Error detection : (1) Principle of Grammar - Pronoun Usage

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II. Pronoun Usage

There are three areas of pronoun usage tested by the Common Error tests; whether ( i ) a pronoun has a proper antecedent, ( ii ) agreement between pronoun and antecedent, and ( iii ) choice of pronoun case. ( i ) We know that a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, so a properly used pronoun will have an ‘ antecedent ’ (also called a ‘referent’ ). This is the word that pronoun substitutes for. Setting aside certain idioms, such as It’s raining , in which the ‘ It ’ does not have an identifiable antecedent, a pronoun that lacks a clear antecedent is used incorrectly. For example,

( a ) During her rise to fame 1)/ she betrayed many of her 2)/ friends and because of it, 3)/ very few people trust her. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above question is (3). A pronoun must have an antecedent, but it doesn ’t refer to anything. ‘ It ’ wants refer to the ‘ woman’s behaviour ’, but that phrase doesn’t appear in the original sentence. Corrected the sentence reads ‘ because of her behaviour ’.

( b ) Ten years ago, the United States imported 1)/ ten times as much French wine as 2)/ Italian wine, but today Americans are 3)/ drinking more of it. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (4). The antecedent of ‘ it ’ is unclear. Does the sentence mean to state that Americans are drinking more French wine or more Italian wine? It could be either. The sentence is corrected by specifying which.

( ii ) A pronoun must agree with its antecedent both in number and person. For example,

( a ) Although a police officer used to be 1)/ a symbol of authority 2)/ today they receive 3)/ little respect from most people. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (3). The pronoun ‘ they ’ refers to ‘ police officer ’, which is singular. The best way to correct it is to say ‘ he or she receives ’.

( b ) The abbot was an effective 1)/ administrator who attempted to assign 2)/ each monk a task particul arly suited to 3)/ their tal ents and training. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (4). ‘ Their ’ refers to ‘ each monk ’. But ‘ their ’ is plural and ‘ each monk ’ is singular. The sentence is corrected by changing ‘ their ’ to ‘ his ’.

( c ) After three years of college education 1)/ a person should be allowed to apply to graduate school 2)/ because by that time you are 3)/ ready to choose a profession. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (3). ‘ You ’ refers to ‘ person ’. But ‘ you ’ is a second person pronoun and ‘ person ’ requires a third person pronoun. The sentence is corrected by changing ‘ you are ’ to ‘ one is ’. This error is also called ‘ the error of shifting subjects ’. ( iii )Pronouns have case, and a pronoun’s function is a sentence determines which case should be used. Subje ctive Case (also calle d Nominative Case ) pronouns are used as subjects of sentences; objective case pronouns are used as objects (direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions); and posse ssive case pronouns are use d to show possession. For example,

( a ) The judge wer e unable t o make 1) / a final decision on a single winner 2)/ so they divided 3)/ first prize between Jeet and he. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (4). ‘ He ’ cannot serve as the object of a preposition since it is a subject pronoun. The correct pronoun here is the object pronoun ‘ him ’.

( b ) Although Praveen had been looking 1)/ forward to  the debate for weeks 2)/ a sore throat prevented 3)/ him taking part. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (4). ‘ Him ’ modifies ‘ taking ’, but the correct choice of pronoun is ‘ his ’, (when a pronoun modifies a gerund, the -ing form of a verb, we must use the possessive case).