During the evacuation, families hid their valuables inside hollow walls, but no one knew if _________ were secure.

4
writing

The underlined portion makes the sentence ambiguous. Replace it with the choice that best reduces that ambiguity.

A

they

B

these

C

the jewels

D

those

Correct Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. "The jewels" specifies what might be secure.

Choice A is incorrect because "they" is ambiguous and could refer to the families. Choice B is incorrect because "these" is vague. Choice D is incorrect because "those" is vague.