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Question

Difficulty: MediumPronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the correct pronoun that maintains proper pronoun-antecedent agreement in standard formal English.

Answer:Neither of the two female astrophysicists brought 【her】 own telescope to the observational site.

Answer

her
The correct answer is 'her' because the indefinite pronoun 'neither' acts as a singular antecedent. Since the context specifies 'female astrophysicists', the singular feminine possessive pronoun 'her' is syntactically required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical antecedent in the subject phrase.
The grammatical antecedent is the singular indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
In formal English, when 'neither' introduces a phrase such as 'neither of the...', it functions as a singular subject.
2
Determine the gender and number required for the possessive pronoun.
The required pronoun must be singular (matching 'neither') and feminine (matching 'female astrophysicists').
Since the modifying prepositional phrase specifies female individuals, the singular pronoun must take the feminine form.
3
Select the correct possessive form.
The correct form is the singular feminine possessive pronoun 'her'.
Using a plural pronoun creates a pronoun-antecedent number disagreement in formal writing.

Key Concept

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

Pronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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