Extract:
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence?
Stu often regarded his roommates’ housekeeping as sloppy and careless.
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A
his
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B
hers
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C
them
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D
their
The word "their" best substitutes for "his roommates'" because the possessive pronoun must be plural to match the plural antecedent "roommates."
A) his
"His" is singular possessive, incorrect number to replace plural "roommates'." Pronoun number must match antecedent number.
B) hers
"Hers" is singular feminine possessive, incorrect number and gender to replace plural mixed-gender "roommates'."
C) them
"Them" is objective case pronoun, cannot function as possessive modifier before a noun. "Them housekeeping" creates ungrammatical construction lacking possessive form.
D) their
"Their" is plural possessive pronoun correctly replacing "roommates'" before the noun "housekeeping." Possessive pronouns modifying nouns require dependent possessive forms matching antecedent number.
Conclusion
Possessive pronouns modifying nouns require dependent forms ("my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," "their") matching antecedent number and gender. Plural antecedent "roommates" demands plural possessive "their" before the noun "housekeeping."