Indefinite Pronouns
"Everybody in the theater held ________ breath during the final scene of the movie."
A) their
B) his or her
C) there
D) its
B) his or her.
Reason: "Everybody" is singular, so the pronoun must be singular. "Their" is plural and informal
The photographer and the reporter finished ________ assignment just before the deadline.
Hint: Use a plural pronoun when nouns are joined by and.
their (Joined by "and")
Every passenger must remain in ________ seat until the plane reaches the gate.
A) their
B) his or her
C) them
D) the
B) his or her
In formal contexts, "every" is singular and requires a singular pronoun
The rain started to pour down ( ; : , ) nonetheless, the team continued to practice.
The rain started to pour down; nonetheless, the team continued to practice.
The semicolon is stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. It’s mostly used to link two complete thoughts that are closely related.
Provide the correct singular form of the verb "to be" (is/are/we're/were) to complete the sentence:
Each of the ancient manuscripts found in the cave ________ carefully preserved by the museum curators.
is
Reason: "Each" is the subject, not "manuscripts." Therefore, the verb must be singular
Either Brian or David will lend you ________ notes from yesterday's history lecture.
A) their
B) his
C) our
B) his
Joined by "or"; the closest noun "David" is singular
The committee has granted ________ approval for the new park project.
Hint: Collective nouns like "committee" or "jury" act as a single unit.
its
The committee is one single unit.
Pack the essentials for the trip ( ; : , ) a sturdy pair of boots, a rain jacket, and a map.
Pack the essentials for the trip: a sturdy pair of boots, a rain jacket, and a map.
A colon only needs a full sentence on the left side.
Identify the error in the following sentence:
"Neither of the two candidates for the position have submitted the required references yet."
A) Neither
B) for
C) have
D) submitted
C) have.
Reason: "Neither" is singular. The sentence should read "Neither... has submitted"
Neither the manager nor the employees have received ________ year-end bonuses yet.
Hint: When using nor, the pronoun must agree with the noun closest to it.
their
Joined by "nor"; the closest noun "employees" is plural
Which of the following is the smoothest way to correct this clunky sentence?
A) A student should always double-check his or her work before submitting.
B) A student should always double-check their work before submitting.
C) Students should always double-check their work before submitting.
C) Students should always... (Making the whole sentence plural is the best way to avoid "he or she" while staying grammatically formal.)
There is only one thing he loves more than his car ( ; : ,) his dog.
There is only one thing he loves more than his car: his dog.
Colon: Think of it as an "equals sign." Sentence = Definition/List/Example.
1. Anyone who wishes to enter...
2. All guests who wish to enter...
3. Someone who wishes to enter...
A. ...should check their belongings at the door.
B. ...should check his or her belongings at the door.
C. ...must check his or her belongings at the door.
1-B
2-A
3-C
Either the students or the teacher must volunteer ________ time to help with the school fundraiser.
A) their
B) her
C) our
D) the
B) her
Joined by "or"; the closest noun "teacher" is singular
Neither the senator nor the governor has issued ________ official statement regarding the budget cuts.
Hint: Both subjects are singular and joined by "nor."
his or her
Since both nouns are singular, the pronoun remains singular.
American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect these works. From 1858 to around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into forty homemade booklets (known as fascicles).
A. them
B. this
C. that
D. it
Choice A is the best answer.
The pronoun "them" agrees with the plural antecedents "poems" and "works."
If no one remembers to bring their textbook to the study session, we will have to cancel the meeting.
A) their textbook
B) his or her textbook
C) his/her textbook
D) students remember to bring their textbooks
D) students remember to bring their textbooks.
Reason: While "B" is technically correct, it is often clunky. In formal SAT-style writing, the "Better" rewrite is to make the subject plural so that "their" can be used naturally
1. Neither the apples nor the pear has lost...
2. Neither the pear nor the apples have lost...
3. The pear and the apples have lost...
A. their
B. its
C. its
1 matches B (pear is singular)
2 matches A (apples is plural)
3 matches A (joined by and is always plural)
1. Generic Noun (e.g., "A nurse")
2. Singular Indefinite (e.g., "Each")
3. Collective Noun (e.g., "The audience")
A. Its
B. His or her
C. Her (or his or her)
1 matches B (Generic nouns use "his or her" to be inclusive yet singular.)
2 matches C ("Each" is singular; "her" or "his or her" are the formal choices.)
3 matches A (Groups acting as one use "its.")
Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013, making ______blank the first time the organization would appoint a Vietnamese leader.
A) these
B) those
C) this
D) some
Choice C is the best answer.
The pronoun "this" is referring back to the singular event described earlier in the sentence in which Minh became secretary-general of ASEAN.