Pronouns and Antecedents

Question 1

Antecedent/referent

Answer 1

noun which a pronoun refers to

-> we can identify the pronouns and see what the pronouns refer to

Question 2

If a repetition of a noun is required to clarify the meaning of a sentence

Answer 2

the repetition is not considered redundancy in the GMAT

Question 3

Sometimes when there are multiple nouns in a sentence to which there are multiple nouns in a sentence to which the pronoun can refer to

Answer 3

which noun is the referent of the pronoun may be clear because meaning indicates which noun the pronoun refers to
i.e: This year, a record number of women are vying for the governorship and they are making a strong showing in the primaries

Question 4

Issue #2: Pronoun’s antecedent is missing from the sentence

Answer 4

we may encounter sentences that feature a pronoun but lack an antecendent: there will be pronoun in the sentence but there will not be a corresponding noun
i.e: I am sure that they will arrive soon
(what’who does that they refer to)

Question 5

Versions that are illogical, awkward, or ineffective because they contain pronouns without clear referents

Answer 5

are generally not preferred

Question 6

They without a clear referent are

Answer 6

generally not prefered

i. e: After they discovered gene expression, great progress was made in developing understading of how to prevent and solve health issue
- > what does the they refer to?
i. e: Years of people’s smoking in Grand Centeral Terminal in New York left the ceiling covered in dark residue, its manginifecent color and designs obscured like that, until the terminal was restored in the 1990s. -> what does that refer to

Question 7

The expletive it : correct

Answer 7

Although the project was challenging, it was clear that the team was making progress
-> this it stands in for the noun clasue -> “that the team was making progress”

Question 8

Is it correct to delay the subject of a clause and use the expletive “it” as a stand in for the subject

Answer 8

Yup it’s!

• > Whenever Jim sings, it is apparent that he really enjoys performing. (correct)
• > In the past, people frequently burned leaves that they had gathered but it’s rare now.

Question 9

Pronouns must agree with its

Answer 9

antecedent

• > singular agree with singular and plural agree with plural
  i. e: The prices at the department store are set high, and it is marked down to normal levels on sale days

Question 10

Pronouns that have each and every are always

Answer 10

singular

Question 11

Possessive pronouns and indefenite pronouns must agree

Answer 11

in the number
-> Anyone can make a different in her or his community when working alone, but effecting change is often easier when one is working as a part of a like-minded collective

Question 12

Everyone

Answer 12

Singular

-> Everyone has his own problems

Question 13

If the pronouns is doing the action

Answer 13

a subject pronoun must be used

Question 14

If the pronoun is being acted upon or is the object of a preposition

Answer 14

an object pronoun must be used

Question 15

If the pronoun is indicating ownership

Answer 15

a possesive pronoun must be used

Question 16

Using the object pronoun when the pronoun is actually acting as the subject of the sentence or the clause

Answer 16

is an error in the pronoun case

• > On the new chef’s first day, the restaurant owner and him spent hours talking about the menu
• – him?? should be he

Question 17

When we have pronoun as part of a compound subject or object

Answer 17

we can drop the other part of the compound subject or object (the part that is not pronoun). Then we read it without the pronoun
-> Mary and (I/me) went to the beach
Answer: Mary and I went to the beach
-> The investigators assured the CEO that the team being sent would include the director and them

Question 18

Who

Answer 18

used for person

-> That the department head would resign soon was obvious, but who would serve as the new head was not

Question 19

Whom

Answer 19

-> refer to when the person receives an action

Question 20

When to use who/whoever or whom/whomever

Answer 20

Replace he or him
him=m=whom
-> Each of the experts (who/whom) had analyzed the results was given an opportunity to speak. (He had analyzed…)

Question 21

The word term is used in reference to the name of something

Answer 21

make sure that any pronouns meant to that thing refer to the thing itself and not the word “term”

• > The label “socialism” has long been avoided by many, but recent stories have made it more mainstream idealogy (incorrect)(
• > The label “socialism” has long been avoided by many, but recent stories have made socialism more mainstream idealogy

Question 22

When the word such as “term”, “label” or “name” introduces a noun in quotes

Answer 22

be on the lookout for a pronouns-antecedent error in the sentence

• > People often say the brand name Coke when they order it in a restaurant, but what they actually are asking for is any cola (wrong) -> because you can’t order brand name
• > People often say the brand name Coke when they order cola in a restaurant, but what they actually are asking for is any cola (correct)

Question 23

The writer may add unnecessary pronouns to incorrect answer choices to test-takers attention to detail

Answer 23

Rich Roll, once an unhealthy corporate lawyer, he decided to change his life at the age 40 -> incorrect (unnecessary he)
Correct: Rich Roll, once an unhealthy corporate lawyer, decided to change his life at the age -> correct

Question 24

Sometimes in a sentence, a word that would serve as the intended antecedent of a pronoun is present but acting, not as a noun, but as another part of speech (usually adjective) and therefore cannot function logically as the antecedent.

Answer 24

• > I wish the bread were at the front of the store so that I could purchase it more conveniently. (incorrect)
• > Jason was nervous about the chemistry exam because it was not his best subject (wrong)
• –> Jason was nervous about the chemistry exam because the chemistry was not his best subject

Question 25

Pronouns refer to the entire clause are

Answer 25

not preferred
-> My dog remained lost for days, which cause me to lose sleep until it was found (wrong)
–> My dog remained lost for days, causing me to lose sleep until it was found (correct)
=> Causing modifies the entire sentence
–> I lost sleep until my dog, which remained lost for days, was found

Question 26

Is this correct?

-> The job was less difficult than Shane had expected it to be, but that didn’t make up for the lack of pay

Answer 26

No

Correct answer: The job was less difficult than Shan head expected it to be, but that didn’t make up for the lack of pay

Question 27

Is this correct?

-> The road was severely damaged, and it made driving on it almost impossible

Answer 27

Wrong
Correct version: The road was severely damaged, and so, driving on it was almost impossible
: Driving on the road was almost impossible because it was severely damaged

Question 28

Is this correct
–> Natural processes that occur at the Bonneville Salt causes them to have smooth surfaces, and that makes the area ideal for testing of high-speed land vehicles

Answer 28

No
-> that is incorrectly is
used
-> Correct version: Natural processes that occur at the Bonneville Salt causes them to have smooth surfaces making the area ideal for testing of high-speed land vehicles

Question 29

Demonstrative pronouns takes place of a noun and always stands alone. A demonstrative adjective is always immediately followed by a noun, as adjective modify nouns

Answer 29

Example:

• > This bakery has a better selections of breads, bit that bakery has more exotic pastries
• > The pastries at the bakery on the corner are more exotics than those across the street

Question 30

A personal pronouns such as “it”, “she”, “he”, “they” or “them”

Answer 30

directly refers to the antecedent it replaces

-> Once the plane reached 180 knots, it gracefully lifted off the runway -> it refers to the plane

Question 31

Do “that”, and “those” refer directly to their antecedents

Answer 31

no

-> The speed of today’s cars well exceeds that of car of the 1950s