Which of the following statements about the novels "Atonement", "The Sound and the Fury" and "White Teeth" are correct? 1. The author of the novel "Atonement" is Ian McEwan. 2. The author of the novel "The Sound and the Fury" is L. Ron Hubbard. 3. The author of the novel "White Teeth" is Zadie Smith.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests general knowledge of modern English literature, specifically the ability to correctly match well known novels with their authors. Competitive exams often include such questions to check how widely a candidate has read or followed literary culture. Here, the focus is on three influential novels: "Atonement", "The Sound and the Fury" and "White Teeth".

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1 links the novel "Atonement" with author Ian McEwan.
• Statement 2 links the novel "The Sound and the Fury" with author L. Ron Hubbard.
• Statement 3 links the novel "White Teeth" with author Zadie Smith.
• We have to identify which combination of these statements is correct.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is simple recall. You need to know the correct author for each novel and then compare that information with the three given statements. "Atonement" is a contemporary British novel, "The Sound and the Fury" is a classic of American modernism, and "White Teeth" is a famous debut novel dealing with immigration and multicultural London. Knowing their authors is part of standard literary general knowledge.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that "Atonement" was written by the British novelist Ian McEwan. Step 2: Check Statement 1: it says "Atonement" is by Ian McEwan, which is correct. Step 3: Recall that "The Sound and the Fury" was written by William Faulkner, not by L. Ron Hubbard. Step 4: Therefore Statement 2, which credits L. Ron Hubbard, is incorrect. Step 5: Recall that "White Teeth" is a novel by British author Zadie Smith. Step 6: Statement 3 correctly identifies Zadie Smith as the author, so Statement 3 is true. Step 7: Only Statements 1 and 3 are correct, so the right option is "1 and 3".

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify these facts quickly from any standard list of major twentieth and twenty first century novels. Ian McEwan is always listed as the author of "Atonement". William Faulkner is closely associated with Southern Gothic and modernist fiction, and "The Sound and the Fury" is one of his most famous works. Zadie Smith is well known for "White Teeth", which brought her international recognition. Cross checking these details confirms that only the first and third statements are accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option "1 and 2" is wrong because Statement 2 is incorrect. "The Sound and the Fury" is not by L. Ron Hubbard.
• Option "2 and 3" is wrong because Statement 2 is incorrect even though Statement 3 is correct.
• Option "1, 2 and 3" is wrong because it treats all three statements as true, but Statement 2 is clearly false.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse classic American authors and may not distinguish William Faulkner from other writers. Another common mistake is to accept unfamiliar pairings like L. Ron Hubbard with a famous literary novel simply because the name looks familiar. It is also easy to rush and tick "all of the above" without carefully checking each statement. Taking a moment to recall each novel's author individually reduces this risk.

Final Answer:
The only correct combination is 1 and 3, because Ian McEwan wrote "Atonement" and Zadie Smith wrote "White Teeth", while "The Sound and the Fury" was actually written by William Faulkner, not L. Ron Hubbard.