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Difficulty: HardPronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Although the board of directors debated the corporate restructuring proposal for hours, neither of the executive factions was willing to compromise on their demands.

Which of the following choices is the grammatically correct replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. itsAnswer
  3. C
    it's
  4. D
    they're

Answer

The correct option is the singular possessive pronoun 'its,' which properly agrees with the singular antecedent 'neither' and serves as the possessive modifier for 'demands.'
The singular indefinite pronoun 'neither' is the true grammatical antecedent in this sentence. Even though it is followed by the plural phrase 'of the executive factions,' the pronoun must remain singular. The word 'its' is the correct singular possessive pronoun needed to modify the noun 'demands.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the pronoun being tested and identify its antecedent in the sentence.
The underlined pronoun refers back to the subject phrase 'neither of the executive factions.' The head of this phrase is the indefinite pronoun 'neither.'
Pronouns must agree in number, gender, and person with their grammatical antecedents.
2
Determine the grammatical number of the antecedent.
The indefinite pronoun 'neither' is singular. The plural noun 'factions' is part of an intervening prepositional phrase ('of the executive factions') and does not dictate the number of the pronoun.
Identifying the true singular antecedent prevents agreement errors caused by intervening plural nouns.
3
Eliminate grammatically incorrect options based on number and word function.
Eliminate the plural possessive pronoun 'their' (represented by NO CHANGE) and the plural contraction 'they're.' Next, differentiate between the singular possessive pronoun 'its' and the contraction 'it's' (it is). The sentence requires a possessive modifier for 'demands,' making 'its' the correct choice.
Choosing the correct form requires recognizing both agreement rules and homophone distinctions.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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