Check Pronoun Reference For Agreement

Skill

Check Pronoun Reference For Agreement

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After you have checked that the subject and object pronouns and the possessives are used correctly, you should also check each of these pronouns and possessives for agreement. The following are examples of errors of this type that you might find on the TOEFL test:

The boys will cause trouble if you let him*.
Everyone must give their* name.

In the first example, the singular pronoun him is incorrect because it refers to the plural noun boys. This pronoun should be replaced with the plural pronoun them. In the second example, the plural possessive adjective their is incorrect because it refers to the singular everyone. This adjective should be replaced with the singular his or his or her.

The following chart outlines what you should remember about checking pronoun reference:

PRONOUN AGREEMENT

  1. Be sure that every pronoun and possessive agrees with the noun it refers to.
  2. You generally check back in the sentence for agreement.

Exercise

Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:

Each of the following sentences contains at least one pronoun or possessive. Circle the pronouns and possessives. Draw arrows to the nouns they refer to. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

  1. ___ If a person really wants to succeed, they must always work hard.
  2. ___ If you see the students from the math class, could you return their exam papers to them?
  3. ___ Some friends and I went to see a movie, and afterwards we wrote a critique about them.
  4. ___ If you have a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with me before you try to resolve them.
  5. ___ I know you had a terrible time last week, but you must try to forget about it.
  6. ___ At the start of the program, each student needs to see his advisor about his schedule.
  7. ___ In spite of its small size, these video recorders produce excellent tapes.
  8. ___ Whatever the situation, you should reflect profoundly about them before coming to a decision.
  9. ___ The people I admire most are those who manage to solve their own problems.
  10. ___ If anyone stops by while I am at the meeting, please take a message from them.

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