A Quiz on Pronoun Agreement

After each sentence, select the pronoun that will best fit in the blank. The explanation will describe the process of arriving at the correct choice for that sentence. In some cases, the right choice may produce a sentence that is grammatically correct but that may sound awkward to some readers. The explanation underneath each item will often discuss alternative ways of wording a sentence, especially the possibility of changing some nouns from singular to plural. By changing the noun from singular to plural, you can use the plural pronoun "they" to refer to the noun, avoiding the problem of having to choose among "he" or "she" or the cumbersome form "he or she."

1. The person who works hard has a better chance of success because  __________ will be prepared to take advantage of opportunities.
he
they

2. _______________ a very rigid approach to disciplining children. They will not tolerate rude behavior.
A strict parent has
Strict parents have

3.  A best friend should be someone a person can trust with ____________.
her life
their lives

4. General Electric is a company that treats ____________ employees right.
its
their

Responses:

5. Each of the students has ___________ own assignment.
his
their

6. Each player in the Major Leagues has a responsibility to consider the fans when ___________ plans to go out on strike.
he makes
they make

Riley.jpg (18758 bytes)

Allons danser! Who was in that crowd at the dance?

7. When Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys began to play, everyone at the dance found a partner that ___________  wanted to join on the dance floor.
he
they

8. John is one of the students who __________ books before classes start.
buys his
buy their

9. A shopper who goes to the mall in Lafayette needs to plan his or her trip ahead of time. Before leaving home, ___________ should make a list of items to buy.
he
he or she
they

Responses:

10. As a student, you should devote __________ time to studying.
one's
your
his

11.  I believe that a politician should be truthful. After being elected, __________ continue to serve the voters honestly.
he should
they should

12. Everybody has _______ own way of doing things.
his
their

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