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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

50 questions

All types50Multiple choice26Fill in the blank24
Question 41Question →

Neither the chief executive officer nor the board members would discuss its views on the upcoming merger during the press conference.

Which choice best replaces the underlined portion to ensure correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?

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Answer: their

Answer

their
The correct pronoun is 'their' because it is plural and possessive, which properly agrees with the plural antecedent 'board members'—the noun closer to the pronoun in the compound subject joined by 'nor'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the underlined pronoun.
The pronoun refers to the compound subject joined by 'nor': 'Neither the chief executive officer nor the board members'.
Determining the noun or nouns being replaced is the first step in establishing agreement.
2
Apply the proximity rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'.
The pronoun must agree in number with the closer antecedent, which is 'board members' (plural).
Standard grammar rules dictate that when parts of a compound subject are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the pronoun agrees with the nearest noun.
3
Select the possessive pronoun that matches the required number.
The plural possessive pronoun is 'their'.
A plural possessive pronoun is required to show possession for the plural noun 'board members'.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Compound Subjects
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 42Question →

Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence below to ensure proper pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Fill in the blanks below

The council of neighborhood representatives voiced unanimous opposition to the proposed zoning changes during the municipal hearing.
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Answer

its
The pronoun refers to the collective noun 'council.' Because the members of the council are acting together as a single unit to voice a unanimous decision, the noun is singular and requires the singular possessive pronoun 'its' for correct agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun.
The antecedent is the noun phrase 'The council of neighborhood representatives.'
To ensure correct agreement, the pronoun must match the noun phrase it replaces or refers back to.
2
Determine if the collective noun 'council' is singular or plural in this context.
The council is acting as a single, unified group (indicated by the word 'unanimous'). Therefore, it functions as a singular noun.
Collective nouns take singular pronouns when the group acts as a single unit.
3
Select the correct possessive pronoun that matches the singular antecedent.
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' is selected.
Using 'its' ensures proper pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Question 43Question →

Which choice is the correct replacement for the underlined portion in the sentence below?

After weeks of intense negotiations, the delegation of international diplomats finally presented their draft of the treaty to the General Assembly.

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Answer: its

Answer

its
The correct option is the singular possessive pronoun 'its'. The antecedent is 'delegation', which is a singular collective noun. Although the plural noun 'diplomats' appears in the intervening prepositional phrase 'of international diplomats', the head of the subject noun phrase is 'delegation', which is singular. Thus, the singular possessive pronoun 'its' is required to agree with it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the underlined pronoun in the sentence.
The pronoun refers to the 'delegation' of international diplomats.
To ensure correct pronoun-antecedent agreement, we must first determine the noun or noun phrase that the pronoun is replacing or referring to.
2
Determine the number (singular or plural) of the antecedent.
The noun 'delegation' is a collective noun acting as a single unit, which makes it singular. The plural noun 'diplomats' is inside the prepositional phrase 'of international diplomats' and does not affect the number of the head noun 'delegation'.
Intervening prepositional phrases often contain nouns of a different number, so we must isolate the true head noun to determine agreement.
3
Select the correct pronoun that is singular and possessive to fit the context.
The singular possessive pronoun is 'its'. We must avoid contractions like 'it's' and plural forms like 'their' or 'they're'.
The sentence requires a possessive pronoun to modify 'draft'. Choosing 'its' ensures agreement in number and avoids confusion with contractions.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 44Question →

Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence below to ensure proper pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Fill in the blanks below

Although the scientific coalition of climate researchers published a unified statement, each of the individual member organizations retained right to release independent data.
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Answer

its
The singular indefinite pronoun 'each' acts as the subject and antecedent of the clause. Therefore, the singular possessive pronoun 'its' is required to maintain correct agreement. The plural noun 'organizations' is part of an intervening prepositional phrase and does not affect the number of the pronoun.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun to be filled in the blank.
The antecedent is the singular indefinite pronoun 'each'.
In the clause 'each of the individual member organizations retained...', the grammatical subject and antecedent is 'each', not the plural noun 'organizations' which is the object of the preposition.
2
Select a pronoun that matches the singular number and neutral gender of the antecedent.
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' is correct.
Because 'each' is a singular indefinite pronoun referring to neutral organizations, the possessive pronoun must be 'its'.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Question 45Question →

A colony of leafcutter ants can carry leaves many times their own body weight, demonstrating a remarkable feat of collective strength.

Which choice is the correct replacement for the underlined portion?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: its

Answer

The singular possessive pronoun 'its' correctly agrees in number with the singular collective noun antecedent 'colony'.
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' correctly matches the singular collective noun antecedent 'colony'. The intervening prepositional phrase 'of leafcutter ants' contains a plural noun but does not change the singular nature of the main antecedent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pronoun's antecedent in the sentence.
The antecedent is the collective noun 'colony'.
The pronoun refers to the singular 'colony' as a single unit performing the action, rather than the individual 'ants' in the intervening prepositional phrase 'of leafcutter ants'.
2
Determine the grammatical number of the collective noun antecedent.
The noun 'colony' is singular.
In standard English, collective nouns representing a single group acting in unison are treated as singular.
3
Select the pronoun that is singular, possessive, and spelled correctly.
The correct choice is 'its'.
The word 'its' is the singular possessive pronoun. The spelling 'it's' is a contraction meaning 'it is' or 'it has', which does not fit grammatically.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Question 46Question →

Neither of the two prototype drones has their navigation system fully calibrated for night flights.

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

Show answer & explanation

Answer: its

Answer

The correct pronoun to replace the underlined portion is the singular possessive pronoun 'its' because it agrees in number with the singular indefinite pronoun antecedent 'neither'.
The indefinite pronoun 'neither' is singular and requires a singular possessive pronoun to agree with it. Since the drones are inanimate objects, the singular possessive pronoun 'its' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in the sentence.
The pronoun refers back to the subject 'Neither'.
Determining the true antecedent is necessary to ensure agreement in number.
2
Determine if the antecedent is singular or plural.
The indefinite pronoun 'neither' is grammatically singular, even though it is followed by the plural prepositional phrase 'of the two prototype drones'.
Intervening prepositional phrases do not change the number of the subject/antecedent.
3
Select the correct singular possessive pronoun for an inanimate object.
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' is the correct form, whereas 'it's' is a contraction and 'their' is plural.
This maintains pronoun-antecedent agreement while using the correct word form.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Question 47Question →

Read the sentence below and fill in the blank with the pronoun that correctly agrees with its antecedent.

Fill in the blanks below

The network of regional offices submitted quarterly financial report to the corporate headquarters ahead of schedule.
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Answer

its
The pronoun 'its' is correct because the singular head noun of the subject is 'network'. The prepositional phrase 'of regional offices' modifies the noun but does not affect its grammatical singular number.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the pronoun to be placed in the blank.
The antecedent is the noun phrase 'The network of regional offices'. The head noun of this phrase is 'network', which is singular.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement requires the pronoun to agree in number with the head noun of the subject, not with the noun inside the modifying prepositional phrase.
2
Determine the correct possessive pronoun form that is singular.
The singular possessive pronoun is 'its'.
Since the antecedent 'network' is singular and acts as an inanimate entity, the singular possessive pronoun 'its' is required to show possession of the report.

Key Concept

A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent. In sentences where a prepositional phrase with a plural noun (like 'of regional offices') separates the singular head noun ('network') from the pronoun, the pronoun must still agree with the singular head noun.
Question 48Question →

In the passage below, which option correctly replaces the underlined pronoun to ensure proper pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Although the municipal transit authority expected a major delay due to road construction, the fleet of electric delivery vehicles completed their scheduled routes through the downtown district on time.

Show answer & explanation

Answer: its

Answer

The correct option is 'its' because it is the singular possessive pronoun that matches the singular collective noun antecedent 'fleet.'
The correct option is 'its' because the pronoun refers to 'the fleet,' which is a singular collective noun. A singular neuter noun requires the singular possessive pronoun 'its' to achieve grammatical agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pronoun to be tested and trace back to find its logical antecedent.
The underlined pronoun is 'their,' and it refers back to 'the fleet of electric delivery vehicles.'
To ensure correct agreement, we must find the noun that the pronoun represents.
2
Determine the grammatical number of the antecedent, ignoring any intervening prepositional phrases.
The core noun is the collective noun 'fleet,' which is singular. The plural noun 'vehicles' is part of the prepositional phrase 'of electric delivery vehicles' and does not affect the number of the antecedent.
Pronouns must agree in number with the head noun of the noun phrase, not with objects of prepositions.
3
Select the correct possessive pronoun that is singular and neuter to match 'fleet.'
The singular possessive pronoun is 'its.'
This establishes grammatical agreement without introducing spelling or contraction errors.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Question 49Question →

Complete the following sentence by writing the possessive pronoun that correctly agrees with its antecedent in the blank space.

Fill in the blanks below

The local historical society, despite facing budget cuts and administrative turnover, decided to host annual heritage festival in the autumn rather than in the spring.
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Answer

its
The correct pronoun is 'its' because the antecedent is the singular collective noun 'society'. The sentence refers to the annual heritage festival belonging to the historical society, which acts as a single, unified entity. Therefore, a singular possessive pronoun is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the missing pronoun.
The antecedent is 'The local historical society'.
The pronoun refers back to the organization that is hosting the festival.
2
Determine the grammatical number and gender of the antecedent.
The noun 'society' is a singular collective noun and is neuter (non-human).
A collective noun acting as a single unit is grammatically singular, and it refers to an organization, not a person.
3
Select the correct possessive pronoun that agrees with the singular, neuter antecedent.
The singular, neuter possessive pronoun is 'its'.
Pronouns must agree in number and gender with their antecedents. Plural pronouns like 'their' or human pronouns like 'his' or 'her' are incorrect.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Question 50Question →

The following sentence is missing a pronoun. To ensure grammatically correct pronoun-antecedent agreement, what word should be placed in the blank?

Fill in the blanks below

Although the research team expected the cluster of stars to drift together, each of the stellar bodies in the outer ring has maintained independent trajectory.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

its
The correct answer is the singular possessive pronoun 'its.' In the sentence, the pronoun must refer back to its antecedent. The subject of the clause is the singular indefinite pronoun 'each.' Although the intervening prepositional phrase 'of the stellar bodies in the outer ring' contains the plural noun 'bodies,' the pronoun must agree in number with the actual subject 'each.' Since 'each' is singular and refers to an inanimate object, the singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the missing pronoun.
The subject and antecedent of the clause containing the blank is the singular indefinite pronoun 'each.'
The prepositional phrase 'of the stellar bodies in the outer ring' contains plural nouns but functions only as a modifier, not as the grammatical subject of the clause.
2
Determine the grammatical number of the antecedent.
The pronoun 'each' is singular, which is also confirmed by the singular verb 'has maintained.'
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each' are always singular in standard formal English.
3
Select the correct pronoun that matches the antecedent in number and gender.
The singular possessive pronoun 'its' is selected.
Because 'each' is singular and refers to inanimate stellar bodies, the singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' must be used to agree with it.

Key Concept

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