ACT English : Pronoun-Antecedent Gender Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store varsity tutors amazon store varsity tutors ibooks store

Example Questions

2 Next →

Example Question #11 : Pronoun Antecedent Gender Errors

Correct the italicized portion of the following sentence.

The student left they're study materials in the cafeteria.

Possible Answers:

her

his/her

their 

them

NO CHANGE

Correct answer:

his/her

Explanation:

The correct choice is "her" because "they're" is plural and a contraction for "they are." "Student" is singular, so the pronoun referring to it must be singular as well. The answer is not "their" because "their" is plural. His/her refers to a non-specific subject, but, in this sentence, the subject is clearly a singular person, so a singular, gender-specific pronoun was assigned. 

2 Next →
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors