pro noun Flashcards
1.The women demanded her right to live.
1.Which noun does the pronoun her refer to? Women. Now, women is the plural of woman. So, the pronoun used shall also be in the plural. Correct:The women demanded their right to live.
2.Sandhya was one of those Miss Universe contestantswho attributed her success to her parents.
2.The pronouns her and her both are associated with the relative pronoun who. Who refers to those and not one. So, the pronouns should be in plural. Correct:Sandhya was one of those Miss Universe contestants who attributed their success to their parents.
3.The army was rewarded for their overwhelmingsuccess in curbing terrorism.
3.The army is a group of soldiers. Since the group is being rewarded as a whole, it should take a singular pronoun. Correct:The army was rewarded for its overwhelming success ….
4.The comptroller and auditor-general gave their verdicton the scam.
4.As we know, the comptroller and auditor-general is one person. Note the use of the article the. It has been used only once. If the authorities were two separate persons, the usage would have been the comptroller and the auditor-general. But as it stands now, he is one person. So the pronoun should be singular. Correct:The comptroller and auditor-general gave his verdict on the scam.
5.Each book and each pen are costly in theirappearance.
“5.Remember the rule : ““When two singular nouns joined by and are preceded by each or every, the pronoun must be singular.”” And so should the verb. Correct:Each book and each pen is costly in its appearance.”
6.Either Kishan or Pradip has left behind their cap.
6.The sentence may be corrected even by applying common sense. Two men usually do not wear the same cap. So it cannot be their cap. It must belong to one of them. So, Correct:Either Kishan or Pradip has left behind his cap.
7.Either the principal or the students should beresponsible for the management of his school.
7.The school does not belong only to the principal. The students are also an integral part of the school. So it is their school too. We should use the plural which will take into account both. Correct:Either the principal or the students should be responsible for the management of their school.
8.He and I have done his duty.
“8.Apply the ““123 rule of joint pronouns””. Correct:He and I have done our duty.”
9.It was her who did the cooking.
9.The pronoun that follows a verb of incomplete predication is in the nominative case. Was is a form of be, a verb of incomplete predication. Correct:It was she who did the cooking.
10.Let we are the bidders at the auction.
10.10.Let us look at something very closely. Let him also see. Let her also see. Let them also see. See what? Well, if you look carefully at these sentences, you can notice that let is always followed by the objective case. So, not let we, but let us. Accordingly, the verb are also changes to be. So, Correct:Let us be the bidders at the auction.
11.I have contributed to the team as much as him.
11.As much as is a compound conjunction. So him is not the object to the preposition as. The objective case has to be changed to the nominative. So, Correct:I have contributed to the team as much as he. As much as thus joins the clauses I have contributed to the team and he (has contributed to the team). The words within brackets are understood.
12.Who was there but she to look after the family indistress?
12.But is obviously not a conjunction. If it were so, it would have joined clauses, but she to look after the family in distress does not contain a verb and hence cannot be a clause. This means but is a preposition meaning except. The word that follows but is, therefore, object to the preposition and should be in the objective case. Correct:Who was there but her to look after the family in distress?
13.My cow gives more milk than his.
13.The sentence is correct. At first sight, one may be led to think that since than is a conjunction comparing two clauses, it should be followed by the nominative (on the lines of 11). So it should be he, not his. But look at the fallacy we are committing. The sentence would then be My cow gives more milk than he (gives). Now, we are yet to enter the era of man’s milk! Actually, what follows than in the given sentence is the nominative itself. It will become clear if we write down the hidden words. My cow gives more milk than his (cow gives). Now, his cow is the nominative that follows than. Hence, correct.
14.The campus of the school is larger than the college.
14.We can compare two institutions, but not the campus of one and the other institution itself. So insert that for the campus of the college. Correct:The campus of the school is larger than that of the college.
15.You may be an editor or a reporter; this makes yousit, that makes you run.
15.It is common knowledge that the editor’s job is a sedentary (sitting) one. The reporter, on the other hand, has to run around collecting information. So, being an editor makes you sit. Being a reporter makes you run. Now, in such sentences as the given one, this refers to the thing last mentioned, that to the thing first mentioned. Correct:You may be an editor or a reporter; this makes you run, that makes you sit.
16.Each has their own grievances to give voice to.
16.The distributive pronoun each brings out the sense of the individual. Hence, singular. In case of sex not being specified, the masculine gender is used. So, Correct:Each has his own grievances to give voice to.
17.One should not forget what he was.
17.The anti-defection law of one forbids changes of convenience. Stick to one if you use it once. Correct:One should not forget what one was.
18.Anyone of the two ministers were not available forcomments.
18.When we talk of two only, either is used, not anyone. Also, either takes singular verb. Either of the two ministers was not available for comments. But for a better construction, the not in not available should be combined with either. So, Correct:Neither of the two ministers was available for comments.
19.Neither of the ways are easy to follow.
19.Distributive neither is singular. Correct:Neither of the ways is easy to follow.
20.The women performed puja each.
20.Each could have been thus used at the end if puja were considered as countable and the number of pujas mentioned. As it stands now, puja has been used simply as worship. Correct:Each of the women performed puja.
21.A house which rooms are spacious is what I want.
21.Which is not used in the possessive. It may either be whose this usage is now gaining currency, that is, coming more and more in vogue or use) or of which to convey the sense of the possessive. So, Correct:A house, the rooms of which are spacious, is what I want.
22.The way he tackles the answers should not be emulated.
“22.Use in which after the way (or the manner) in such sentences. Why? In order to understand this, let us split the sentence: He tackles the answers a certain way. That way should be emulated. Obviously, something is missing in the first sentence. It is the preposition in. It should be ““He tackles the answers in a certain way.”” So, Correct:The way in which he tackles the answers should not be emulated. Note: If not given for sentence correction, it is now acceptable to write: ““The way he tackles ….”””
23.It was the coldest day which we ever experienced.
23.That is preferred to which after the superlative (the coldest). So, Correct:It was the coldest day that we ever experienced.
24.He is the same man who was arrested yesterday.
24.The same should not be followed by who, but by that or as. Correct:He is the same man that (or as) was arrested yesterday.
25.That what cannot be cured must be endured.
25.What itself means that which. So, do not use that. Correct:What cannot be cured must be endured.
26.There is scarcely a schoolgoing child but does notlike television.
26.But in such sentences means who …. not. So, the given sentence would mean There is scarcely a schoolgoing child who does not not like (that is, likes) television. But it is common knowledge that most of the schoolgoing children like television. So, Correct:There is scarcely a schoolgoing child but likes television. This would mean There is scarcely a schoolgoing child who does not like television.
27.Mr Chakravarty with his luggage left the town whichwas heavy with clothes.
27.What was heavy with clothes? The luggage or the town? Obviously, the luggage. So, which was heavy with clothes should come immediately after luggage. Correct:Mr Chakravarty with his luggage, which was heavy with clothes, left the town.
28.You, who loves dining out, will never cook at home.
28.The relative pronoun who will be the same number and person as the antecedent you. Correct:You, who love dining out, will never cook at home.
29.It was a magnificent chance, but which you lost.
29.Which, a relative pronoun, itself acts as a conjunction. So delete but. Correct:It was a magnificent chance, which you lost.
30.I do not care for your words who does not knowwhat he says.
“30.The sentence has many errors. Let us first look at what the antecedent of who is. Obviously it is you, not words. So, the sentence should be I do not care for the words uttered by you who does not know what he says. The sentence is still only partially correct. The relative pronoun who should behave according to the antecedent you. So, I do not care for the words uttered by you who do not know what he says. There is still something wrong. What is not being valued is the words uttered by ““you””. But the end of the sentence is ““he says””. You can easily see that the sense gets lost. The end should be converted to ““you say””. So, Correct:I do not care for the words uttered by you who do not know what you say.”
31.Each of the girls gave their version of the incident inwriting.
31.Note that the antecedent of the pronoun their is each, not girls. So, Correct:Each of the girls gave her version of the incident in writing.
32.This is the only one of his books that carry someweight.
32.Correct: This is the only one of his books that carries some weight.
33.Here comes Kapil Dev, whom they say is the bestall-rounder India has ever had.
33.Whom has wrongly been used. The relative pronoun here is the subject of the verb is and should, therefore, be the nominative who. Correct:Here comes Kapil Dev, who they say is the best all-rounder India has ever had.
34.Whom do you believe him to be?
34.When the interrogative pronoun is thus used for identity as a person, the nominative who is used. For example, Who is he? The answer would be He is Mr So-and-So. So, here Correct:Who do you believe him to be? Note: What is he is used when you want to know about his profession. The answer to this would be He is an advertising manager. Correct:
35.The boy, being a brilliant student, he will top theclass.
35.Correct: The boy, being a brilliant student, will top the class.
36.Can not one do what one likes on one’s own?
36.The sentence is correct. One has been uniformly used.
37.Much depends upon him signing the agreement.
37.Correct: Much depends upon his signing the agreement.
38.If I were him, I would put in all my money in theventure.
38.Correct: If I were he, ….
39.He is one of the best players that has played on thisground.
39.Correct: He is one of the best players that have played on this ground.
40.He prides upon his patriotism.
40.Correct: He prides himself upon his patriotism.
1.Any one of these two students (a)/ can be sent to participate (b)/ in the drawing competition. (c)/ No error (d) [C.P.O. (Main) 2014]
1.(a) Where two things or persons are concerned either is used. ‘Any one of these two students’ should be ‘either of these two students’.
2.I and he (a)/ have prepared (b)/ the lessons thoroughly. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
2.(a) The normal order of the subject pronounsis Third person + Second person + First Person. ‘I and he’ should be ‘he and I’.
3.Everyone (a)/ must sign their full names (b)/ before entering the hall. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
3.(b) Everyone normally takes the possessive determiner ‘his’. Therefore, ‘must sign their full name’ should be ‘must sign his full name’.
4.The newspapers they admit that (a)/ advertising sometimes (b)/ influences their editorial policy. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
4.(a) Subject pronouns should not be used if there is already a subject in the sentence. ‘The newspapers they admit that’ should be ‘The newspapers admit that’.
5.He does not write (a)/ as fast as (b)/ me. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
5.(b) When the pronoun is the subject of a verb in comparison, only subject pronouns are used after ‘as’ or ‘than’. ‘Me’ should be ‘I’.
6.This errors(a)/ are made (b)/ by foreigners. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
6.(a) Demonstrative determiner ‘these’ can go before a plural noun’. ‘This errors’ should be ‘these errors.’
7.He is (a)/ fatter (b)/ than me. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2013]
7.(c) When the pronoun is the subject of a verb in comparison, only subject pronouns can be used after as or than. ‘Than me’ should be ‘Than I.’
8.Each one of you (a)/ must make up their mind (b)/ as I did. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-I 2013]
8.(a) All can modify these, ‘These all’ should be ‘all these’
9.These all (a)/ mangoes (b)/ are ripe. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-II 2013]
9.(a) ‘I and Tina will’ should be ‘Tina and I will’.
10.I and Tina will (a)/ go to the market (b)/ in the evening. (c)/ No error (d) [LDC 2013]
10.(c) ‘To me using the calculator’should be ‘to my using the calculator’.
11.My teacher (a)/ did not object (b)/ to me using the calculator. (c)/ No error (d) [LDC 2013]
11.(c) When ‘one’ means any person, the possessive determiner one’s is used. ‘To earn his living’ should be ‘to earn one’s living’.
12.The manager told the boys (a)/ that one ought to work hard (b)/ to earn his living. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL 2013]
12.(a) ‘Due to me being new comer’ should be ‘due to my being a new comer’.
13.Due to me being a new comer (a)/ I was unable (b)/ to get a good house. (c)/ No error (d) [FCI (PT) 2012]
13.(a) My sister and myself should be ‘ My sister and I’.
14.My sister and myself (a)/ are pleased (b)/ to accept your invitation to dinner. (c)/ No error (d) [FCI (PT) 2012]
14.(b) Only subject pronouns can be used as complement of the verb ‘to be’. ‘Me who telephoned’ should be ‘I who telephoned’.
15.It was (a)/ me who telephoned (b)/ the fire service. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-II 2012]
15.(a) ‘Me’ should be ‘I’.
16.Being a rainy day (a)/ we didn’t (b)/ go out. (c)/ No error (d) [LDC 2012]
16.(b) The antecedent ‘the vaccine’is a thing, the relative pronoun which or that is required after the word ‘vaccine’. ‘When hit the Indian market’ should be ‘Which hit the Indian market’.
17.The vaccine (a)/ when hit the Indian market (b)/ is dogged by controversy. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-I 2011]
17.(a) ‘It was him’ should be ‘It was he.’
18.It was him (a)/ who came running (b)/ into the classroom. (c)/ No error (d) [LDC 2011]
18.(b) Nobody, usually, requires the possessive determiner ‘his’. ‘In their senses’ should be ‘in his senses’.
19.Nobody (a)/ in their senses (b)/ would have acted so. (c)/ No error (d) [CDS 2008]
19.(c) Object pronouns are normally used as objects of prepositions. Therefore, ‘with himself’ should be ‘with him’.
20.He is (a)/ the man whom I think (b)/ committed the crime. (c)/ No error (d) [CDS 2009]
20.(d) When expressions like I think, I know, I believe separate who or whom from its own verb, or subject and verb, inserting such expressions don’t make any difference. Because the antecedent is the subject, the relative pronoun ‘who’ should be used. ‘The man whom I think’ should be ‘The man who I think’.
21.The principal objected (a)/ to them wearing short skirts (b)/ at the function. (c)/ No error (d) [CDS 2010]
21.(b) ‘To them wearing short skirts’ should be ‘To their wearing short skirts’.
22.The police arrived and discovered (a)/ a large number of hoarded sugar (b)/ in his shop. (c)/ No error (d) []
22.(b) ‘A large number’ goes with a plural countable noun. ‘A large amount of’ goes with an uncountable noun, ‘A large number of hoarded sugar’ should be ‘a large amount of hoarded sugar’.
23.There is not many traffic (a)/ along the street (b)/ where I live. (c)/ No error (d) [CDS 2011]
23.(a) ‘Traffic’ is an uncountable noun. ‘Much’ goes before an uncountable noun; ‘Many’ goes before a plural countable noun, ‘Many traffic’ should be ‘much traffic’.
24.The Ganges and (a)/ its tributaries constitute (b)/ one of the largest river-systems in the world. (c)/ No error (d)
24.(d) The sentance contains no error.
25.The number of applications has risen (a)/ this year by (b)/ as many as 50%. (c)/ No error
25.(c) The word ‘percent’ is preceded by, ‘much’, not many. ‘As many as 50% should be ‘as much as 50%’.
26.Neither Ramesh nor Rajendra (a)/ has done (b)/ their work properly. (c)/ No error (d) [Multitasking 2010]
26.(c) When a correlative conjunction is used the possessive determiner agrees with the antecedent which is nearer. ‘Their work’ should be ‘his work’.
27.Neither of the two children (a)/ said their prayer (b)/ before going to bed. (c)/ No error (d) [Tax Assistant 2009]
27.(b) ‘Neither’ requires the possessive determiner ‘his’. ‘Their prayer’should be ‘his payer’.
28.The climate of Hyderabad (a)/ is better than (b)/ Chennai. (c)/ No error (d) [Statistical Investigator 2008]
28.(c) In comparative structures ‘that’ replaces a singular noun. ‘Chennai’ should be ‘that of Chennai’.
29.If there are billions of stars in the galaxy (a)/ how much are (b)/ suitable for life. (c)/ No error (d) [Section Officer 2006]
29.(b) ‘How much’ should be ‘How many’.
30.All doubts are cleared (a)/ between (b)/ you and I. (c)/ No error (d) [Section Officer 2006]
30.(c) Because preposition are followed by an object-pronoun, ‘you and I’ should be ‘you and me’.
31.One of the questions (a)/ he asked me was (b)/ ‘who did you travel with’? (c)/ No error (d)
31.(c) Beause ‘Whom’is used for the object, ‘Who did you travel with’?, should be ‘Whom did you travel with’.
32.Any of the two (a)/ roads leads (b)/ to the station. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL (PT) 2014]
32.(a) ‘Any of the two’ should be ‘either of the two’.
33.One should (a)/ keep (b)/ his word. (c)/ No error (d
33.(c) ‘His word’ should be ‘One’s word’.
34.This is the girl (a)/ whose brother (b)/ is a doctor. (c)/ No error (d). [C.P.O. (Main) 2012]
34.(d) The sentance contains no error.
- Neither of the two boys (a)/ is sensible (b)/ enough to do this job. (c)/ No error (d)
- (d) The sentance contains no error.
1.The priest emphasized (a)/ that it is the duty (b)/ of all Christians to love each other. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL (PT) 2014]
1.(c) ‘Each other’ should be ‘One another’. ‘Each other’ is used to refer to two people and ‘One another’ is used to refer to more than two.
2.This is the boy (a)/ who I think had won (b)/ the gold medal in the dance competition. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL (PT) 2014]
2.(d) The antecedent of the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb had won.
3.One should have (a)/ their teeth ‘checked’ (b)/ every six months. (c)/ No error (d) [LDC 2015]
3.(b) ‘One’ meaning ‘anybody’ requires the possessive determiner ‘one’s’. ‘Their teeth checked’ should be ‘One’s teeth checked.’
4.Any of the two (a)/ roads leads (b)/ to the station. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL (PT) 2014
4.(a) When two persons or things are concerned ‘either’ is used. ‘Any of the two’ should be ‘either of the two’.
5.There is only one cure (a)/ to the evils which newly (b)/ acquired freedom produces and that cure is freedom. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL (PT) 2014]
5.(b) Only is followed by the relative pronoun ‘that’.
6.The children which are assembled (a)/ in the hall are the ones (b)/ chosen for the field trip. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-II 2014]
6.(a) ‘The children which are assembled’ should be ‘The children who are assembled’.
7.Science and religion (a)/ are both necessary for man and for their (b)/ outer and inner self respectively. (c)/ No error (d) [CGL TIER-I 2013]
7.(b) ‘Man’ requires the possessive determiner ‘his’. ‘Are both necessary for man and for their’should be ‘are both necessary for man and for his’.
8.A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, (a)/ contains a subject and a verb, (b)/ and it expresses a complete thought. (c)/ No error (d) [C.P.O. 2013]
8.(c) A subject pronoun is not normally used if there is already a subject in the sentence. ‘And it expresses a complete thought’ should be ‘and expresses a complete thought’.
9.The standard of living in India (a)/ is still lower (b)/ than most of the other developed countries. (c)/ No error (d) [C.P.O. (Main) 2013]
9.(c) In comparative structures, the demonstrative pronoun ‘that’ is required to avoid the repetition of asingular noun. Therefore, ‘than most of the other developed countries’ should be ‘than that of the other developed countries’.
