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Question

Difficulty: HardPronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Each student in the seminar, along with the professor, submitted their final research paper to the department head.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion of the sentence to ensure proper pronoun-antecedent agreement?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. his or herAnswer
  3. C
    him or them
  4. D
    they're

Answer

The correct answer is the singular possessive pronoun phrase 'his or her' because it agrees in number with the singular antecedent 'Each student'.
The correct option is 'his or her' because the antecedent of the pronoun is 'Each student,' which is singular. Although the phrase 'along with the professor' introduces another person, it is an intervening prepositional phrase and does not change the singular subject to plural. Therefore, a singular possessive pronoun is required. Since the gender of the student is unspecified, 'his or her' is grammatically correct and appropriate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in the sentence.
The subject and antecedent is 'Each student'. The phrase 'along with the professor' is an intervening prepositional phrase and does not make the subject plural.
Finding the true antecedent is necessary to determine the correct pronoun agreement.
2
Determine the grammatical number of the antecedent.
The indefinite pronoun 'Each' is grammatically singular.
Grammatical number determines whether the pronoun must be singular or plural.
3
Select the pronoun that matches the antecedent in number and case.
The pronoun must show possession over 'final research paper', requiring a singular possessive form. The phrase 'his or her' is singular and possessive, which fits the context.
A singular possessive pronoun is required to agree with a singular antecedent and function correctly in the sentence.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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