Explanation

The sentence is pretty straightforward.

Precedence : the fact of preceding in time; antedating.

X came first from who we thought indeed.

C is the best

What does sentence[assuming that the sentence is complete] below mean?
"The claim of _precedence_ could be made for Johnson himself"

Here the keyword to fill the blank is yet

Boswell biography of Samuel Johnson is the first ever made. yet , as it turns out the same thing we could say about Johnson himself as the author of a life of Richard Savage.

In this manner, we do have a precedence or antecedence.

Hope this helps

James Boswell`s Life of Samuel Johnson is generally thought to have established Boswell as the first great modern biographer;yet the claim of _____ could be made for Johnson himself as author of a life of Richard Savage.
A partisanship

B omniscience

C precedence

D opportunism

E perseverance

James Boswell`s Life of Samuel Johnson is generally thought to have established Boswell as the first great modern biographer, yet the claim of _____ could be made for Johnson himself as author of a life of Richard Savage.
A partisanship

B omniscience

C precedence

D opportunism

E perseverance

Merged similar topic.

The question is already discussed.

Regards

James Boswell`s Life of Samuel Johnson is generally thought to have established Boswell as the first great modern biographer;.yet the claim of _____ could be made for Johnson himself as author of a life of Richard Savage.

A. partisanship

B. omniscience

C. precedence

D. opportunism

E. perseverance

Merged similar topic.

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Regards

James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is generally thought to have established Boswell as the first great modern biographer; yet the claim of (i) _________ could be made for Johnson himself as author of a life of Richard Savage.

The phrase "is generally thought to have" assures us there will be a correction down the line. Thus we should be ready to be told that there was somebody else, other than Boswell, who was the first great modern biographer. We also have the word "yet" , which contradicts the previous idea, of Boswell being the first biographer, coming right after the semi-colon. And this semi-colon is followed by the statement that some kind of claim can be made for Johnson himself as author of a life or Richard Savage. Clearly, the claim must be of being the first biographer, earlier than Boswell himself, based on the logic already discussed. So the word for the blank should mean an earlier biographer, and the only word from the choice list that can convey that meaning is precedence. Hence choice C is the correct answer.
_________________

if -
X write something abt Y and acclaimed something good [first biographer]
and Y also write something about Z

then what will be the order of the writer ?
First Y wrote about Z, then X wrote about Y
that is happened in our question.

James Boswell's wrote biography of Samuel Johnson and was acclaimed as the first great modern biographer.
in the 2nd line - yet- makes the contrast
So we can tell – maybe his acclamation of first great modern biographer is not correct/true.

yet the claim of (i) _________ could be made for Johnson himself as author of a life of Richard Savage.

question is saying – that claim could be made for Johnson himself for writing – a life of Richard Savage

so James isn’t the first great modern biographer, before him, Johnson could be the first.

So clearly – we can assume – the blank is talking something about first position/order/ precedence

Answer
Precedence
_________________