In 1989, Missouri________ official fossil: the Eperisocrinus missouriensis, which is a Carboniferous period marine animal.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: "Missouri __ official fossil." Two words need assessment: "lawmakers" (plural subject, no ownership) and "state's" (the state owns the fossil — singular possessive needed).
Answer: B) lawmakers designated the state's
Why? "Lawmakers" = plain plural subject (multiple people, no ownership). "State's" = singular possessive (the fossil belongs to the state).
Traps:
- A) lawmaker's designated the states → wrongly possessivizes the subject; makes "state" a plain plural with no ownership
- C) lawmaker's designated the state's → wrongly possessivizes "lawmaker"; the lawmakers don't own anything
- D) lawmakers designated the states → correct plural subject but missing possessive on "state"