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Difficulty: MediumPronoun Case and Person

A student is writing an essay about an astronomy club's observation night and has draft-edited the following sentence:

"When calibrating the new telescope, the club president reminded the members and I that if one wishes to capture clear images, you must maintain it's alignment."

Which choice best completes the sentence while maintaining proper pronoun case and person agreement?

  1. A
    I that if one wishes to capture clear images, you must maintain it's
  2. B
    me that if one wishes to capture clear images, you must maintain it's
  3. C
    I that if one wishes to capture clear images, one must maintain its
  4. me that if one wishes to capture clear images, one must maintain itsAnswer

Answer

The correct option uses the objective pronoun 'me' to complete the compound object of the verb 'reminded', maintains person consistency by keeping the third-person pronoun 'one' throughout the conditional clause, and uses the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify the noun 'alignment'.
The correct choice must address three separate grammar rules. First, it must use the objective case pronoun 'me' because it is part of the compound object of the transitive verb 'reminded'. Second, it must maintain a consistent third-person perspective by using the pronoun 'one' to match 'one wishes'. Third, it must use the possessive pronoun 'its' to modify 'alignment' rather than the contraction 'it's' (meaning 'it is'). Only the correct option resolves all three issues.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the correct pronoun case for the compound object of the verb 'reminded'.
The pronoun should be in the objective case ('me') rather than the subjective case ('I').
Because the pronoun acts as a direct object of the verb 'reminded', removing the other parts of the compound object ('reminded me') clarifies that the objective case is required.
2
Check the pronoun person consistency within the conditional clause.
The clause starts with the third-person pronoun 'one' ('if one wishes'), so the second half must also use 'one' ('one must') instead of shifting to 'you'.
Maintaining person consistency prevents confusing shifts in point of view.
3
Verify the correct homophone for the possessive modifier of 'alignment'.
Use the possessive pronoun 'its' rather than the contraction 'it's'.
The contraction 'it's' stands for 'it is', which does not make sense in the context of owning the alignment; the possessive form 'its' is required.

Key Concept

Pronoun Case, Person Consistency, and Homophone Distinction
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Topics

Pronoun Case and Person

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