Pronoun & Antecedents Flashcards
What is the main theme for antecedents and pronouns in SC?
In order for a sentence to effectively convey a meaning, it must be clear which noun is the antecedent of each pronoun in the sentence.
Incorrect: In a fit of anger, Jane poured the water from the vase and threw it.
Correct: In a fit of anger, Jane poured the water from the vase and threw the vase.
How to approach ‘they’, ‘this’ ‘it’
On the GMAT, sentence versions that include the infamous “they” ‘this’ ‘it’—in other words, the pronoun “they” without a clear referent—are generally not preferred.
Incorrect: After they discovered gene expression, great progress was made in developing understanding of how to prevent and solve health issues.
Better: After the discovery of gene expression, great progress was made in developing understanding of how to prevent and solve health issues.
The GMAT considers it acceptable for a noun in the possessive form to be the antecedent of a pronoun.
Example: The boss’s dog is running fast, and his cat is taking a nap.
Pronouns that correctly refer to “each” or “every” are always singular, regardless of whether “each” or “every” begins a phrase that contains a plural noun or that describes a group.
Examples:
- incorrect: each of the theories were examined and then they were categorized according to degree of plausibility.
- correct: each of the theories was examined and then it was categorized according to degree of plausibility.
‘The term ‘X’…’
When the word “term” is used in reference to the name of something, make sure that any pronouns meant to refer to that thing refer to the thing itself and not to the word “term.”
Incorrect: The term ‘social media’ is often used to describe platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, but it is actually any form of internet communication.
Correct: The term ‘social media’ is often used to describe platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, but it actually refers to any form of internet communication.
On the GMAT, versions in which pronouns refer to entire clauses are not correct.
The most common are ‘which, that, why, when, where, whose, whoever, this, it, whomever, who, and whom’. In some situations, the words what, when, and where can also function as relative pronouns.
Only correct if there is a noun or noun phrase preceding it.
Incorrect: : My dog remained lost for days, which caused me to lose sleep until it was found.
Correct: My dog remained lost for days, causing me to lose sleep until it was found.
Pronoun rules
If the pronoun is doing the action, a subject pronoun must be used.
Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who, whoever, which, that, what, everybody
If the pronoun is being acted upon or is the object of a preposition, an object pronoun must be used.
Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom, whomever, which, that, what, everybody
If the pronoun is indicating ownership, a possessive pronoun must be used.
Possessive: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs, whose, everybodys
What is the expletive ‘it’?
An expletive “it” in a sentence does not refer to any noun and is considered a “placeholder subject” that does not express any meaning.
Example: It is apparent that Milan is a skilled writer.
An expletive ‘it’ is correct if it appears in combination with a delayed subject. How can we tell? We can tell by seeing that, if we replace “it” with “that Milan is a skilled writer,” the sentence works and conveys the same meaning: ‘That Milan is a skilled writer is apparent.’
