What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The coats hanging on the hooks are the patients'.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The word 'their' is the correct possessive pronoun to use in this sentence because it indicates that the coats belong to multiple patients. 'Their' shows ownership by a plural group, which is the most suitable choice in this context. Choice A, 'his,' is singular and would imply that all the coats belong to one male patient, which is not the case. Choice C, 'them,' is a pronoun used for indicating objects or people and not possession. Choice D, 'theirs,' is a possessive pronoun but is used to refer to something that belongs to multiple people, not in this case where the coats belong to the patients.
Nokea