1.
When someone is hospitalized, (he/she, they) may go into debt for life.
Correct Answer
A. He/she
Explanation
When someone is hospitalized, they may go into debt for life. The correct pronoun to use in this sentence is "he/she." This is because "he/she" is a singular pronoun that can be used to refer to a person of either gender. Using "they" in this context would imply that multiple individuals are going into debt, which is not the intended meaning of the sentence.
2.
Everyone n this class is late handing in (his/her, their) work.
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it is a singular pronoun that agrees with the subject "everyone." It is used to indicate that each individual in the class is responsible for handing in their own work. Using "their" would be incorrect because it is a plural pronoun and does not agree with the singular subject.
3.
Several of the speakers repeated (himself/herself, themselves).
Correct Answer
B. Themselves
Explanation
The correct answer is "themselves" because the subject "several speakers" is plural, so the pronoun used to refer back to them should also be plural. "Themselves" is the appropriate reflexive pronoun in this context.
4.
None of the students were able to finish (his/her, their) essays.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because it is the plural pronoun that agrees with the plural noun "students." Using "his/her" would imply that each student only had one essay, which is not specified in the sentence.
5.
All of the jewels have lost (its,their) glow.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because "jewels" is a plural noun and requires a plural pronoun to agree with it. "Their" is the plural form of the pronoun "it" and is used to refer to multiple objects or people. In this sentence, "their" indicates that all of the jewels have lost their glow, emphasizing that each individual jewel has lost its own glow.
6.
Each of the printers has (its,their) own number.
Correct Answer
A. Its
Explanation
The correct answer is "its" because "each" is a singular pronoun and requires a singular possessive pronoun to match. Therefore, "its" is the appropriate pronoun to indicate that each printer has its own number. "Their" is a plural pronoun and would not be suitable in this context.
7.
Any of these radio stations has (its,their) loyal listeners.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because the phrase "any of these radio stations" implies that there are multiple radio stations being referred to. Since each radio station would have its own set of loyal listeners, the possessive pronoun "their" is used to indicate ownership by the respective radio stations.
8.
Everybody clapped when (his/her, their) favorite dance group appeared.
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it refers to a singular person's favorite dance group.
9.
We heard that one of the performers injured (his/her, their) ankle during rehearsal this morning.
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because the sentence is referring to a singular performer. Since we don't know the gender of the performer, "his/her" is used as a gender-neutral pronoun to indicate that either a male or female performer injured their ankle.
10.
Is it true that someone in this classroom has had (his/her, their) speech read over the loudspeaker?
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it is a gender-neutral pronoun that can be used to refer to a singular person. In this context, it suggests that either a male or female student in the classroom has had their speech read over the loudspeaker. "Their" is a plural pronoun and would imply that multiple people in the classroom have had their speeches read.
11.
A few of the senators were hurrying to (his/her, their) offices.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because the word "senators" is plural, indicating that there is more than one senator. Therefore, the pronoun used to refer to them should also be plural, which is "their."
12.
Because none of the book is scary, you can read (it, them) late at night and not be frightened.
Correct Answer
A. It
Explanation
The correct answer is "it". The explanation for this is that the sentence states that none of the books are scary, so you can read "it" (referring to a single book) late at night and not be frightened. The word "them" would imply that there are multiple scary books, which contradicts the given information.
13.
In the first day confusion, neither of the teachers could find (his/her, their) classroom.
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it is grammatically correct to use the singular pronoun "his" or "her" to refer to each individual teacher. Using the plural pronoun "their" would imply that both teachers were unable to find multiple classrooms, which is not the intended meaning of the sentence.
14.
Some of the townspeople have voiced (its,their) approval
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because "townspeople" is a plural noun referring to multiple individuals, so the possessive pronoun "their" is used to show that the approval belongs to them collectively.
15.
Several of the dancers promised (his/her, their) autographs.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because "several" is a plural pronoun, indicating that there are multiple dancers involved. Therefore, the pronoun "their" is used to show possession, indicating that each dancer promised their own autographs.
16.
Few of the reporters have (his/her, their) credentials.
Correct Answer
B. Their
Explanation
The correct answer is "their" because it is a gender-neutral pronoun that can be used to refer to a group of reporters. Since the sentence does not specify the gender of the reporters, "their" is the appropriate pronoun to use in this context.
17.
Each of the girls made (her, their) own dress.
Correct Answer
A. Her
Explanation
The correct answer is "her" because the word "each" indicates that the action of making the dress was done individually by each girl. Therefore, each girl made "her" own dress, not "their" own dress.
18.
One of the victims volunteered to tell (his/her, their) story.
Correct Answer
A. His/her
Explanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it is a singular pronoun that can be used to refer to a single person of either gender. In this sentence, it is used to indicate that one of the victims, regardless of their gender, volunteered to tell their story. Using "their" would imply that multiple victims volunteered, which is not stated in the sentence.
19.
None of the material is suitable for (its, their) purpose.
Correct Answer
A. Its
Explanation
The correct answer is "its". This is because the word "material" is singular, so it requires a singular pronoun to refer to it. "Its" is the correct singular pronoun in this case.
20.
Many of the seagulls were hungry so (it/they) searched for food.
Correct Answer
B. They
Explanation
The correct pronoun in the sentence "Many of the seagulls were hungry so they searched for food" is "they." Since the subject "seagulls" is plural, the pronoun "they" is appropriate to refer to them. The use of "they" ensures agreement in number between the subject and the pronoun, making the sentence grammatically correct.