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Question

Difficulty: HardPronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Read the sentence below carefully:

'Professor Okon is undeniably one of those dedicated environmental scientists who refuse to compromise _____ professional integrity despite intense political pressure.'

Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence in accordance with formal rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement?

  1. A
    his
  2. theirAnswer
  3. C
    his or her
  4. D
    its

Answer

their
In complex sentences using the structure 'one of those [plural noun] who...', the relative pronoun 'who' takes the plural noun immediately preceding it ('environmental scientists') as its antecedent. Because 'scientists' is plural, the possessive pronoun that refers back to it inside the relative clause must also be plural. Therefore, 'their' is the only syntactically correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause containing the blank and locate its relative pronoun subject.
The blank occurs inside the relative clause 'who refuse to compromise _____ professional integrity'. The relative pronoun is 'who'.
Determining the subject of the clause establishes where the antecedent originates.
2
Trace the antecedent of the relative pronoun 'who'.
In the construction 'one of those [plural noun] who...', the relative pronoun 'who' refers to the plural head noun 'environmental scientists', not the singular subject 'Professor Okon'.
Professor Okon belongs to a group of scientists, and that entire group of scientists refuses to compromise.
3
Select the pronoun that matches the plural antecedent in number and person.
Since 'environmental scientists' is a third-person plural noun, the third-person plural possessive pronoun 'their' must be used.
Formal pronoun-antecedent agreement requires strict alignment in number (plural) between the antecedent and the corresponding possessive pronoun.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement in Relative Clauses Following 'One of those... who'
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Pronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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