Question 65·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Although the novel’s early chapters unfold at a leisurely pace, the plot soon accelerates, and by the midpoint _____ suspense rivals that of a high-stakes thriller.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For pronoun and possessive questions like this, first identify what the pronoun refers to and whether it should show ownership (possessive) or act like a subject/verb (often a contraction). Quickly test contractions by expanding them ("it's" → "it is"), and if the sentence becomes ungrammatical, rule them out. Then check number agreement—singular vs. plural—between the pronoun and its noun (antecedent). This combination of meaning (ownership), form (possessive vs. contraction), and number (singular/plural) usually lets you eliminate three options quickly and choose the one that fits all requirements.
Hints
Look at the word after the blank
Focus on the phrase starting at the blank: "_____ suspense rivals that of a high-stakes thriller." What kind of word usually comes right before a noun like "suspense"?
Check for contractions
Two of the options are contractions. Try reading the sentence by expanding them to "it is" or "they are" and see if the sentence still makes sense.
Think about ownership and number
The sentence talks about a single novel and its plot. Ask: do we need a word that shows belonging to one thing or to multiple things?
Match the pronoun to its noun
Identify what the blank refers back to (the novel or the plot) and choose the pronoun form that correctly matches that noun in both number (singular/plural) and form (possessive vs. contraction).
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence meaning
Read the full sentence and get the idea:
"Although the novel’s early chapters unfold at a leisurely pace, the plot soon accelerates, and by the midpoint _____ suspense rivals that of a high-stakes thriller."
The sentence is saying that as the plot speeds up, the level of suspense becomes as strong as in a high-stakes thriller.
Decide what kind of word is needed
Look at the word right after the blank: "suspense."
The blank is directly before a noun, so we likely need a word that shows who or what the suspense belongs to (a possessive), not a standalone subject or verb.
Eliminate contractions that don’t fit
Two answer choices are contractions:
- "it's" = "it is" or "it has"
- "they're" = "they are"
Plug them in:
- "by the midpoint it is suspense rivals ..." (does not make sense)
- "by the midpoint they are suspense rivals ..." (also does not make sense)
So the blank should not be a contraction; we need a possessive form instead.
Match number and possession
The suspense belongs to the story (the novel/plot), which is singular. So we need a singular possessive pronoun before "suspense."
Among the remaining choices:
- "their" is a plural possessive (for "they")
- "its" is a singular possessive (for "it")
Therefore, the correct choice is B) its, giving:
"...the plot soon accelerates, and by the midpoint its suspense rivals that of a high-stakes thriller."