Agreement of pronoun and Antecedent Flashcards
Q: Each of the students must complete ____ homework.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement with the singular antecedent “each.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
Q: The team members are celebrating ____ victory.
A) their B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “team members” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: Neither Jack nor Jill has finished ____ work.
A) his B) her C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) his
Explanation: When using “neither…nor,” the pronoun agrees with the nearest antecedent, which in this case is “Jack.”
Rule: With neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent.
Q: Everybody should bring ____ own lunch.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement with the singular antecedent “everybody.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
Q: The dog wagged ____ tail happily.
A) his B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) its
Explanation: The singular neuter antecedent “dog” requires the singular neuter pronoun “its” for agreement.
Rule: Singular neuter antecedents take singular neuter pronouns.
Q: My sister and I will take ____ dog for a walk.
A) our B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) our
Explanation: The plural antecedent “sister and I” requires the plural pronoun “our” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: Someone left ____ phone on the table.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
A) “Their” is a possessive pronoun used to refer to the belongings or possessions of a group of people. In this case, it is used to indicate that someone left their phone on
Q: Each of the books has ____ own unique story.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: C) its
Explanation: The singular antecedent “each” requires the singular neuter pronoun “its” for agreement.
Rule: Singular neuter antecedents take singular neuter pronouns.
Q: The committee members submitted ____ reports on time.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “committee members” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: A person should be proud of ____ accomplishments.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “a person.”
Q: Neither of the options is suitable for ____ needs.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “neither.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
Q: The company announced ____ plans for expansion.
A) their B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) its
Explanation: The singular antecedent “company” requires the singular neuter pronoun “its” for agreement.
Rule: Singular neuter antecedents take singular neuter pronouns.
Q: All the children should bring ____ permission slips.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “children” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: Each of the employees should submit ____ time sheet.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “each.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
Q: The car needs ____ oil change.
A) their B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) its
Explanation: The singular neuter antecedent “car” requires the singular neuter pronoun “its” for agreement.
Rule: Singular neuter antecedents take singular neuter pronouns.
Q: The students are responsible for bringing ____ own supplies.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “students” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: Neither Maria nor Juan has completed ____ assignment.
A) her B) his C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: C) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement when dealing with antecedents of different genders.
Rule: With neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent.
Q: Somebody left ____ backpack on the bus.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” to maintain gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “somebody.”
Q: Somebody left ____ backpack on the bus.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
Q: Each of the paintings has ____ own unique style.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
C) Its
C) its
The word “each” is singular, so it should be followed by a singular pronoun. In this case, “each of the paintings” implies that each painting has its (singular possessive pronoun) own unique style. Therefore, the correct choice is “its.”
Q: The jury members deliberated before giving ____ verdict.
A) their B) his or her C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “jury members” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: The company’s profits have increased, and ____ employees are receiving bonuses.
A) its B) their C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) their
Explanation: The plural antecedent “employees” requires the plural pronoun “their” for agreement.
Rule: Plural antecedents take plural pronouns.
Q: Neither the cat nor the dog has eaten ____ food.
A) its B) their C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) its
Explanation: With “neither…nor,” the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent, “cat,” which is singular and neuter.
Rule: With neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent.
Q: Everyone should bring ____ own contribution to the event.
A) his or her B) their C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” for gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “everyone.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
: Neither the flowers nor the trees has lost ____ leaves.
A) their B) its C) his or her D) their’s
Correct Answer: B) its
Explanation: With “neither…nor,” the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent, “trees,” which is singular and neuter.
Rule: With neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the closest antecedent.
Q: Any student who needs help can ask ____ teacher for assistance.
A) his or her B) their C) its D) their’s
Correct Answer: A) his or her
Explanation: Use “his or her” for gender-neutral agreement when referring to a singular antecedent like “student.”
Rule: Use “his or her” or “his/her” for singular antecedents to maintain gender neutrality.
