pronouns

Which of the following sentences contains a vague or unclear pronoun reference?

• After the dog chased the cat, it took a nap.

• Maria was happy because her team won the game.

• The car, which was brand new, had a scratch on its door.

• David told his brother that he was a great cook.

Answer explanation

The pronoun 'it' is unclear because it could refer to either the dog or the cat. To be clear, the sentence should specify which animal took a nap.

Read the sentence: 'Layla told her mom that she needed to buy new shoes.' Which option best corrects the unclear pronoun?

• Layla told her mom that new shoes were needed.

• Layla said to her mom, "I need to buy new shoes."

• She needed to buy new shoes, so Layla told her mom.

• The sentence is correct as written.

Answer explanation

This revision uses direct quotation to clarify that Layla is the one who needs shoes, removing the ambiguity of the pronoun 'she'. The other options are either awkward or do not resolve the unclear reference.

Complete the sentence with the pronoun that correctly agrees with its antecedent: 'Each of the new players must remember to bring _____ own equipment to practice.'

• their

• his or her

• its

• theirs

Answer explanation

The antecedent 'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun. Therefore, the singular possessive pronoun 'his or her' is the grammatically correct choice to agree with it.

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a pronoun in a compound subject.

• Me and my friends are going to the library.

• The teacher gave the assignment to Alex and I.

• My sister and I made a poster for the science fair.

• Just between you and I, that movie was boring.

Answer explanation

In a compound subject, the subjective case pronoun 'I' is correct. 'My sister and I' are the ones performing the action (made). The other options incorrectly use the objective case 'me' or 'I'.

Identify the sentence that contains an error in the use of a possessive pronoun or a contraction.

• You're going to be late if you don't hurry.

• The team celebrated its victory with a pizza party.

• The lost dog is wagging it's tail at everyone.

• Is that your backpack on the floor?

Answer explanation

The sentence incorrectly uses 'it's,' which is a contraction for 'it is.' The correct word to show possession is the possessive pronoun 'its.'

In which sentence is the word 'hers' used as a possessive pronoun, not a possessive adjective?

• I borrowed her textbook for the class.

• Her project was the most creative one.

• The last cookie on the plate is hers.

• Everyone admired her amazing artwork.

Answer explanation

A possessive pronoun (like 'hers') stands alone and replaces a noun. A possessive adjective (like 'her') modifies a noun. In this sentence, 'hers' replaces 'her cookie' and functions as a pronoun.

Which option correctly combines these two sentences using a relative pronoun? 'The girl is a talented musician. She sat next to me in class.'

• The girl, she sat next to me in class, is a talented musician.

• The girl that is a talented musician she sat next to me in class.

• The girl who sat next to me in class is a talented musician.

• The girl is a talented musician, and which sat next to me in class.

Answer explanation

The relative pronoun 'who' is used correctly to refer to a person ('the girl') and introduce the adjective clause 'who sat next to me in class.' This creates a single, grammatically correct sentence.

In the sentence, 'The book that I am reading is a historical novel,' what is the grammatical function of the relative pronoun 'that'?

• Subject of the verb 'is'

• Direct object of the verb 'am reading'

• Object of a preposition

• Possessive marker

Answer explanation

The pronoun 'that' functions as the direct object within the adjective clause. The clause can be rephrased as 'I am reading that (the book),' showing 'that' receives the action of the verb 'am reading.'

Complete the sentence by selecting the correct relative pronoun: 'The person to _____ you should give your application is the school secretary.'

• who

• whom

• whose

• which

Answer explanation

'Whom' is the correct choice because the pronoun is the object of the preposition 'to.' You can test this by rephrasing the clause: 'You should give your application to whom (her/him).'

Choose the correct verb form to agree with the indefinite pronoun: 'Everybody in the auditorium _____ waiting for the assembly to begin.'

• is

• are

• were

• be

Answer explanation

Indefinite pronouns like 'everybody,' 'someone,' and 'each' are singular and require a singular verb. Therefore, 'is' is the correct verb form to agree with 'Everybody.'