I maintain that the property in question is …

Analyze the question The sentence is "I maintain that the property in question is ......". The blank comes at the end of the sentence, after the verb "is". We need the word that fits grammatically there.

Explain the concept Possessive words in English come in two forms:

• Possessive adjectives (my, our, their, your, his, her) must come before a noun, e.g. "my property."
• Possessive pronouns (mine, ours, theirs, yours, his, hers) stand alone and replace a noun phrase, e.g. "The property is mine."

Step-by-step solution

1. After "is", nothing follows the blank, so no noun comes after it.
2. That means we need a possessive pronoun, not a possessive adjective.
3. Check each option: • A. mine is a possessive pronoun, so it works. "I maintain that the property in question is mine." • B. our is an adjective and needs a noun after it, so it is wrong. (The correct pronoun would be "ours.") • C. my is an adjective and also needs a noun, so it is wrong. • D. their is an adjective and also needs a noun, so it is wrong. (The correct pronoun would be "theirs.")
4. The subject "I" also points to "mine," since the speaker is claiming the property for himself or herself.

Answer: A. mine

Tip: If the blank is at the end of the sentence with no noun after it, choose the pronoun form (mine, ours, theirs, yours). If a noun follows, use the adjective form (my, our, their, your).