Deep within the cloud forests of Ecuador, a research team sought to locate the elusive *Dracula simia*, or monkey orchid. The expedition faced treacherous weather and steep terrain. Neither the experienced field guides nor the lead botanist, despite having spent decades documenting rare flora, was willing to risk their safety by scaling the crumbling limestone cliff to retrieve the single remaining specimen.
Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined word to ensure correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
- ANO CHANGE
- his or herAnswer
- Cits
- Done's
Answer
his or her
The correct choice is 'his or her' because the sentence features a compound subject connected by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor'. When antecedents of different numbers are joined this way, the pronoun must agree with the nearer antecedent. The noun closest to the pronoun is 'lead botanist', which is singular. Thus, a singular pronoun is required. Since 'lead botanist' refers to a person of unspecified gender, the phrase 'his or her' is grammatically correct and appropriate.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Correlative Conjunctions