Pronouns are essential for avoiding repetition in sentences, but their use can sometimes lead to confusion. This module focuses on understanding pronouns, using them properly, and resolving ambiguity by replacing unclear pronouns with specific nouns. The determination of which pronoun is correct often comes down to whether its antecedent is singular or plural. (Remember that the antecedent is the noun that is replaced and referred to by the pronoun.)
Approach Question
Should you leave the sentence below as it is or opt for one of the three alternatives listed in the answer choices?
The lemur is distinguished from other primates by its wet and hairless nose.
A. NO CHANGE
B. it’s
C. they’re
D. their
The differences here are classics of classroom confusion: is it “its” or “it’s”? Is it “their” or “they’re”? One way to wrap both of these ideas together is to observe that possessive pronouns do not have an apostrophe. So “its” and “their” must be the pronouns meaning “belonging to it” and “belonging to them,” respectively.
This rule helps you recognize that “it’s” and “they’re” are both contractions of two words; neither one can be the answer here. The only remaining question is, Do we want a singular or plural pronoun? The question is harder than it may seem given that “lemur” is a collective noun: it points to a plural idea (all lemurs) but is grammatically singular.
Since it is singular, “its” is the best choice. The answer is **NO CHANGE"".
General Strategy
Know how pronouns are useful.
Pronouns avoid repetition in sentences; thanks to pronouns, we can say “Meredith loves her dog” instead of the clunky “Meredith loves Meredith’s dog.”
Pronouns can start subordinate clauses to give color to a sentence.
I bought a veggie tray, which I then placed on the buffet table.
Romeo is the character to whom Juliet, says, “Wherefore, wherefore art thou …”.
Try this question now.
Should you leave the sentence below as it is or opt for one of the three alternatives listed in the answer choices?
Although Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican elected president, it was John C. Fremont which, in 1856, had the honor of being the first Republican presidential candidate.
A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. to whom
D. who
(spoiler)
Since this question asks us to distinguish between “who” and “whom”, this is a good place to insert the note that we can test the difference by inserting “he” for “who” and “him” for “whom”. In other words, in this sentence, should we say “he had the honor …” or “him had the honor …” It’s clearly the first, so we can eliminate “whom”. We can also eliminate “which” because we are talking about a person; we use “who” for people and “which” for things. And if “which” is out, then certainly “to which” is out; there’s no reason for the “to” in the syntax of this sentence. The answer is D.
Recognize the different types of pronouns.
Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Possessive: my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Reflexive: myself, yourself, himself
Demonstrative: this, that, these, those
Relative: who, whom, whose, which, that
Indefinite: someone, anything, each
Try this question now.
Should you leave the sentence below as it is or opt for one of the three alternatives listed in the answer choices?
Alexander Solzhenitsyn criticized the regime Josef Stalin and, for this reason, Stalin sentenced himself to eight years in the Russian prison system known as the gulag.
A. NO CHANGE
B. him
C. one
D. them
(spoiler)
It would be mighty interesting if Stalin sentenced himself to prison! This is clearly not the time for the reflexive pronoun. We can’t use “them” because only one person is being sent to prison, and “one” only works when the sentence is speaking about a generic person without naming a name. (If “one” is the right answer on the CLT, typically “one” will appear someone else in the sentence as well.)
The most natural rendering is that Stalin sentenced “him” to prison. The answer is B.
Avoid common errors with pronouns.
Pronouns can be too vague, making the meaning of the sentence unclear.
Incorrect example: Lauren and Sara took her car to the mechanic.
Correct example: Lauren and Sara took Lauren’s car to the mechanic.
The most frequent error has to do with agreement (singular vs. plural).
Incorrect example: Everyone has their opinion.
Correct example: Everyone has his or her opinion.
Incorrect example: The girls, each accompanied by their mother, filed into the Mother-Daughter Dance.
Correct example: The girls, each accompanied by her mother, filed into the Mother-Daughter Dance.
Errors can also occur by mistaking a pronoun acting as a subject for one acting as an object.
Incorrect example: Trevor and me rode our bikes to the store.
Correct example: Trevor and I rode our bikes to the store.
Incorrect example: Parents care deeply for their children and do much for the love of they.
Correct example: Parents care deeply for their children and do much for the love of them.
Try this question now.
Should you leave the sentence below as it is or opt for one of the three alternatives listed in the answer choices?
Because pronouns can help a sentence flow more cleanly, they should use them frequently.
A. NO CHANGE
B. she
C. them
D. students
(spoiler)
This is an example of pronoun vagueness. Who, exactly, is the “they” who should use pronouns frequently? From the original sentence, we can’t tell. In a case like this, the right answer will replace the vague pronoun with something specific. No pronoun will do; “she” isn’t any better, and “them” is even worse because it’s an object form when we need a subject form. The concrete “students” works well; the answer is D.
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