🏠 Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Quiz 1 (30 MCQs)

This multiple-choice question set evaluates the understanding of pronoun antecedent agreement, including gender-inclusive language and singular vs. plural subject-verb agreement in complex sentences. It covers skills such as identifying correct pronouns for singular or plural antecedents and applying inclusive language in writing.

Quiz Instructions

Select an option to see the correct answer instantly.

1. Complete the sentence:Every student must submit ..... report by Friday. A) their B) his or her C) its D) his

Explanations: The sentence requires a pronoun that agrees with the plural antecedent "Every student." Option C, "his or her," is correct because it properly refers to each individual student in a gender-inclusive manner and maintains subject-verb agreement.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "Their" is incorrect as it does not specify gender.
Option B: "Its" is singular and does not agree with the plural antecedent.
Option C: "His or her" correctly refers to each student in a gender-inclusive way, maintaining subject-verb agreement.
Option D: "His" is incorrect as it does not account for female students and thus is not inclusive.

2. "All of the students in the class submitted ..... homework on time."

Explanations: All of the students in the class submitted their homework on time.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "Their" is a plural pronoun that agrees with the plural subject "students."
Option B: Incorrect. "His" is singular and does not agree with the plural subject "students."
Option C: Incorrect. "Its" is possessive, indicating ownership, which is not appropriate here.
Option D: Incorrect. Option A is correct.

3. When he got home, the painter was met by ..... children.

Explanations: The correct answer is C) His. The pronoun "his" agrees with the singular antecedent "the painter." Using "His" ensures proper pronoun-antecedent agreement in the sentence.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "Its" does not agree with a male human antecedent.
Option B: "Their" is plural and does not match the singular subject "the painter."
Option C: "His" correctly agrees with the singular masculine noun "painter."
Option D: This option is incorrect as there is a valid correct answer among the choices provided.

4. Both Suzi and Beth will try to see ..... parents over the weekend.

Explanations: Option B "Their" is correct because it agrees with the plural subject "Suzi and Beth." The pronoun must match in number (singular or plural) with its antecedent, which here are two people.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect. "Her" does not agree with the plural subjects.
Option B: Correct. "Their" agrees with the plural subjects "Suzi and Beth."
Option C: Incorrect. "All the above" is not applicable since only one option is correct.
Option D: Incorrect. The correct answer is identified as B.

5. George wants to go into politics; he finds (it, them) exciting.

Explanations: The sentence "George wants to go into politics; he finds (it, them) exciting." requires a singular antecedent because the subject "he" is singular. Therefore, the pronoun should also be singular, making "It" the correct choice.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "It" agrees with the singular antecedent "he."
Option B: Incorrect. "Them" is plural and does not agree with "he."
Option C: Incorrect. Both options are not correct.
Option D: Incorrect. There is a correct answer among the given choices.

6. The thirsty dog lapped water from ..... bowl.

Explanations: The correct answer is D) Its. The pronoun "its" agrees with the antecedent "the thirsty dog," which is singular and non-human, requiring a possessive form that matches in number. "Its" correctly indicates possession of the bowl.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect because "Her" is feminine and does not match the gender of the dog.
Option B: Incorrect as "It's" is a contraction for "it is," which cannot function as a possessive pronoun in this context.
Option C: Incorrect because "His" is masculine and does not match the gender of the dog.
Option D: Correct, as explained above.

7. Identify the indefinite pronoun in the following sentence:'Each of the students has completed their assignment.'

Explanations: The indefinite pronoun in the sentence is Each . Each refers to a singular noun (students) and maintains proper agreement by using the singular form "has".

Option Analysis:

Option A: Assignment is a noun, not a pronoun.
Option B: Their is a possessive pronoun but does not refer to the antecedent correctly in this context.
Option C: Each is an indefinite pronoun that agrees with the singular verb "has" and refers to students.
Option D: Students is a noun, not a pronoun.

8. Everyone on the women's team improved ..... time.

Explanations: The sentence "Everyone on the women's team improved ... time" requires a singular pronoun that agrees with the singular antecedent "everyone." The correct answer is A) Her, as it correctly refers to each individual woman in the team and maintains subject-verb agreement.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "Her" is a singular feminine pronoun that agrees with the singular antecedent "everyone."
Option B: Incorrect. "Their" is plural and does not agree with "everyone."
Option C: Incorrect. "His or her" is awkward in this context as it introduces a masculine pronoun, which is unnecessary when referring to a group of women.
Option D: Incorrect. "His" is singular but masculine and does not agree with the feminine antecedent "everyone."

9. Which of the following does not have correct pronoun antecedent agreement?

Explanations: Option C is incorrect because it lacks a proper pronoun antecedent agreement. "The equipment and the glassware" are plural, but "shown their age" uses singular verbs "showed" and "their." The correct form should be "The equipment and the glassware show their age."

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct pronoun antecedent agreement: "board" (singular) with "makes" (singular).
Option B: Correct pronoun antecedent agreement: "Neither...nor" construction uses plural verb "was."
Option C: Incorrect pronoun antecedent agreement: Plural noun phrase lacks matching plural verbs.
Option D: Correct pronoun antecedent agreement: "Either...or" construction uses singular verb "must have lost."

10. If a sentence has "everyone" treated as a singular unit, which pronoun would be grammatically correct?

Explanations: The sentence "everyone" is treated as a singular unit, which means it requires a singular pronoun. In English grammar, the plural pronouns "they," "them," and "their" are typically used with plural antecedents, while "his or her" is a way to use a singular pronoun for a non-binary or gender-neutral context. Therefore, option D) His or her is grammatically correct.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Their - Incorrect as it implies a plural form.
Option B: They - Incorrect as it implies a plural form.
Option C: Hers - Incorrect as "everyone" is singular and non-binary/gender-neutral.
Option D: His or her - Correct for singular, non-binary/gender-neutral antecedent.

11. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Explanations: Option A demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement. The subject and the pronoun agree in number (singular subject with a singular pronoun).

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct; subject "A" agrees with the singular pronoun "it."
Option B: Incorrect; if "B" is plural, it should not be followed by a singular pronoun.
Option C: Incorrect; if "C" refers to multiple people or things, it should use a plural pronoun.
Option D: Incorrect; the subject and pronoun do not agree in number.

12. The painter decided to paint his own family because he saw that ..... was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Explanations: The correct answer is C) It. The sentence implies that the painter found something to be the most beautiful thing in the world, and "it" refers back to his family as a whole, not each individual member. This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement where "it" agrees with the singular noun "family."

Option Analysis:

Option A: They - Incorrect because they would require plural subjects.
Option B: He or she - Incorrect because it would not logically refer to a family as a whole.
Option C: It - Correct, as "it" agrees with the singular antecedent "family."
Option D: None of the above - Incorrect because option C is correct.

13. Choose the best personal pronoun to complete the following sentence.Nashville attracts many country music singers because of ..... rich music history.

Explanations: "Its" is the correct answer because it agrees with the antecedent "Nashville," which is a city and thus a thing, requiring a possessive pronoun that matches its singular noun form.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "Our" implies possession by multiple people or entities, not fitting the singular subject "Nashville."
Option B: "His" is masculine and does not agree with the neutral noun "Nashville."
Option C: "Its" correctly agrees with the singular city "Nashville," indicating possession of its rich music history.
Option D: "Her" is feminine, which does not match the gender-neutral subject "Nashville."

14. Jacob's groceries burst through the wet paper bag and slid onto the kitchen floor. He was able to clean ..... up easily, though, since everything was canned.

Explanations: The sentence requires a pronoun that refers to "everything," which is plural and refers to canned goods. Therefore, the correct form of the pronoun should be "them." This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement where the number (plural) and person (third person) of the pronoun match the antecedent.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "Them" is a plural pronoun that agrees with the plural antecedent "everything."
Option B: Incorrect. "It" is singular and does not agree with "everything."
Option C: Incorrect. "Their" is possessive, indicating ownership, but does not function as a pronoun in this context.
Option D: Incorrect. "They" is plural but functions as the subject of an implied verb rather than the object that cleans up.

15. Each of the boys had ..... assignments ready.

Explanations: The sentence "Each of the boys had His assignments ready" is grammatically correct in terms of pronoun antecedent agreement. The subject "each of the boys" is plural, and thus requires a plural pronoun or verb form. However, since we are focusing on pronoun usage, "His" correctly agrees with the singular "each boy."

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "His" agrees with the singular antecedent "each of the boys."
Option B: Incorrect. "Their" would be plural and does not agree with "each of the boys."
Option C: Incorrect. "Them" is an object pronoun, not a possessive one needed here.
Option D: Incorrect. "Her" would be singular but feminine, which does not match the masculine plural subject.

16. Many restaurants in town post its' menus in the window.

Explanations: The sentence "Many restaurants in town post its' menus in the window" requires a possessive pronoun that agrees with the plural subject "restaurants." The correct form is "their," making option A) Their the right choice. This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Uses "their" to agree with "restaurants."
Option B: Incorrect. "It's" means "it is," which does not fit the context.
Option C: Incorrect. Indicates no change, but a change is needed for correct grammar.
Option D: Incorrect. "There" introduces a location or existence, not possession in this sentence.

17. Of the three pronouns listed, choose the one that is incorrectly used. The students and their professor sweated in the hot classroom. Each one of them wondered why they had decided to commit to summer school.

Explanations: The correct answer is D) They should be he or she. This option correctly identifies the issue of pronoun antecedent agreement in the sentence. The subject "Each one" refers to multiple individuals (the students and their professor), so a singular, gender-inclusive pronoun like "he or she" should be used.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect as there is a need for a change in the sentence.
Option B: Incorrect because "his" would not fit with the plural antecedent "Each one of them."
Option C: Incorrect as "each" correctly agrees with the plural subject "students and their professor." The issue is with the pronoun, not the number.
Option D: Correctly identifies the need for a singular, gender-inclusive pronoun to match the singular antecedent "Each one."

18. Neither Emma nor Samantha wanted to babysit for ..... neighbor on Saturday night.

Explanations: The correct answer is C) Her. The pronoun "Her" agrees with the singular feminine subject "Samantha." In contrast, "Their" and "They're" are plural or contractions that do not match the singular context. "The" does not function as a pronoun in this sentence.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Their - Incorrect because it is plural and doesn't agree with Samantha.
Option B: They're - Incorrect because it is a contraction meaning "they are" and does not function as a possessive pronoun here.
Option C: Her - Correct, singular feminine possessive pronoun agreeing with Samantha.
Option D: The - Incorrect because it is an article, not a pronoun that can replace "neighbor."

19. Complete the sentence:The students finished ..... homework before dinner. A) his B) her C) their D) its

Explanations: The sentence "The students finished their homework before dinner" uses the pronoun their , which agrees with the plural subject students . This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement, where a singular or plural pronoun matches its corresponding noun in number.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "His" is masculine singular and does not agree with the plural subject "students."
Option B: "Their" correctly agrees with the plural subject "students," making it the right choice.
Option C: "Her" is feminine singular and does not match the plural subject "students."
Option D: "Its" is possessive singular and does not agree with the plural subject "students."

20. Does the pronoun used in the example below the right one? "Layla finished her presentation"

Explanations: The sentence "Layla finished her presentation" uses the correct pronoun "her," which agrees with the singular feminine noun "Layla." This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement, where a pronoun's gender and number match its antecedent.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. The sentence uses the appropriate pronoun for the given name.
Option B: Incorrect. There is no error in the pronoun usage.
Option C: Incorrect. Option A is correct.
Option D: Incorrect. The sentence does not require any correction regarding pronoun use.

21. Which of the following sentences is the best way to correct the agreement issue in this sentence:'Every student should remember to bring their lunch.'?

Explanations: Option B is correct because it properly addresses the pronoun antecedent agreement issue in the sentence. "Every student" is a plural noun, so the pronoun that follows should also be plural to maintain consistency. The phrase "his or her lunch" correctly uses a singular possessive form for each individual student.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect because it uses "your," which is not appropriate as it implies the students are a group sharing one lunch.
Option B: Correct as explained above.
Option C: Incorrect because "its" is a possessive pronoun used for animals or inanimate objects, not humans.
Option D: Incorrect because the original sentence does have an agreement issue that needs correction.

22. Katie and Abbie are both in ..... first year of high school.

Explanations: The correct answer is B) Their. The pronoun "their" agrees with the plural subject "Katie and Abbie." This demonstrates proper pronoun antecedent agreement, where a singular or plural pronoun matches its corresponding noun in number.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect. "Her" is singular and does not agree with the plural subjects.
Option B: Correct. "Their" agrees with the plural subjects "Katie and Abbie."
Option C: Incorrect. "All the above" is not applicable since only one option, "their," correctly matches the subject-verb agreement.
Option D: Incorrect. The correct answer does exist among the options provided.

23. Fill in the blank:'The jury reached ..... verdict after several hours of deliberation.'

Explanations: The correct answer is C) Its. The subject of the sentence, "The jury," is singular and refers to a group entity. In English grammar, when referring to an entity as a whole, we use the possessive form with 'its' rather than 'his,' 'her,' or 'their.' This ensures pronoun antecedent agreement.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "Their" is incorrect because it implies multiple juries, not a single jury.
Option B: "Her" is incorrect as it suggests the jury is female, which is not specified and would be inappropriate for a neutral subject like "the jury."
Option C: "Its" is correct because it properly agrees with the singular antecedent "jury."
Option D: "His" is incorrect as it implies the jury is male, which is not specified and would be inappropriate for a neutral subject like "the jury."

24. Each student must study if ..... wants to be successful.

Explanations: Option B "He or she" is correct because it agrees with the plural subject "Each student" and maintains grammatical consistency, ensuring that the pronoun matches the singular nature of each individual student while being inclusive.

Option Analysis:

Option A: "It" does not agree in number with "Each student," which is a singular noun.
Option B: "He or she" correctly agrees with the singular subject and maintains inclusivity.
Option C: "They" would be incorrect because it does not match the singular nature of "Each student." It also lacks inclusivity in this context.
Option D: "The student" is grammatically correct but fails to account for the plural subject "Each student."

25. Melanie was injured in a bicycle accident ..... broke her wrist.

Explanations: The sentence "Melanie was injured in a bicycle accident.....broke her wrist." uses the pronoun "she" to refer back to Melanie, which is correct because "she" agrees with the singular female subject "Melanie."

Option Analysis:

Option A: They - Incorrect as it does not agree with a singular antecedent.
Option B: She - Correct pronoun agreement with Melanie, a singular female name.
Option C: He - Incorrect as it does not match the gender of Melanie.
Option D: It - Incorrect for referring to a person.

26. Complete the sentence with the correct pronoun.Our cat played with ..... toy contentedly.

Explanations: The correct pronoun to use in this sentence is "Its" because the toy belongs to the cat, and "its" is a possessive pronoun that indicates possession.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. "Its" shows possession of the toy.
Option B: Incorrect. "Itself" means doing something by oneself, which does not fit in this context.
Option C: Incorrect. "It" is a subject or object pronoun and cannot indicate possession here.
Option D: Incorrect. "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has," which does not fit grammatically in this sentence.

27. Which of the following sentences follow the correct pronoun and antecedent agreement?

Explanations: Option C is correct because "their" agrees with the plural antecedents "the pilot" and "the attendants." The pronoun should match the number of the noun it refers to, which in this case are both plural.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect. "Them" is a direct object pronoun and does not agree with the plural antecedents.
Option B: Incorrect. "Its" is singular and does not match the plural context of the sentence.
Option C: Correct. "Their" agrees with the plural subjects "the pilot" and "the attendants."
Option D: Incorrect. "His or her" is awkward and unnecessary in this context, as a plural pronoun would suffice.

28. Anyone who wants to participate can leave ..... name with the secretary.

Explanations: The sentence requires a pronoun that can refer to "anyone," which is gender-neutral and could include any person regardless of their gender. Therefore, the correct choice must be inclusive of both male and female participants. Option D) His or her fulfills this requirement by including both masculine and feminine forms.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Its is a possessive pronoun used for objects, not people.
Option B: Their can be used but does not explicitly include both genders.
Option C: Her refers only to female participants and excludes males.
Option D: His or her is the correct choice as it includes both masculine and feminine forms, ensuring pronoun antecedent agreement for any participant.

29. What PRONOUN will complete this sentence?A boy with autism gets recipe for his favorite waffles after ..... discontinued.

Explanations: The sentence requires a singular antecedent ("a boy") to agree with the pronoun in number and gender. "They" is plural, making it incorrect for this context. Therefore, option C) THEY were is not correct.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect as "it was" does not match the gender of "a boy".
Option B: Correct as "he was" agrees with "a boy" in number and gender.
Option C: Incorrect for reasons explained above.
Option D: Not applicable since one of the options is correct.

30. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by OR or Nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearest the .....

Explanations: The rule states that when a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject nearest to the verb. This is because in such constructions, the proximity of the subject to the verb determines which subject takes precedence.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect; the rule does not consider the start of the sentence.
Option B: Correct; the verb dictates the agreement with the nearest subject.
Option C: Incorrect; prepositional phrases are not relevant to this rule.
Option D: Incorrect; there is a correct answer among the options provided.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is pronoun antecedent agreement?

Pronoun antecedent agreement refers to the rule that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural) and gender. For example, if the antecedent is singular, the pronoun should also be singular.

Why is it important to understand pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Understanding pronoun-antecedent agreement helps ensure clarity and correctness in writing, making sentences easier to read and understand. It contributes to effective communication by avoiding ambiguity.

How can I practice pronoun antecedent agreement?

You can practice by reading sentences aloud, identifying the antecedents and their corresponding pronouns, and checking if they agree in number and gender. Writing exercises that focus on this rule also help reinforce understanding.

Can a sentence have more than one antecedent for the same pronoun?

Yes, a sentence can have multiple antecedents for the same pronoun. However, it’s important to ensure that the pronoun clearly refers to only one of these antecedents to avoid confusion.

What if there is no clear antecedent for a pronoun?

If a sentence lacks a clear antecedent, it can lead to ambiguity and confusion. In such cases, consider rephrasing the sentence or adding more context to clarify who or what the pronoun refers to.

🏠 Back to Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books