ask yourself: should the sentence say something like "she is" or "she has," or should it show ownership of the projections?
Match the pronoun to Ellen Ritchie
The pronoun in the blank must refer back to Ellen Ritchie. Which options are used for people, and which for things? And among those for people, which one can go right before a noun?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentence is saying
The sentence contrasts Ellen Ritchie's prediction with what actually happened: her later report showed that some projections were too optimistic. The blank describes whose projections they were.
Identify the grammatical role of the blank
Look at the word right after the blank: "projections." This tells you the blank must be a word that shows ownership/possession and directly modifies a noun (a possessive adjective), as in "my projections," "their projections," etc.
Match the pronoun to the antecedent
The owner of the projections is "Demographer Ellen Ritchie," a singular human female. So the word in the blank must be singular, possessive, and able to modify a noun referring back to a person.
Check each answer choice’s form and meaning
A) "she's" is a contraction of "she is" or "she has," which cannot directly modify a noun like "projections." B) "hers" is a possessive pronoun that stands alone ("This is hers") and is not used right before a noun. C) "its" is a possessive form for a nonhuman thing, not a person. D) "her" is the correct possessive adjective for a female person and fits naturally before the noun: "her projections."