Question 99·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
Revered for its luminous brushwork and haunting subjects, ______ has recently been reinterpreted by art historians as social commentary rather than mere aesthetic exercise.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentence-completion questions testing Standard English, first identify the grammatical role of the blank (subject, object, etc.) and any pronouns or verbs it must agree with. Then check that the option fits the sentence’s meaning and logic—especially with introductory modifiers like Revered for..., the noun right after the comma must be what is being described. Finally, scan for punctuation issues: choices that add stray commas or full clauses where a simple noun phrase is needed should be eliminated quickly. Plug each remaining choice into the sentence mentally and choose the one that is both grammatically correct and logically coherent.
Hints
Focus on what is being described
Ask yourself: what is revered for its luminous brushwork and haunting subjects? That thing must go in the blank and must match the pronoun its.
Check subject–verb agreement
Look at the verb phrase has recently been reinterpreted. The subject in the blank must be singular so that it agrees with has, not plural.
Look at punctuation and clause structure
The blank comes right before has recently been reinterpreted. The correct choice should be a simple noun phrase with no extra comma or new verb that would break the sentence structure.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure
The sentence begins with an introductory modifier: Revered for its luminous brushwork and haunting subjects, ______ has recently been reinterpreted...
This opening phrase must describe the noun that comes right after the comma. That same noun is also the subject of the verb has recently been reinterpreted and is referred to by the pronoun its.
Determine what kind of noun is needed
Because of the pronoun its and the verb has, the blank must be filled by a singular thing (not a person) that:
- Can logically have
luminous brushwork and haunting subjects(so, a work of art, not a person or an abstract idea), and - Can logically be
reinterpreted by art historians.
Keep this in mind as you evaluate each option.
Check each choice for grammar and meaning
Test each option in the sentence:
- If you insert an option and it makes the subject plural, conflicts with
has, or makesits luminous brushwork and haunting subjectsillogical, that option is wrong. - Also, be alert to whether the option is a simple noun phrase (which you need here) or a full clause with its own verb (which will not fit smoothly before
has recently been reinterpreted).
Eliminate any option that fails these checks.
Use punctuation and logic to select the correct answer
Notice that the sentence already has a comma after the introductory phrase. The word that fills the blank should go directly before has recently been reinterpreted with no additional comma inside the choice.
Only “James Whistler's series of nocturnes” is a singular noun phrase that:
- Can logically be revered for
its luminous brushwork and haunting subjects, - Is something art historians can reinterpret, and
- Does not add an extra comma.
Therefore, the correct answer is James Whistler's series of nocturnes.