Indefinite Pronoun Agreement Quiz
Brief quiz concerning indefinite pronouns and correct antecedents.
Questions and Answers
- 1.
When someone is hospitalized, (he/she, they) may go into debt for life.
- A.
He/she
- B.
They
Correct Answer
A. He/sheExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Everyone n this class is late handing in (his/her, their) work.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Several of the speakers repeated (himself/herself, themselves).
- A.
Himself/herself
- B.
Themselves
Correct Answer
B. ThemselvesExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 4.
None of the students were able to finish (his/her, their) essays.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 5.
All of the jewels have lost (its,their) glow.
- A.
Its
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Each of the printers has (its,their) own number.
- A.
Its
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. ItsExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Any of these radio stations has (its,their) loyal listeners.
- A.
Its
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Everybody clapped when (his/her, their) favorite dance group appeared.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
The correct answer is "his/her" because it refers to a singular person's favorite dance group.Rate this question:
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- 9.
We heard that one of the performers injured (his/her, their) ankle during rehearsal this morning.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Is it true that someone in this classroom has had (his/her, their) speech read over the loudspeaker?
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 11.
A few of the senators were hurrying to (his/her, their) offices.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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."Rate this question:
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- 12.
Because none of the book is scary, you can read (it, them) late at night and not be frightened.
- A.
It
- B.
Them
Correct Answer
A. ItExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 13.
Many of the seagulls were hungry so (it,they) searched for food.
- A.
It
- B.
They
Correct Answer
B. TheyExplanation
The correct answer is "they" because the sentence states that "Many of the seagulls were hungry", indicating that there are multiple seagulls involved. Therefore, the pronoun "they" is used to refer to the plural subject "seagulls" and is the appropriate choice in this context.Rate this question:
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- 14.
In the first day confusion, neither of the teachers could find (his/her, their) classroom.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Some of the townspeople have voiced (its,their) approval
- A.
Its
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 16.
Several of the dancers promised (his/her, their) autographs.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 17.
Few of the reporters have (his/her, their) credentials.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
B. TheirExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 18.
Each of the girls made (her, their) own dress.
- A.
Her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. HerExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 19.
One of the victims volunteered to tell (his/her, their) story.
- A.
His/her
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. His/herExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 20.
None of the material is suitable for (its, their) purpose.
- A.
Its
- B.
Their
Correct Answer
A. ItsExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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