Pronoun Agreement Quiz
The waitstaff take breaks only after [they have] served all of [its] guests. Management, however, wants [them] to take breaks at strictly scheduled times.
Change [its] to their.
If either of Leonard's nieces hopes to try one of Louise's famous fudge-stuffed mushrooms, _____ had better hurry before the other guests devour all these delicious treats.
she
Both the living room furniture and the kitchen counter have _____ scarred from cigarettes that my chain-smoking Aunt Mary carelessly put down.
their surfaces
Neither the raw oysters nor the crispy fried squid tentacles appeal to Christine, who would never consider letting _____ touch her lips.
them
Students in Freshman Composition—even Lorena with her smart mouth—never make bald jokes in front of Professor Ortiz, for he will make _____ read their papers aloud in class.
them
So boring was the lecture that Cindy focused solely on her professor's moving hands; _____ jumped and twitched like electrified spiders on the surface of the podium.
they
My thirty-six-year-old brother still prizes a squirrel skull and a cigar box full of baseball cards because _____ from his happy childhood.
they are relics
My weird neighbors believe that the Loch Ness Monster ate Elvis, but _____ that space aliens have kidnapped the brain of the President.
they disagree
In their competition to have the fastest vehicle, neither of my brothers considered how a V-8 engine would drain _____ during the frequent trips to the gas pump to fill the tank.
his wallet
If Tito's Taco Palace continues to increase _____ prices, Samantha will not be able to afford even the cheapest lunch burrito.
its
Not only the comma errors but also the poor word choice frustrated Professor O'Brien as she marked _____ frequent occurrence in Roger's research paper.
its
Captain Kirk, as well as the other bridge crew, denied that _____ had dented the right thruster of the Enterprise while buzzing a Romulan outpost.
he
Each of my brothers has some lame excuse why _____ will not recycle or carpool.
he
Each of these NFL players can remember a game when _____ played despite a pulled muscle, injured knee, or cracked rib.
he
My friend Eric, like too many students in our Basic Spanish class, believes that _____ need to learn a foreign language.
he does not
As we slogged through Melville's Moby-Dick, Professor Carson asked us to determine the motivation of each character on the Pequod and what archetype _____.
he represents
During the car trip to the coast, neither of my sisters could get _____ beauty sleep in the back seat because our old car bounced along on bad shock absorbers.
her
Either the assistant managers or Mrs. Wallace, the owner, must give _____ permission for you to return that half-eaten double cheeseburger.
her
My fiesty grandmother, as well as many other older women, will call an eligible bachelor first rather than waiting for him to call _____.
her
Neither Mrs. Wallace, the owner, nor Serena, your server, will open _____ register to refund your money for that half-eaten double cheeseburger.
her
Our boss Mrs. Wallace, like Beverly and Jeremiah, will spend _____ lunch break eating pepperoni pizza at the restaurant across the street.
her
On the hike throught the forest, not only all the Girl Scouts but also Mrs. Pennington, the troop leader, looked up in surprise as a giant spaceship descended from the sky and hovered above _____.
her head
Before my lecture on good nutrition, neither of my uncles knew that chocolate-broccoli muffins were a good way to increase _____ intake of vitamin C.
his
Neither of my brothers realized that _____ splashing legs were captivating a hungry shark cruising under the waves.
his
Not only the cats but also Jasper the dog believes that the bed is _____, and humans are permitted to sleep on it only because they warm the mattress.
his
Not only the crickets but also a frog chirped outside David's window for so long last night that _____ kept the poor boy from getting any rest before his important pronoun agreement quiz.
it
The Committee of Victorious Vegetarians picketed the cafeteria so that _____ could protest the cruel and unusual treatment of plant matter by the cooks.
it
The Galati family soon realized that _____ must vacuum more frequently to keep the hair of Coco, the new Labrador retriever puppy, from sticking to everyone's feet.
it
Tito's Taco Palace gave Samantha a refund after _____ charged her account for twenty burritos instead of two.
it
Every puppy and kitten will cry at night until _____ owner offers a spot on the bed.
its
The city's marine aquarium spends thousands of dollars a day to feed _____ animals fresh fish, crustaceans, and seaweed flown in from around the world.
its
The committee made a unanimous decision to use _____ bake sale funds to buy plane tickets to Hawaii instead of new uniforms for the band members.
its
The new and improved laundry detergent uses _____ special powers to clean the mud from Hector's pants.
its
The nursing program at the college can boast that _____ students often have a 100 percent pass rate on the state boards.
its
The troupe of jugglers shocked _____ audience when an ill-flung knife impaled our friend Jarod's foot.
its
When classes begin this year, Edgewater High School will allow _____ students to have visible piercings only in their ears.
its
When the earthquake shook everyone awake, the family dashed outside without worrying about _____ possessions in the house.
its
With the right training, every puppy and kitten eventually learns not to urinate on _____ owner's floor.
its
After impaling Jarod's foot, the knife jugglers jumped into _____ van and sped away.
their
Every piece of Debra's jewelry glittered in the light; _____ gave the impression that Debra had been dipped in gold.
it
At the neighborhood grocery store, all of the cashiers, shoppers, and managers held _____ breath as a circus ringmaster led a baby elephant down the snack aisle to buy unsalted peanuts.
their
Either Ryan or his brothers will give _____ socks to a stranger complaining about blisters.
their
Not only Mayor Lopez but also the city council members donated _____ lunch money to a downtown shelter for World Hunger Day.
their
Sonya must remember to buy shampoo so that her roommates can wash _____ hair tomorrow morning with something other than dish soap.
their
The new and improved laundry detergent restored Hector's mud-stained pants to _____ original condition.
their
Watching the new recruits marching in the hot sun, the two drill sergeants made bets on how many soldiers would vomit _____ lunch during the strenuous exercise.
their
After closing the restaurant, the pizzeria staff drove home, fell into _____, and dreamed about things as diverse as race cars, poodles, and skies full of spinning pepperoni slices.
their beds
Neither Oreo, my dog, nor Blaze and Chance, my cousins, will give up _____, even if I ask politely.
their cookies
The class brought _____ only to discover that an amiable substitute teacher was showing a movie that required no note-taking.
their heavy textbooks
Both the computer screen and the refrigerator door have _____ smeared with dog snot from our curious puppy Oreo.
their shiny surfaces
After using the scissors to trim the loose thread on his new suit, Marvin left _____ on the couch where his mother later stabbed her thigh on the sharp points.
them
Jenny threatened to stab her husband Bill with the $150 sewing scissors because he had used _____ to cut roofing shingles.
them
While Nuclear Toasters performed during the Battle of the Bands, Mark and Pedro made _____ dizzy while head banging in the crowd.
themselves
All intelligent people know that _____ will suffer indigestion after eating a chocolate-broccoli muffin.
they
All of the clowns, acrobats, animal trainers, and audience members gasped in horror when _____ saw the knife juggler accidentally slice off his own hand with a chainsaw.
they
If students want to do well on the pronoun agreement quiz, _____ should have faithfully studied all the rules governing agreement.
they
If those gourmands want a food adventure, _____ should try Tito's Taco Palace, which provides at least one exotic, high-protein insect in every tortilla.
they
Mrs. Wallace rambled for forty-five long minutes before she finally asked for imput from the staff. All the servers, especially Monique and Ralph, wished that _____ had bought a cup of coffee before coming to the meeting.
they
Neither Floyd the dog nor Madison's three cats enjoy sleeping on the hard, cold floor when _____ can jump onto the soft, warm bed as soon as she leaves for work.
they
These two young men will not pass the final exam in Fundamentals of Biology because _____ spent the semester flirting with the pretty Josephine instead of listening to Professor Shuman.
they have
When a tornado appeared on the horizon, the family agreed that _____ would have to postpone the picnic.
it
Each of Mike's ties has such a colorful psychedelic pattern that _____ the people who see it.
it hypnotizes
The 4x400 metre relay team has been unbeatable because _____ like a machine, all parts working together for maximum performance.
it operates
After complaining to the amiable substitute about aching backs, the class enjoyed _____ day of respite from old Professor Matthews and his nonstop lecturing.
its
Each tomato, cucumber, pepper, and green bean luxuriated in the cool spray of the sprinkler while the water washed off _____ dusty skin.
its
Every student, professor, librarian, groundskeeper, secretary, and coach cheered with approval when the cafeteria staff agreed to treat more kindly the vegetables under _____ care.
its
The catering committee did not care that _____ squid eyeball stew made everyone at the Halloween dance violently ill.
its
The faculty believes that _____ mission is to prepare students to be good citizens as well as good employees.
its
Tito's Taco Palace stuffs _____ tortillas with many unusual items; for example, you can order peanut butter and guava jelly burritos or cricket and mango tacos.
its
Not only the customers but also Tiffany, the waitress on duty, ran for the emergency exit when _____ saw the giant green Martian walk into the diner.
she
My grandmother, as well as too many other Americans, believes every silly word that _____ in trashy supermarket tabloids.
she reads
My cousins Amanda and Ralph will not park in the spot reserved for Gloria because that girl will call a tow truck to remove [his] vehicle.
Change [his] to their.
In Jack's kitchen, each cup, plate, bowl, and glass has [their] rim chipped by careless dishwashing.
Change [their] to its.
If [drivers] thoughtfully used [their] turn signals, [he or she] would find that the daily commute required less honking, cursing, and fist shaking.
Change [he or she] to they.
Both Diane and her cat, Big Toe Joe, take [her or his] afternoon naps under the green quilt on the living room sofa.
Change [her or his] to their.
Leroy prefers an online retailer because [it will] often have special sales, and if Leroy spends enough money, [they] will ship for free. For every pair of jeans that Leroy owns, he will brag about how much money he saved [buying it] online.
Change [they] to it.
Before students—even the adventurous Chris—bite into a cafeteria sandwich, [they] should lift the bun and check for caterpillars in the lettuce.
No change is necessary.
Not only the restaurant patrons but also Isabella, the busy hostess, whirled [her] head in the direction of the kitchen when Isaiah dropped the tray of expensive champagne glasses.
No change is necessary.
The team agreed that [their] strategy of fair play was ineffective against the constantly cheating Tyson High Tigers.
Change [their] to its.
Neither of my uncles believes that death is a reality for [them]. During the weekend, these two buddies spend [their time] jumping out of airplanes, never worrying that [their parachutes] might fail.
Change [them] to him.
The class voted unanimously to write one long research paper instead of several short essays for [its] final grade. But once the difficult projects began, some students wished that [they] could change [their] minds.
No change is necessary.
Yesterday when Amir was in his calculus class, Bryan's snoring and Beverly's bubble gum smacking were so loud that [they] distracted him from Professor Armour's lecture.
No change is necessary.
As a result of Coach Moody's demanding training, the team from Weaver High School inevitably outperforms _____ competition at every track meet.
its
At the Halloween dance, the catering committee received many compliments for _____ squid eyeball stew.
its
Bernie's Burger Emporium claims that _____ burgers are low fat, but the optional condiments that I require to make the dry patties palatable add plenty of calories.
its
Each of these computers has _____ own technical glitch that can frustrate the user.
its
Do you think that any of these playlists will calm down high-strung Helena with _____ soothing melodies?
their
People who eat too much peanut brittle risk chipping _____ teeth.
their
Both of my sisters believe that Mom and Dad love our brother Fred more than _____.
them
Eli needed scissors to cut through the thick mailing tape that wrapped the box of chocolate-covered ants, but he could not find _____ anywhere.
them
Fingerprints and dog snot dull both the television screen and refrigerator door, so we need to clean _____ before our judgmental Aunt Ruth arrives for dinner.
them
If my friends kept opinions about basketball, music, and politics to _____, they would argue less.
themselves
[Biology students] should dissect a frog for Professor Wright because the extra credit points will help [him or her] improve [their] averages at the end of the semester.
Change [him or her] to them.
When [swimmers ignore] the instructions of lifeguards, [they] might drown, get stung by jellyfish, or have [his or her] legs bitten by hungry sharks.
Change [his or her] to their.
Tony refuses to eat at Bernie's Burger Emporium because [his] onions make Tony's breath stink so badly that Sophia will not kiss him for three days.
Change [his] to its.
Aunt Louisa's barking Chihuahuas so startled poor Carolina, who was sound asleep on the living room sofa, that she threw a book at [it].
Change [it] to them.
Melissa washed her new pants because [they had] gotten muddy in the rain. Unfortunately, the hot water shrank the cotton fabric, so Melissa found scissors and used [it] to cut the pants into shorts. These shorts became her favorite pair because [they showed] off her beautiful legs.
Change [it] to them.
During the pep rally, not only Principal Stover but also the cheerleaders shouted as loudly as [she] could to inspire the basketball team to win.
Change [she] to he.
Not only the courtroom spectators but also Mrs. Pierre, the prosecutor, rolled [their] eyes in disbelief when Larry claimed that the family poodle ordered him to rob the bank.
Change [their] to her.
Every desk wobbles because of [its uneven legs]. Each textbook has answers written on [its pages]. Perhaps the administration can reevaluate [their] budget and provide some necessary classroom improvements.
Change [their] to its.
