In _____ absence of comprehensive data and _____ presence of conflicting anecdotal evidence, policy decisions often rest on precarious assumptions.
Article Usage: Absence and Presence
The question requires filling two blanks in the sentence: "In _____ absence of comprehensive data and _____ presence of conflicting anecdotal evidence, policy decisions often rest on precarious assumptions." We need to select the correct articles ('a', 'an', 'the') for each blank.
First Blank: 'Absence'
The first blank precedes the word 'absence'. 'Absence' starts with a vowel sound. The article 'an' is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. In this context, "an absence" refers to a specific situation or instance of lacking something (comprehensive data).
Second Blank: 'Presence'
The second blank precedes the word 'presence'. 'Presence' starts with a consonant sound. However, the choice of article depends on specificity. Here, "the presence of conflicting anecdotal evidence" refers to a specific, contrasted situation. The definite article 'the' is used to denote specificity. It points to the particular presence of this conflicting evidence, contrasting it with the lack mentioned earlier.
Filled Sentence
Therefore, the correct articles are 'an' for the first blank and 'the' for the second blank. The completed sentence reads: "In an absence of comprehensive data and the presence of conflicting anecdotal evidence, policy decisions often rest on precarious assumptions."
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