Nouns and Pronouns Quiz

In the passage below, which noun does the pronoun many refer to?

• Companies
• advertising
• goods
• country

Answer explanation

The pronoun "many" refers to the noun "companies," which is the subject of the second-to-last sentence. The last sentence in the passage continues to tell about the subject "companies." The pronoun "many" is used to avoid repeating the noun "companies."

Select the correct answer from the drop-down menu. Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence? "_______________ students should spend more time studying according to our teacher Mr. Sanders. (a)  

• Us
• We
• Each

Which sentence from the passage below contains an ambiguous (unclear) pronoun?

• A. sentence 5
• B. sentence 2
• C. sentence 3
• D. sentence 6

Answer explanation

A pronoun should clearly refer to an antecedent. In sentence 3, the pronoun "her" has an ambiguous, or unclear, antecedent. The reader does not know if "her" refers to Gloria or Amanda. To make the sentence clearer, the ambiguous pronoun should be replaced with "Gloria's."

Which word do the pronouns "him" and "her" refer to in the sentence?

• Training
• owner
• control
• dog

Answer explanation

A pronoun refers to a noun or takes the place of that noun. The noun that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. In this passage, the pronoun "him" and the pronoun "her" refer to the antecedent "owner."

Which relative pronoun goes in the blank?

The pastor was a well-known man ________others trusted

• whom
• whose
• who

Answer explanation

The correct pronoun is "whom"; it is a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun (e.g., "that," "which," "who," "whom," and "whose") relates to the word that it modifies.

The news recently reported several mountain lion attacks in the local forest. Common sense tells me that I should never hike alone; it should discourage you from doing so as well.

Which noun does the pronoun it refer to?

• Common sense

• local forests

• attacks

• mountain lion

Answer explanation

The pronoun it refers to the noun common sense. The subject of the second sentence is "common sense." In the clause following the semicolon, the pronoun "it" is used to avoid repetition. Common sense is an abstract noun. This type of noun refers to a thing that cannot be seen or touched.

Which pronoun goes in the blank?

J Henry Fair's aerial photographs capture parts of Earth _____________ are contaminated by pollution.

• whom

• that
• whose
• who

Answer explanation

The correct pronoun is "that"; it is a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun (e.g., "that," "which," "who," "whom," and "whose") relates to the word that it modifies. "That" introduces only restrictive clauses, or essential information, and is not separated from the sentence with a comma. In this case, "that" modifies "parts of Earth" and tells which areas the writer is referring to—the one contaminated by pollution.

Select the correct answer from the drop-down menu. Which word correctly completes the sentence? (a)  

• it
• his or her
• our
• their

Answer explanation

A pronoun refers to a noun or takes the place of that noun. The noun that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. The pronoun must agree in number with the word that it is replacing. "People" is plural; therefore, "it" and "him" would not agree in number. Because "people" is in the third person, "their" is the correct pronoun.

What is the noun that the pronoun refers to?

• Antecedent

• Personal Pronoun

• Reflexive

• Substitute

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

• Steffi and Ron went to the park near the town library for the first time in many years to play with his cousins.
• Lizzy ran toward the door and nearly tripped over the cat as soon as they heard the doorbell ringing.
• Maggie and I ran in the rain and huddled under the roof of a nearby shop to make sure she keeps ourselves dry.
• The dentist told me I should brush my teeth after every meal to keep them healthy.

Answer explanation

The correct sentence uses the pronoun "them" to rename "teeth." The other sentences use pronouns that do not agree with the antecedent.