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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Penelope always thought of the most fabulous witty comebacks two hours after the situation in which she could have used it. No error
In this sentence, the pronoun “it” (singular) refers to “witty comebacks” (plural). These words should agree in number. The corrected sentence reads, "Penelope always thought of the most fabulous witty comebacks two hours after the situation in which she could have used them."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The mayor has often proposed reductions in the sales tax because shoppers can benefit from this whenever they shop. No error
Pronouns and their antecedents must agree. In this sentence, "reductions" is plural, while "this" is singular, so "this" contains the sentence's error.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
When he saw the perfect gift for his mom at the mall, he decided to buy it for them. No error
The antecedent of the word "them," a plural pronoun, is the word "mom," a singular noun. Pronouns need to match their antecedents' gender and number, so the singular feminine pronoun "her" should be used instead of the plural pronoun "them."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The schools in that area have always been known for its strong academics, athletic program, and up-to-date facilities. No error
The subject of the sentence is "schools," a plural noun. So, one should not use "its," a singular possessive pronoun, to refer to "schools," a plural noun. Replacing "its" with "their" would correct the sentence's error.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The threat of the winter storm caused Bob to delay his flight to New York to visit their family for Christmas. No error
In this sentence, an error occurs when the possessive plural pronoun "their" is used to refer to a singular masculine antecedent, "Bob." Instead of using the plural possessive pronoun "their," one should use the singular masculine possessive pronoun "his."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Instead of accepting the aliens’ offer to take over, the humans rejected them and attempted vainly to fight back. No error
This sentence has a disagreement between a pronoun and its antecedent. The “offer” is singular and “them” is plural. The corrected sentence reads, "Instead of accepting the aliens’ offer to take over, the humans rejected it and attempted vainly to fight back."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although John was excited to meet his new teacher, he was also nervous because he didn't know what their instruction style would be like. No error
Although the gender of the teacher is not specified, "teacher" is still singular. Therefore, the plural possessive pronoun "their" should not be used. Rather than using "their," the sentence should say "his or her."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I hate having to go to the doctor because they always ask very invasive questions that make me uncomfortable. No error
The word, "doctor" is singular. Therefore, pronouns that refer back to the doctor should also be singular. "They" is plural and therefore is incorrect; the phrase "he or she" should be used in the sentence, as we do not know the doctor's gender.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
In order for a person to balance a career and family, it is essential that they be able to prioritize all the things that must be accomplished. No error
The subject of this sentence is "person." Therefore, the pronoun should be the singular "he or she," not the plural "they."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
New York and Los Angeles have experienced a cultural boom in the past decade, as its restaurant scenes have been booming with new talent. No error
Given that the subject of the sentence is "New York and Los Angeles," which is plural, the pronoun "its" should also be plural. Therefore, "its" should be "their."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The flock of geese flew rapidly through the air for miles on end until they became fatigued and had to land to rest. No error
"Flock of geese" is singular. Therefore, the corresponding verb should refer to a singular subject, not a plural one. "They" should be changed to "it."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
That university is particularly known for their strong film program and dedication to the creative arts. No error
This sentence contains a discrepancy in agreement of plurals. "University" is a singular noun, not a plural noun, so the correct possessive pronoun should be "its," not "their."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Small in size, the mongoose may not seem like an imposing creature, but when threatened they can fight off and even slay a large predator such as the king cobra. No error
"They," a plural pronoun, is used in the sentence to refer to "the mongoose," a singular subject. So, "they" should be changed to "it."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
An actress who struggles with memorization should study their lines daily. No error
"Their" is a possessive pronoun that indicates that an object belongs to several owners. However, this sentence refers to a single actress, so the lines only belong to one person. Therefore, the best pronoun to use is "her" because it matches the singular nature of the subject: sheshould study herlines. The correct sentence would be "An actress who struggles with memorization should study herlines daily."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
A professor who assigns an unreasonable amount of reading for their students may never earn the class's approval. No error
"Their" is a possessive pronoun that indicates that someone belongs to several people. This sentence, however, refers to a single subject (a professor), so the best pronoun to use is one that signifies that an object belongs to one person: in this case, his students. Even though "students" is plural, the plurality of the object does not impact the possessive pronoun. Only the plurality of the subject matters, so "his" is the correct pronoun, making the corrected sentence "A professor who assigns an unreasonable amount of reading for his students may never earn the class's approval."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The toucan is primarily recognized by its bright colors; they are painted a vibrant mixture of red, yellow, and blue. No error
The plural pronoun "they" refers back to the subject of the first part of the sentence, "The toucan." Since this noun is singular, the pronoun should be too. Changing "they" to "it" corrects the sentence's error. The corrected sentence reads, "The toucan is primarily recognized by its bright colors; it is painted a mixture of vibrant red, yellow, and blue."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Despite their propensity to frighten young children, the garden snake is actually quite harmless. No error
The plural pronoun "their" refers to the singular noun "the garden snake". These should agree in number. Changing "their" to "its" corrects the sentence's error. The corrected sentence reads, "Despite its propensity to frighten young children, the garden snake is actually quite harmless."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The department received most of their funding from private donors who were interested in the research. No error
The pronoun "their" should refer to a plural noun, but here it refers to the singular noun "department". A singular pronoun should be used: "The department received most of its funding from private donors who were interested in the research."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The admissions committee benefited from their decision to accept him, as he proved to be an industrious student. No error
An admissions committee is a thing or a body, so its possessive adjective would be “its.” If the sentence read, “The members of the admissions committee,” “their” would be correct.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The queen and king agreed that no merchant should ever be knighted, no matter how great a difference they made for the country. No error
In the above sentence, the clause "no merchant should ever be knighted" is being modified by the phrase "no matter how great a difference they made for the country," which means that the pronoun "they" has the antecedent "merchant." Since "merchant" is singular, the pronoun(s) used to replace "merchant" should also be singular—in this case, "he or she."
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