Based on recent box office receipts

[ujjavalgupta]

Source: Manhattan Test.

Based on recent box office receipts, the public's appetite for documentary films, like nonfiction books, seems to be on the rise.

A) like nonfiction books
B) as nonfiction books
C) as its interest in nonfiction books
D) like their interest in nonfiction books
E) like its interest in nonfiction books

My Doubt is Pronoun Reference.
As per Manhattan GMAT Prep (Page 82) says that Possesive pronouns are poor antecedents. We must take out the noun from Possesive case in order to be refered by any other pronoun.
Here, "its" refer to Public in Public's.

the public's appetite for documentary films,like its interest in nonfiction books

However, it has also been mentioned that this rule is avoided by GMAT and should not be considered as Make and Break rule.

I am confused by Possesive pronoun reference after solving this question.
Please Help Me....

Thanks

[K. Ali]

I also have a problem in this SC question.
For me, "like its interest in nonfiction books" is wordy and I'm not sure why it is correct.

Someone from Manhattan Staff, please reply

[tim]

"wordy" is not a good reason to get rid of an answer choice. you should only use this as a last resort after all other grammar and meaning options have failed. as for the question about pronouns, i'm not entirely sure what the confusion is. our book explains exactly what the deal is with possessive pronouns, so if you can be more clear about what you found confusing after reading the book we can certainly help..

[harshul.lilani]

Hi Tim
I am having problem with accepting option (e) as the right answer
as far as i have gathered knowledge by solving OG13 - 'its' cannot refer back to ' public's ' (had it been 'the appetite of public' ,the use of 'its' would have been fine).Please clear the confusion.

[RonPurewal]

Hi Tim
I am having problem with accepting option (e) as the right answer
as far as i have gathered knowledge by solving OG13 - 'its' cannot refer back to ' public's ' (had it been 'the appetite of public' ,the use of 'its' would have been fine).Please clear the confusion.

"its" can certainly refer to "the public('s)". if you think you've found counterevidence in the OG, then you must have misunderstood something in the OG.

this problem does, however, misuse "based on...". (it's not an issue in solving the problem, because it's not in the underline ... but it's still used incorrectly.) i'll submit that for correction.

[NaiwuH656]

My question is the same which quoted as below:

""My Doubt is Pronoun Reference
As per Manhattan GMAT Prep (Page 82) says that Possesive pronouns are poor antecedents. We must take out the noun from Possesive case in order to be refered by any other pronoun.
Here, "its" refer to Public in Public's.""

I am pretty sure these is a rule saying that the antecedent cannot be the noun that modify another noun.... but here, "its" refer to "Public" which modify "interest"

[RonPurewal]

there is no problem at all with a possessive pronoun that has a possessive antecedent. in fact, this kind of situation is VERY common. for instance, it will occur in pretty much any sentence that compares two things belonging to the same entity:
Mary's sons are older than her daughters.
California's roads are still in disrepair, but its air has gotten much cleaner over the past two decades.

[RonPurewal]

...and, since this query is about an item from an MPrep book, this is the wrong folder. so this thread is now locked. (there is a separate folder for all MPrep items other than CAT exam questions.)