Noun–Pronoun Agreement
Which sentence uses correct noun–pronoun agreement?
A. The students submitted his assignments before the deadline.
B. The students submitted their assignments before the deadline.
C. The students submitted its assignments before the deadline.
D. The students submitted her assignments before the deadline.
B
Students is plural, so the corresponding possessive pronoun is their.
The landlord looked (angry, angrily) at the tenants after discovering the damage.
A. angry
B. angrily
B
Angrily is an adverb modifying the action verb looked. Compare: The landlord looked angry (appeared angry), where looked is a linking verb.
The editor, along with three reporters, (was, were) attending the press conference.
A. was
B. were
A
The subject is the singular noun editor. The phrase along with three reporters does not change the number of the subject.
Which sentence correctly follows AP style for academic degrees?
A. She earned a Master's degree in Political Science.
B. She earned a master's degree in political science.
C. She earned a Masters Degree in political science.
D. She earned a master's degree in Political Science.
B
AP style uses master's degree, with an apostrophe and lowercase letters. General academic subjects such as political science are also lowercase.
You could get into a movie then for the sum of 25 cents.
You could get into a movie then for 25 cents.
Which sentence uses correct noun–pronoun agreement?
A. The company announced their new policy on Monday.
B. The company announced its new policy on Monday.
C. The company announced they're new policy on Monday.
D. The company announced it's new policy on Monday.
B
Company is a singular collective noun, so its is appropriate.
The reporter felt (bad, badly) about publishing the inaccurate information.
A. bad
B. badly
A
Felt is a linking verb describing the reporter's emotional state, so it takes the adjective bad. Felt badly would refer to impaired physical sensation.
Shelly Anderson, as well as Jones and (we, us), (was, were) late today.
A. we; was
B. us; were
C. us; was
D. we; were
C
Us is the object of the preposition-like expression as well as. The singular subject Shelly Anderson takes was.
Which sentence correctly follows AP style for street addresses?
A. The accident occurred at 125 Main Street.
B. The accident occurred at 125 Main St.
C. The accident occurred on Main St.
D. The accident occurred at 125 main St.
B
Abbreviate Street to St. when used with a numbered address. Spell it out without a number, as in Main Street.
The meeting, which was held last night, began at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building.
Last night’s meeting began at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building.
Which sentence correctly agrees with a compound antecedent?
A. Neither the reporters nor the editor submitted their final draft.
B. Neither the reporters nor the editor submitted its final draft.
C. Neither the reporters nor the editor submitted the editor's final draft.
D. Neither the reporters nor the editor submitted his or her final draft.
D
Under traditional formal agreement rules, with neither ... nor, the pronoun agrees with the nearer singular antecedent, editor.
The witness spoke (confident, confidently), but her explanation sounded (suspicious, suspiciously).
A. confident; suspicious
B. confidently; suspiciously
C. confidently; suspicious
D. confident; suspiciously
C
Confidently modifies the action verb spoke. Suspicious describes the explanation after the linking verb sounded.
Neither the reporters nor the editor (was, were) satisfied with the final version of the story.
A. was
B. were
A
neither ... nor, the verb generally agrees with the subject closer to it. Editor is singular, so was is correct.
Which sentence correctly follows AP style for ages and decades?
A. The 25-year-old journalist began her career in the 1990's.
B. The 25 year old journalist began her career in the 1990s.
C. The 25-year-old journalist began her career in the 1990s.
D. The 25 years old journalist began her career in the 1990s.
C
Hyphenate an age used before a noun, and write decades such as 1990s without an apostrophe.
The company is engaged in the construction of several motels.
The company is building several motels.
Which sentence correctly maintains pronoun agreement?
A. Each of the journalists must submit their article before publication.
B. Each of the journalists must submit its article before publication.
C. Each of the journalists must submit they article before publication.
D. Each of the journalists must submit them article before publication.
A
Each is grammatically singular, but singular they/their is widely accepted in contemporary English when gender is unspecified.
Of the three candidates, the incumbent performed (better, best) in the debate, although she answered the final question (poor, poorly).
A. better; poorly
B. best; poor
C. best; poorly
D. better; poor
C
Best is the superlative form for comparing three or more candidates. Poorly is an adverb modifying the action verb answered.
The number of complaints submitted by residents (has, have) increased, but a number of officials (has, have) questioned the findings.
A. has; has
B. have; have
C. has; have
D. have; has
C
The number of takes a singular verb because it refers to one total. A number of takes a plural verb because it refers to multiple officials.
Which sentence correctly follows AP style for titles and political offices?
A. President Maria Lopez met with former President Daniel Reed.
B. President Maria Lopez met with former president Daniel Reed.
C. president Maria Lopez met with former President Daniel Reed.
D. President Maria Lopez met with Former President Daniel Reed
B
Capitalize President immediately before a name when it is a formal title. Lowercase former and the title following it, as in former president Daniel Reed.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was obvious there was no agreement.
By the end of the meeting, there was no agreement.
Which revision most clearly eliminates an ambiguous pronoun reference?
A. When the editor spoke to the reporter about her article, she seemed upset.
B. The editor seemed upset when she spoke to the reporter about her article.
C. When the editor discussed the article with the reporter, the reporter seemed upset.
D. When she spoke to the reporter, the editor seemed upset about her article.
C
The other sentences contain potentially ambiguous uses of she or her. C explicitly identifies the reporter as the person who seemed upset.
The editor considered the article (poor, poorly) written because its arguments were (logical, logically) inconsistent.
A. poor; logical
B. poorly; logical
C. poor; logically
D. poorly; logically
D
Poorly modifies the participle written. Logically modifies the adjective inconsistent. Both words function as adverbs.
Not only the editor but also the reporters (was, were) concerned about the accuracy of the article, and neither the publisher nor the managing editors (has, have) approved its release.
A. was; has
B. were; have
C. was; have
D. were; has
B
With not only ... but also and neither ... nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Reporters and managing editors are both plural, requiring were and have.
Which sentence correctly follows AP style for time, money and percentages?
A. The city council voted at 7:00 p.m. to increase the budget by $2 million dollars, or 5 percent.
B. The city council voted at 7 p.m. to increase the budget by $2 million, or 5%.
C. The City Council voted at 7 p.m. to increase the budget by two million dollars, or 5%.
D. The city council voted at 7 PM to increase the budget by $2 millions, or five percent.
B
AP style uses 7 p.m. rather than 7:00 p.m., $2 million without dollars, and 5% rather than 5 percent. Capitalization of city council can depend on the specific governmental body's formal name.
He was the husband of Anna Schaeffer, who died in the early 2010s, about 2012.
He was the husband of Anna Schaeffer, who died about 2012.