Pronoun Agreement Exercise (177)

Pronouns agree with their verbs in number (singular or plural) and with their antecedents in gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter).

  • Both the bathroom and the kitchen need to have _____ plumbing fixtures replaced.

  • Each of these used cars has had ____ Vehicle Identification Numbers filed down.

  • The hospitality committee received a commendation for _____ work at the state convention.

  • The speaker emphasized the fact that every writer must be responsible for _____ own opinion.

  • My cousin Sally, like many other Americans, believes everything _____ hears on Fox News.

Answers and Explanations

1. Both the bathroom and the kitchen need to have their plumbing fixtures replaced.

Both is plural.

2. Each of these used cars has had its Vehicle Identification Numbers filed down.

Each is singular.

3. The hospitality committee received a commendation for its work at the state convention.

When a collective noun is used in the sense of unity, it is considered singular. The committee in the example is being honored for work done by the membership as a unified whole.

4. The speaker emphasized the fact that every writer must be responsible for his own opinion.

Every writer is singular. One could recast the sentence to be able to use the gender neutral pronoun "their": The speaker emphasized the fact that writers must be responsible for their own opinions.

5. My cousin Sally, like many other Americans, believes everything she hears on Fox News.

The antecedent, cousin Sally, is singular and feminine, so the pronoun required is she.

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