Nail the Pronoun Real time

Pronoun Agreement Rule A pronoun must agree with the noun to which it refers in number (singular/plural), gender (male/female/neutral), and person (first, second, third; also human/non human).

Number: Incorrect: John is tall. They are 1.95 meters tall. Correct: John is tall. He is 1.95 meters tall. Gender: Incorrect: Bill Clinton is a former president. Her second term ended in 2000. Correct: Bill Clinton is a former president. His second term ended in 2000. Person: Incorrect: John is tall. It is 1.95 meters tall. Correct: John is tall. He is 1.95 meters tall.

The pronoun one agrees with itself only. Why?

One is singular, so it does not agree with the plural pronouns (they, them, their). One is gender neutral, so it does not agree with the gender specific pronouns (he, him, his, she, her). We could use he or she, but this is redundant. One refers to humans, so it does not agree with the pronouns it and its. Example: One must love one's children.

☺The word assassin, originating from the Arabic word hashashin, and first used during the time of the Crusades, refer to a person that carries out an organized murder.☺ The word assassin, originating from the Arabic word hashashin, and first used during the time of the Crusades, refer to a person that carries out an organized murder The word assassin, originating from the Arabic word hashashin, is a person that carries out an organized murder, and was first used during the time of the Crusades Originating from the Arabic word hashashin, and first used during the time of the Crusades, the word assassin refers to a person that carries out an organized murder Originating from the Arabic word hashashin and first used during the time of the Crusades, the word assassin is a person that carries out an organized murder The word assassin, originating from the Arabic word hashashin and first used during the time of the Crusades, refers to a person that carried out an organized murder

Originating from the Arabic word hashashin, and first used during the time of the Crusades, the word assassin refers to a person that carries out an organized murder Splendid stuff! This answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement error in the original sentence by changing refer to refers so that it agrees with the subject word.

In addition to grammatical Pronoun mistakes, in which the pronoun does not agree in number, gender or person with the noun to which it refers, there are also stylistic Pronoun mistakes of ambiguity. In these cases, the problem is not that the pronoun does not agree with the noun to which it refers, but the opposite: the pronoun agrees with more than just the noun to which it refers. Example: The cat is lying on the floor. Its eyes are closed. In the above example, the pronoun Its agrees with both the cat and the floor, which makes the sentence ambiguous. Although it is clear that Its refers to the cat - the floor has no eyes - the sentence is still grammatically ambiguous.

Solving an ambiguity mistake involves avoiding the use of the ambiguous pronoun. Example: The cat is lying on the floor. The cat's eyes are closed. OR The cat, whose eyes are closed, is lying on the floor. Simple? the GMAT? We wish. Note that since ambiguity is a stylistic mistake, it will not always be corrected. Grammatical mistakes must always be corrected, but not stylistic mistakes. The correct answer to a Sentence Correction question can be ambiguous. Remember, grammar and logic come first, style is secondary to them. That's not to say that if we spot an ambiguity mistake, we can ignore it. Any mistake we find, we aspire to correct. However, if we don't find a perfect answer choice, one that is both grammatically and stylistically correct, we might have to settle for an answer choice which is stylistically flawed.

☺The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as it orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992.☺ The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as it orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Jemison, made history as she orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 The first African American woman to enter into space, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as she was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 The first African American woman in space in 1992, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as she was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman in space, made history as it was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992

The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Jemison, made history as she orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 You're right! This answer choice corrects the original Pronouns mistake by changing the non-human pronoun it to the feminine human pronoun she, which agrees with Dr. Mae Jemison. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as it orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 This answer choice is grammatically incorrect: the pronoun it can refer to non humans only but the noun to which it refers is a human being (Dr. Mae Carol Jemison). What helps us identify this question as a Pronouns question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part The first African American woman in space, Dr. Mae Jemison, made history as she orbited the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 The first African American woman to enter into space, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as she was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 Although this answer choice corrects the original Pronoun error by changing the Pronoun it to she so that she agrees with the feminine singular noun Dr. Mae Carol Jamison, it uses the redundant phrase to enter into instead of the word in. The first African American woman in space in 1992, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, made history as she was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor Although this answer choice corrects the original Pronoun error by changing the Pronoun it to she so that she agrees with the feminine singular noun Dr. Mae Carol Jamison, it changes its meaning by moving the date 1992. Dr. Jemison was the first woman in space ever, not only during 1992. Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman in space, made history as it was orbiting the earth aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 1992 This answer choice is grammatically incorrect and repeats the original mistake: the pronoun it can refer to non humans only but the noun to which it refers is a human being (Dr. Mae Carol Jemison). What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part

☺When investigating an incident from the distant past, it is a common occurrence that there is partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event and, therefore, to construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should collate as many records as one can.☺ When investigating an incident from the distant past, it is a common occurrence that there is partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event and, therefore, to construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should collate as many records as one can To construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should collate as many records as one can because when investigating an incident from the distant past, it is a common occurrence that there are partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event When investigating an incident from the distant past, it is a common occurrence that there are partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event, and to construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should therefore collate as many records as he can When investigating an incident from the distant past, a common occurrence is that there are partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event, so one should collate as many records as they can in order to construct a realistic historical hypothesis To construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should collate as many records as one can because when investigating an incident from the distant past, it commonly occurs that there is partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event

To construct a realistic historical hypothesis, one should collate as many records as one can because when investigating an incident from the distant past, it is a common occurrence that there are partially or completely conflicting accounts of the same event Impressive work! This answer choice corrects the original Subject Verb Agreement error by matching the plural verb are with the plural subject conflicting accounts.

Use of pronouns in the GMAT

While first and second person pronouns (e.g. I and you, respectively) are used in Sentence Correction questions, Pronoun questions focus on third person pronouns only.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, concerning the way language and culture determine thought, exercised a significant influence on cognitive psychology, ☺based as they were on empirical field-work conducted among native American tribes, such as the Hopi.☺ based as they were on empirical field-work conducted among native American tribes, such as the Hopi their basis being in empirical field-work among native American tribes, such as the Hopi because having a basis in empirical field-work among native Americans such as the Hopi tribes based as it was on empirical field-work conducted among native American tribes, such as the Hopi for it were based on empirical field-work with native American tribes, of which the Hopi among others

based as it was on empirical field-work conducted among native American tribes, such as the Hopi Very Good. This answer choice corrects the Pronoun Agreement mistake in the original sentence, by changing the pronoun they, which refers to the singular subject hypothesis, to it. It also correctly changes the matching plural verb were to the singular verb was. Notice that the pronoun it in the corrected sentence is ambiguous because it can refer to more than one noun in the earlier parts of the sentence (either hypothesis or psychology). This makes answer choice D stylistically flawed even though it is grammatically correct. Remember that if there are no other answer choices that are both grammatically and stylistically correct, an ambiguous sentence will be preferable to answer choices that are grammatically incorrect.

Construction companies have been ☺builds a lot recently as doing so ☺is lucrative, in the current economic climate. builds a lot recently as doing so will build a lot recently as doing so building a lot recently as to do so building a lot recently as it building a lot in recent times as doing so

building a lot recently as to do so Very good! Only the first verb of a sentence (or section) should be conjugated. This answer choice corrects the original Tenses error by using the unconjugated verb building after the conjugated verb been.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court awarded the Lakota nation a settlement for the taking of the Black Hills in violation of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, ☺but the Lakota rejected it☺ and continued to demand that their ancestral land be returned to them. but the Lakota rejected it but the Lakota rejected them and the Lakota rejected it and the Lakota rejected the settlement but the Lakota rejected the settlement

but the Lakota rejected the settlement Very good! This answer choice corrects the original ambiguity mistake by replacing the ambiguous pronoun it with the settlement.

Although bungee jumping and camping outdoors with friends may be fun, this should be carried out with appropriate precaution. may be fun, this should be carried out may be fun, this must be carried out may be fun, this activity should be carried out can be fun activities, they should be carried out are funny activities, this should be performed

can be fun activities, they should be carried out Very good! This answer choice corrects the original pronoun mistake by adding a logical referent activities, and replacing this with the plural pronoun they. The pronoun this refers to the situation, i.e., to the activities being fun. However, one cannot logically say that the situation should 'be carried out with the appropriate precautions'. Activities can be carried out with precaution; but the fact that they may be fun cannot be carried out with precaution. Note that the pronoun this (singular) cannot refer to the activities (plural) because it does not agree with them. What helps us identify this question as a Pronoun question as well as identify the ambiguity mistake is the following Stop Sign: Every pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it

Every healthy cell of the human body ☺contains 46 chromosomes of DNA in their nuclei.☺ contains 46 chromosomes of DNA in their nuclei contains 46 chromosomes of DNA in its nucleus is known to contain 46 chromosomes of DNA in its nucleus contains 46 DNA chromosomes in their nuclei contain 46 chromosomes of DNA in its nucleus

contains 46 chromosomes of DNA in its nucleus Great! This answer choice corrects the original Pronouns mistake by uses the singular pronoun its, which matches the singular noun cell, instead of their. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part

The term "malfunction" ☺is a failure to function or ☺abnormal functioning. is a failure to function or can be a failure to function or describes the failure to function of is often used to describe a failure to function or describes a failure to function or

describes a failure to function or Nice work! This answer choice corrects the logical mistake in the original sentence. The subject of the sentence is The term malfunction, not an actual malfunction. A malfunction (not the term malfunction) is the failure to function or abnormal functioning. The term malfunction refers to/defines/describes this failure.

Abigail Adams is still remembered nowadays, almost 200 years after her death, ☺due to the fact that it was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and ☺a supporter of women's rights. due to the fact that it was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and due to the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and due to the fact that she was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and due to the fact that she was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and also because it was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and

due to the fact that she was the wife of President John Adams, the mother of President John Quincy Adams, and You're right! This answer choice corrects the original Pronouns mistake by changing the non-human pronoun it to the feminine human pronoun she, which agrees with Abigail Adams. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part

Jane, who ate little and did not smile even once ☺during the entire meal, tipped the waitress generously, much to her☺ surprise. during the entire meal, tipped the waitress generously, much to her during the entire meal, gave a generous tip to the waitress, much to her during the entire meal, tipped the waitress, much to her during the entire meal, tipping the waitress generously, much to the latter's during the entire meal, tip the waitress generously, much to the latter's

during the entire meal, tipped the waitress generously, much to her Excellent! Although this answer choice is stylistically flawed as the pronoun her is ambiguous, it is the best of the five answer choices. The two answer choices that correct the stylistic mistake, namely, the ambiguity, are grammatically incorrect. Remember that unlike grammatical mistakes, which must always be corrected, stylistic mistakes, namely, redundancy and ambiguity, are not always corrected. Therefore, if you don't find a perfect answer choice and have to choose between a grammatically incorrect answer and a stylistically flawed one, choose the latter.

Along with wages, working conditions have become an important consideration for many ☺employees, to the point that they might be the deciding factor in☺ the case of deliberation between two offered positions. employees, to the point that they might be the deciding factor in employees, to the point that they might be a deciding factor in employees, to the point that working conditions might be a deciding factor in workers, to the extent that they might be the deciding factor in employees, to the point that working conditions might be the deciding factor in

employees, to the point that working conditions might be the deciding factor in Good! This answer choice resolves the ambiguity in the original sentence, by replacing the ambiguous pronoun they with working conditions, to clarify the reference.

Since stock exchange indexes ☺fluctuate unexpectedly, every buyer should be aware of the dangers of disappointing investments☺ and its consequences. fluctuate unexpectedly, every buyer should be aware of the dangers of disappointing investments unexpectedly fluctuate, buyers should be aware of the dangers of disappointing investments can fluctuate unexpectedly, every buyer should be aware of the dangers of disappointing investments fluctuate unexpectedly, buyers should be aware of the dangers of a disappointing investment may experience unexpected fluctuations, every buyer should be aware of the dangers of a disappointing investment

fluctuate unexpectedly, buyers should be aware of the dangers of a disappointing investment Great stuff! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun mistake by changing investments into investment, a singular non-human noun which agrees with it. In the original sentence, the singular pronoun it at the end of the sentence had no noun to refer to. The nouns that precede it were all plural or human (indexes, buyer, dangers, investments) whereas it refers to singular non-human nouns. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part

Three days ago, John's boss asked him to prepare a quarterly report, and he said that he would ☺gladly do so as soon☺ as all the data was in. gladly do so as soon gladly do so as gladly do so soon gladly do it as soon be glad to do so as soon

gladly do so as soon Correct! This answer choice correctly uses [to] do so to refer to a previous action (prepare a...report).

Office politics ☺are time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of most ☺jobs. are time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of most is time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of most are time and effort consuming, but they are an inevitable part of most is time and effort consuming, but it is inevitable is time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of many

is time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of many Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original Subject Verb Agreement mistakes and is grammatically correct, it changes the meaning of the original sentence by replacing most with many. is time and effort consuming, but it is an inevitable part of most You're right! This answer choice corrects the original Subject Verb Agreement mistake, by changing the plural verb are to the singular verb is, to match the singular subject politics.

Since dogs may be attracted to alcoholic beverages left out by the motel guests, ☺it is strongly recommended to keep drinks and bottles out of their☺ reach at all times. it is strongly recommended to keep drinks and bottles out of their they are strongly recommended to keep drinks and bottle out of their it strongly recommend to keep drinks and bottles out of dogs' it is highly recommended to keep drinks and bottles out of its it is highly recommended to keep drinks and bottles out of dogs'

it is highly recommended to keep drinks and bottles out of dogs' Very good! This answer choice corrects the original ambiguity mistake, by replacing their with dogs'. Note that replacing strongly with highly does not constitute a change of meaning as strongly and highly are synonyms in this case.

Although the term "depression" is popularly applied to numerous episodes of sadness or a bad mood, in clinical psychology ☺it is a serious ☺ and often disabling condition that significantly affects a person's work, family and school life, sleeping and eating habits and general health. it is a serious they refer to it as a serious it referred to a serious it refers to a serious it is in reference to

it refers to a serious Very good! This answer choice corrects the original logical mistake by using the verb refers to describe what the term does.

A sad truth about the human race is that most people lie to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis even though they believe it is wrong. lie to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis even though they believe it is wrong lie to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis although they believe it is wrong lie to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis even though they believe it is wrong to do so lies to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis even though they believe it is wrong lies to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis although they believe that doing so is wrong

lie to both strangers and loved ones on a daily basis even though they believe it is wrong to do so Well done! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun mistake by referring to the previously mentioned action with to do so, rather than with it. Note that in this answer choice, unlike in the original sentence, it no longer functions as a pronoun but as a subject replacement.

One should exclude as ☺many processed food products from one's ☺diet as is possible. many processed food products from one's many processed food products from their much processed food products from one's many processed food products from his much of the processed food products from one's

many processed food products from one's Correct! The original sentence correctly uses many to describe the plural count noun products while correctly referring to one with the pronoun one's.

Although most people would agree that one should remember ☺one's family history☺, the part this history plays in different people's lives varies. one's family history the history of their family their family's history one's history of one's family his family history

one's family history Good work! The pronoun one agrees with itself only.

When travelling in a foreign country, one should always keep ☺their passport with them at all times.☺ their passport with them at all times one's passport with them at all times one's passport close by at all times one's passport constantly with them his passport with him constantly

one's passport close by at all times Close enough - you took 24 seconds to answer this question. Great! This answer choice corrects the Pronoun errors of them and their in the original sentence. The pronoun one agrees with itself only.

Inhabiting savannas, grasslands, ☺or open woodlands, giraffes are the tallest of all land-living☺ animal species; its average height is about 5 meters. or open woodlands, giraffes are the tallest of all land-living and open woodlands, giraffes are the tallest of all land-living or open woodlands, the giraffe are the tallest of all land-living or open woodlands, the giraffe is the tallest of all land-living open woodlands, and the giraffe is the tallest of all land

or open woodlands, the giraffe is the tallest of all land-living Well done! This answer choice corrects the original Pronouns mistake by changing the plural noun giraffes to the singular noun giraffe, so that it agrees with the singular pronoun its (after the underlined part of the sentence). What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it

Although previous reversals of Earth's magnetic polarity do not seem to have caused any sort of extinction, present society may suffer partial or total technological incapacitation next time this happens. partial or total technological incapacitation next time this happens partial or total technological incapacitation next time this occurs anything from partial to total technological incapacitation next time such reversal happens partial or total technological incapacitation next time it happens partial or total technological incapacitation next time such a reversal occurs

partial or total technological incapacitation next time such a reversal occurs Good! In the original sentence, the pronoun this is ambiguous because it may refer to a singular noun which preceded it - for instance, extinction - or to a situation, such as the fact that the reversals of Earth's magnetic poles did not cause extinction. This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun Ambiguity mistake by replacing this with the specific such a reversal. Replacing the word happens with occurs does not constitute a meaning change, as both have the same meaning.

The post-punk music era ☺had reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is ☺considered an early pioneer of gothic, industrial, and alternative rock. had reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is has reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is now reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is also had reached its zenith in the early 1980s and would be reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is now

reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is also While this answer choice corrects the original mistake and is grammatically correct, it is stylistically flawed. Adding the addition word also creates redundancy as there is already an addition word in this sentence (and). had reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The time expression in the early 1980s describes a specific point in time and indicates that this sentence should be in the Past Simple. However, this answer choice uses the Past Perfect (had reached). reached its zenith in the early 1980s and is now Excellent! This answer choice corrects the original grammatical mistake. The time expression in the early 1980s describes a specific point in time and indicates that this sentence should be in the Past Simple (reached).

The term file transfer protocol ☺refers to a method of exchanging files that are regarded as a simple and ☺secure procedure. refers to a method of exchanging files that are regarded as a simple and is a method of exchanging files that is regarded as a simple and is a file exchange method that is regarded as a simple and refers to a method of exchanging simple files and is regarded as a refers to a method of exchanging files that is regarded as a simple and

refers to a method of exchanging files that is regarded as a simple and Good choice! This answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement error in the original sentence and also correctly uses refers after the term to prevent a pronoun error. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.refers to a method of exchanging files that are regarded as a simple and Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular subject method of exchanging files does not agree with the plural verb are. What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question as well as identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: The subject is in the form of X of Y 2.is a method of exchanging files that is regarded as a simple and Incorrect. Although this answer corrects the subject verb agreement error in the original sentence, it is illogical. The subject of the sentence is The term "file transfer protocol", not an actual file transfer protocol. The term cannot be a method of exchanging files. We cannot say that a word or term is something or other, but a word or term can refer to/define/describe something or other. 3.is a file exchange method that is regarded as a simple and Incorrect. Although this answer corrects the Subject Verb Agreement error in the original sentence by having the verb is agree with the subject file exchange method, it is illogical. The subject of the sentence is The term "file transfer protocol", not an actual file transfer protocol. The term cannot be a method of exchanging files. We cannot say that a word or term is something or other, but a word or term can refer to/define/describe something or other. 4.refers to a method of exchanging simple files and is regarded as a Incorrect. Although this answer corrects the original Subject Verb Agreement error by having the verb refers agree with the subject the term, it changes its meaning. The adjectives simple should be used to describe the procedure and not the files being transferred.

The local chapter of the Bike Riders' Association has repeatedly railed against the municipal authorities, protesting that☺ requiring them to wear bike helmets, even on off-road cycling paths, limit their civil liberties.☺ requiring them to wear bike helmets, even on off-road cycling paths, limit their civil liberties to require that they wear bike helmets, even when cycling off-road, limits their civil liberties the requirements of wearing bike helmets, even on off-road cycling paths, is a limitation on cyclists' civil liberties requiring cyclists to wear bike helmets, even when cycling off-road, limits their civil liberties requiring helmets even though during off-road cycling, limits their civil liberties

requiring cyclists to wear bike helmets, even when cycling off-road, limits their civil liberties Well done! This answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement mistake in the original sentence by changing the plural verb limit to the singular verb limits. It also corrects the logical/ambiguity mistake in the sentence by replacing the pronoun them with the noun cyclists, clarifying who is required to wear bike helmets. What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement Question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: Ving/to V subject

It is not unusual to sell public shares, but doing ☺it can have an effect on☺ the market. it can have an effect on it affects so can affect so can create an effect on it can affect

so can affect Nice! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun mistake. If we wish to refer to a previously mentioned verb, we need to use the phrase to do so or doing so.

Each of the acts in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard ☺symbolizes an aspect of Russian society by their use of a variety of characters.☺ symbolizes an aspect of Russian society by their use of a variety of characters symbolize an aspect of Russian society by their use of a variety of characters use a variety of characters to symbolize the different aspects of Russian society symbolizes an aspect of Russian society's use of a variety of characters symbolizes an aspect of Russian society by its use of a variety of characters ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ symbolizes an aspect of Russian society by their use of a variety of characters This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The subject of the sentence is in the form of X of Y: Each of the acts. In this case, the core subject is X, i.e., Each. Each is a singular pronoun. However, the sentence continues with the plural pronoun their. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part symbolize an aspect of Russian society by their use of a variety of characters This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The subject of the sentence is in the form of X of Y: Each of the acts. In this case, the core subject is X, i.e., Each. Each is a singular pronoun. However, the sentence continues with the plural verb symbolize and the plural pronoun their, therefore both of these do not agree with the pronoun each. What helps us identify this Pronoun mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part Also, what helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question as well as identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: The subject is in the form of X of Y use a variety of characters to symbolize the different aspects of Russian society This answer choice creates a Subject Verb Agreement mistake. The singular subject of the sentence (Each) does not agree with the plural verb use. What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question as well as identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: The subject is in the form of X of Y symbolizes an aspect of Russian society's use of a variety of characters Although this answer choice is grammatically correct it is illogical. In the original sentence, the acts use the characters. In this answer choice, Russian society uses the characters. Societies do not use characters; plays do.

symbolizes an aspect of Russian society by its use of a variety of characters You're right! The subject of the sentence is in the form of X of Y: Each of the acts. In this case, the core subject is X, i.e., Each. Each is a singular pronoun. This answer choice corrects the original mistake by replacing the plural pronoun their with the singular pronoun its, which agrees with each.

John and Jane are excited about having a child, but understand that ☺to do so demands great responsibility, motivation, and the will to learn.☺ to do so demands great responsibility, motivation, and the will to learn it demands great responsibility, motivation, and the will to learn it demands the will to learn, great responsibility, and motivation to do so demands motivation, the will to learn, and great responsibility from them it demands great responsibility and the will to learn

to do so demands great responsibility, motivation, and the will to learn You've got it! This answer choice correctly uses the phrase to do so to refer to the previously mentioned verb having a child.

It is a common belief that if one wants to succeed, they need to be not only intelligent but also ambitious. wants to succeed, they need to be not only intelligent but also want to succeed, they need to be not only intelligent but also want to succeed, one needs to be not only intelligent but also wants to succeed, they need to be both intelligent and wants to succeed, one needs to be not only intelligent but also

wants to succeed, one needs to be not only intelligent but also Good job! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun mistake by changing the plural pronoun they to the singular pronoun one, which agrees with the subject one to which it refers (if one wants to succeed...).

In order to build a new hotel in the center of town, the mayor has decided to hire bulldozers to demolish the decrepit but well-loved Regency Hotel, but even before the debris ☺was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents about this.☺ was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents about this was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents about this decision was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents whose main concern was this decision were cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents about this was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents

was cleared, City Hall had received many complaints from furious residents about this decision Very good! You took 2 minutes and 8 seconds to answer this question. Excellent! This answer choice solves the original stylistic flaw of ambiguity, created by the pronoun this. It does so by adding the word decision, which is crucial for the understanding of the sentence.

Mark Twain's biography and his unconventional career path−from printer's apprentice, to steamboat pilot, to journalist and writer−☺were as significant in shaping his inimitable humor as was ☺his innate sense of the absurd. were as significant in shaping his inimitable humor as was was as significant in shaping his inimitable humor and so was shaped his inimitable humor as significant as did were as significant in shaping his inimitable humor as were his was a significant shaping of his inimitable humor as it was

were as significant in shaping his inimitable humor as was Well done! This sentence is grammatically correct because the plural verb were matches the plural subject Mark Twain's biography and his unconventional career path and the singular verb was matches the singular subject his innate sense of the absurd. What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question are the following Stop Signs: plural subject built of singular nouns connected by and verb precedes subject These Stop Signs indicate that you should check whether the subjects in this sentence agree with the corresponding verbs.

The publication of the patient satisfaction survey shows a significant improvement in general satisfaction scores,☺ which had risen by over 16 points after it reached ☺an all time low in the previous year. which had risen by over 16 points after it reached which have risen by over 16 points after reaching rising by over 16 points after reaching with a rise of over 16 points after having reached which is a rise of over 16 points after they reached ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ which had risen by over 16 points after it reached Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular pronoun it does not agree with the noun it refers to, which is plural (scores). Moreover, in the sentence, a past action (scores...reached an all time low) takes place before another past action (scores...had risen by over 16 points), but the Past Perfect (had risen) is incorrectly used for the later action, rather than for the earlier action. which have risen by over 16 points after reaching rising by over 16 points after reaching Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original mistakes, it is ambiguous and hence stylistically flawed. It is unclear whether rising by over 16 points refers to the publication, the improvement, or the scores. There is another answer choice which conveys the meaning of the sentence in a clearer way. Find it! with a rise of over 16 points after having reached Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original mistakes, it is stylistically flawed. The use of the phrase with a rise of over 16 points is awkward and confusing. By eliminating the relative pronoun which, which clearly modifies scores, it is not clear what a rise refers to. Further more, while correct, the construction having reached is also unnecessarily awkward and redundant.

which is a rise of over 16 points after they reached You slightly underestimated the time this question took you. You actually solved it in 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original mistakes, it is grammatically incorrect and illogical. The singular verb is does not agree with the plural noun scores, to which it refers. Moreover, even if the correct verbal form were used (e.g. which are a rise), this would be illogical, as the scores cannot be a rise. The scores can either rise themselves (rise=verb), or reflect a rise (rise=noun). which have risen by over 16 points after reaching Correct! This answer choice corrects the Pronoun Agreement mistake in the original question, by changing after it reached to after reaching. It corrects also the tense mistake by changing the Past Perfect had risen to the Present Perfect have risen. The use of the Present Perfect is appropriate here to describe an action that began in the past and is still relevant in the present.

Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel prizes, claimed that without sufficient Vitamin C, veins and arteries ☺would become damaged, and that the body would use a lining of fat and cholesterol in order to prevent a completely ☺ rupture. would become damaged, and that the body would use a lining of fat and cholesterol in order to prevent a completely would become damaged, and that the body uses a lining of fat and cholesterol in order to prevent a complete would become damaged, and that the body would use a fat and cholesterol lining in order to prevent a complete have become damaged, and that the body has used a lining of fat and cholesterol in order to prevent a complete become damaged, and that the body uses a lining of fat and cholesterol in order to prevent a complete

would become damaged, and that the body would use a fat and cholesterol lining in order to prevent a complete Very nicely done! This answer choice corrects the original Parts of Speech error by using an adjective (complete) to describe a noun (rupture). Additionally, because the reporting verb is in the Past tense (claimed), the following conjugated verbs are correctly in the Past (in this case future past), as well.

☺As exit polls are used to project the winners of an election, sometimes appearing before all the polling stations are closed, this results in their premature release influencing☺voters to change their ballot. As exit polls are used to project the winners of an election, sometimes appearing before all the polling stations are closed, this results in their premature release influencing Exit polls, used for projecting an election's winners and sometimes appearing before all the polling stations are closed, result in their premature release influencing Used to project the winners of an election, exit polls sometimes appear before all the polling stations are closed, with the result that their premature release influences Exit polls used to project an election's winners sometimes appear before all the polling stations are closed and result in their premature release influencing As exit polls used to project an election's winner sometimes appear before all the polling stations are closed, with the result that their premature release influences

As exit polls are used to project the winners of an election, sometimes appearing before all the polling stations are closed, this results in their premature release influencing Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. Using two reason conjunctions / phrases (as and this results in) to express the relation between two parts of a sentence is redundant. Only one should be used: As [exit polls are used to project, sometimes appearing before stations are closed,] [their premature release influences voters] [exit polls are used to project, sometimes appearing before stations are closed,] ; this results in [their premature release influencing voters] Used to project the winners of an election, exit polls sometimes appear before all the polling stations are closed, with the result that their premature release influences Excellent! This answer choice corrects the original redundancy by removing the reason conjunction As at the beginning of the sentence, keeping only one reason phrase (with the result).

So what should I do when I see this in a Sentence Correction question?

As this is a pronoun, it is a Stop Sign. Thus, when you see this in a question, you should stop and check its correctness. Ask yourself to what this refers. The fact that this can refer to both a noun and a situation makes it prone to ambiguity. Therefore, if you are not sure to what this refers, it probably means that there is an ambiguity mistake in the sentence. If you think that this refers to a noun, treat it the same as any other pronoun and check whether it agrees with the noun in number (this is singular, so it agrees with singular nouns).

It's is a shortened way of writing it is. Its without an apostrophe means 'belonging to it'. Examples: It's 4 O'clock = It is 4 O'clock. John has a dog. Its tail is black = The dog's tail is black.

Choose the correct word: __________ not easy being an only child. It's Its I don't know

☺In ancient times, citizens criticized the leader of a nation with great caution as to do so is ☺considered blasphemy. In ancient times, citizens criticized the leader of a nation with great caution as to do so is Citizens, in ancient times, criticized the leader of a nation with great caution as it was In ancient times, citizens criticize the leader of a nation with great caution as to do so was Citizens, in ancient times, criticized the leader of a nation with great caution as to do so was In ancient times, citizens criticized the leader of a nation with great caution since it was

Citizens, in ancient times, criticized the leader of a nation with great caution as to do so was Nice work! The sentence is anchored in the Past by the phrase In ancient times. This answer choice correctly uses the Past tense for all the following verbs (criticized, was). It also correctly uses the phrase to do so to refer to a previously mentioned verb (criticized).

Linnaean taxonomy sharply distinguished the class Aves from the class Reptila, but since evolutionary science discovered that☺ an order within it - Crocodylia - is phylogenetically closer to birds, this has been overturned.☺ an order within it - Crocodylia - is phylogenetically closer to birds, this has been overturned Crocodylia - an order within reptiles - are phylogenetically closer to birds, this distinction has been overturned Crocodylia - an order of reptiles - is phylogenetically closer to birds, this distinction has been overturned the reptile order of Crocodylia is phylogenetically closer to birds, it has overturned this distinction the reptile order of Crocodylia is phylogenetically closer to birds, scientists overturned this distinction

Crocodylia - an order of reptiles - is phylogenetically closer to birds, this distinction has been overturned Well done! This answer choice corrects the pronoun ambiguity mistakes in the original question, by replacing the ambiguous pronoun it with the noun reptiles and by adding the word distinction to clarify what the pronoun this refers to. What helps us identify this question as a Pronoun question as well as identify the ambiguity mistake is the following Stop Sign: Every pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it

☺That the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said that it is uncontested☺: In A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn tells the story of the United States as a series of violent struggles between oppressed groups and the country's economic and political elites. That the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said that it is uncontested That the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's marching toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said to be uncontested It can hardly be said uncontested that the history of the American Republic is largely the story of the nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress It can hardly be said to be uncontested that the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress The history of the American Republic as largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said to be an uncontested one

D Well done! This answer choice corrects the original grammatical mistake by rearranging the sentence structure and changing X can be said that it is to X can be said to be. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A That the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said that it is uncontested Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect and non-idiomatic. The verb + relative clause be said that ... cannot logically follow anything except a general 'It' subject, otherwise it creates a grammatical redundancy: Incorrect: The idea can hardly be said that it is uncontested Correct: It can hardly be said that the idea is uncontested (It subject) Correct: The idea can hardly be said to be uncontested (standard subject) However, in this sentence the subject is (the idea) That the history of the American Republic is largely ... liberty and progress. In addition, the pronoun it is also ambiguous. It can either serve as the subject of a clause that has no natural subject (such as "it is raining" or "it is warm") or to refer to a noun. In this sentence it is not clear what it is meant to refer to, leading to a confusing sentence. B That the history of the American Republic is largely the story of a nation's marching toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said to be uncontested Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original grammatical mistake, it creates a new one. Verb+ing (marching) can be used as a noun replacement only when there's no actual noun. Since there is a real noun - march - it should be used. C It can hardly be said uncontested that the history of the American Republic is largely the story of the nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original grammatical mistake, it changes the meaning of the original sentence. In the original sentence uncontested referred to the concept of American history. However, in this answer choice uncontested refers to the act of saying that concept. Compare the following: It can hardly be said uncontested that X (uncontested is an adverb, describing said) X can hardly be said to be uncontested (uncontested is an adjective, describing X) In the first example (similar to this answer choice) it's hard to say X without being contested, whereas in the second (similar to the original sentence) it's hard to say X is uncontested. E The history of the American Republic as largely the story of a nation's march toward a destiny of liberty and progress can hardly be said to be an uncontested one Incorrect. While this answer choice corrects the original grammatical mistake, it is stylistically flawed. The phrase can hardly be said to be an uncontested one is wordy and redundant.

So when you see it in a sentence, remember it can either be a pronoun, in which case we treat it the same way as we do all other pronouns - check whether it agrees in number, gender and person with the noun to which it refers, or it can be a subject replacement, in which case it does not have to agree with anything.

Difficult Sentence Correction Pronoun questions can use it in the original sentence in one way, and in one or more of the answer choices in the other way, so do not assume that the it you see in the original sentence is the same it you see in answer choices (B)-(E). If it served as a subject replacement in the original sentence, this does not necessarily mean that it will serve as a subject replacement in all the answer choices, and vice versa: if it served as a pronoun in the original sentence, it will not necessarily serve as a pronoun in all the answer choices. In addition, when the word it occurs more than once within one sentence, it may even be used in one way in one occurrence and in different way in another occurrence of the word. Oh, by the way - although it refers to non humans, it is also used to refer to a baby. Example: The baby cried all night, and its parents were very tired the following day.

After massive military preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the Axis powers were poised to conquer the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, but their defeat at the Battle of Moscow in December of that year ☺reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories.☺ reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories reveals it hadn't been imagined that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories revealed that they hadn't imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast territories of the Soviet Union revealed that they did not imagine that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the Soviet Union's vast territory revealed that they had not imagined the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories.

E Excellent work! This answer choice corrects both tense mistakes in the original question. It changes reveals in the Present to revealed in the Past Simple (to describe an action that occurred at a specific time in the past - December '41). It also changes will in the Future to would in the Future Past, as required by the verb had not imagined, which anchors the action in the past. Note also that like the original sentence, this answer choice correctly uses the Past Perfect to describe an action that occurred before another action in the Past, as the Axis power's failure to imagine that the Soviet military would mobilize occurred before the Battle of Moscow revealed this failure.

☺Although a baby is already born with a sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, which means that it can hear☺ high pitched sounds better and respond better to cooing, baby talk and, especially, feminine voices. Although a baby is already born with a sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, which means that it can hear Although babies are already born with a sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, which means that it can hear Despite the fact that a baby is already born with a sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, which means that it can hear Although babies are already born with a sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, which means that they can hear Although a baby is already born with a good sense of hearing, it is quite rudimentary, meaning it hears

E Incorrect. This answer choice repeats the original Pronoun Ambiguity mistake: the pronoun it appears twice. The first time, it refers to a sense of hearing, but the second time it refers to a baby. This makes the answer choice stylistically flawed. It is not clear which noun it refers to. What helps us identify this question as a Pronoun question is the following Stop Sign: Every pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it Furthermore, this answer choices doesn't fit into the original sentence and thereby creates a Subject Verb Agreement mistake. Changing it can hear to it hears would require the following parallel verb to be responds - to agree with the singular subject it. However, the verb outside the underlined section is respond, which does not match the singular subject it. But why was respond okay in the other answer choices, where the subject is also it? ?Ask a tutor In the original sentence/other answer choices, the verbal form can hear has two elements: can is conjugated and hear is in the base form, and therefore in the original sentence respond can be construed as the base form and be correctly parallel to hear. D Excellent! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun ambiguity mistake by changing the singular noun baby to the plural babies, and correcting the second it (singular) to they (plural). In the corrected sentence, babies is referred to by they and a sense of hearing is referred to by it, thus eliminating the original stylistic flaw of ambiguity.

Pronoun Stop Sign

Every pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it Whenever you come across this Stop Sign, check the agreement between the pronoun and the noun to which it refers. If they do not agree, you have found your mistake. If the pronoun is underlined but the noun is not, the correct answer will use a different pronoun so that it agrees with the noun. If the noun is underlined and the pronoun is not, the correct answer choice will change the noun so that it agrees with the pronoun. If both the noun and the pronoun are underlined, check them both in ALL answer choices and eliminate all answer choices in which they do not agree.

A pronoun, such as it, refers to a previously mentioned noun. If we want to refer to a previously mentioned verb, it is incorrect to use a pronoun. The correct way to refer to a previously mentioned verb is to use the phrase to do so or doing so.

Examples: Incorrect: John is playing tennis. He enjoys it. Incorrect: John is playing tennis. He enjoys doing it. Correct: John is playing tennis. He enjoys doing so. Correct: John is playing tennis. It is enjoyable for him to do so.

☺Freud's original conception of psychoanalysis was of a treatment method that would be accessible to everyone, rich and poor alike; ironically, it evolved to be ☺a sectarian, elitist practice, understood only by the initiated. Freud's original conception of psychoanalysis was of a treatment method that would be accessible to everyone, rich and poor alike; ironically, it evolved to be Freud originally conceived of psychoanalysis to be an accessible treatment method for everyone, rich and poor alike; ironically, it has evolved such that it became Freud originally conceived of psychoanalysis to be a treatment method for everyone, accessible to rich and poor alike; ironically, what has evolved was its becoming Freud originally conceived of psychoanalysis as a treatment method that would be accessible to everyone, rich and poor alike; ironically, it has evolved into Freud originally conceived of psychoanalysis as a method for treating everyone, accessible to rich and poor alike; ironically, this has evolved into

Freud originally conceived of psychoanalysis as a treatment method that would be accessible to everyone, rich and poor alike; ironically, it has evolved into Well done! This answer choice corrects the stylistic mistake by using the idiomatic and concise phrase originally conceived of psychoanalysis as. Note that this question asks you to choose between stylistically flawed answer choices -- answer choices A, B, C, and D all use the ambiguous pronoun it or its. When you vertically scan these answer choices (and after having eliminated answer choice E), you can safely ignore this common stylistic flaw and look for other grammatical mistakes and/or stylistic flaws. Remember, you are looking for the best answer choice, not the perfect one.

Some pet owners, especially dog owners, not only ☺buy clothes for their pets but also pay high prices for them.☺ buy clothes for their pets but also pay high prices for them buys their pets clothes but also pay high prices for them buys clothes for their pets but also pay high prices for these clothes buy clothes for their pets but also pay high prices for these clothes buys clothes for their pets but also pay high prices for them

Good! This answer choice corrects the original pronoun ambiguity mistake by using the phrase these clothes to clarify the reference, instead of them.

What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a noun replacement used in order to avoid repetition. Example: Bill Clinton is a former president. He is no longer a president. It is more concise to use the pronoun He than to repeat the noun Bill Clinton.

Here's the list of pronouns: Personal Pronouns Singular 1st person I, me, my, mine Singular 2nd person you, your, yours Singular 3rd person he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its Plural 1st person we, us, our, ours Plural 2nd person you, your, yours Plural 3rd person they, them, their, theirs Other pronouns Singular: this, that, each, either, neither, one, everybody, everyone, everything, nobody, no one, nothing, someone, somebody, something, anybody, anyone, anything Plural: these, those, both, some

It is a unique pronoun as it can do more than just refer to a previously mentioned noun (as in example 1 below). It can also serve as a subject in a sentence that has no "real" subject (as in example 2 below). Examples: 1. The company is growing. It is hiring new employees. 2. It is snowing.

In example 1, it fulfills the traditional pronoun function: referring to a previously mentioned noun (The company). In example 2, on the other hand, it does not refer to any noun. Every sentence needs a subject, and in the absence of one, it comes to the rescue.

This is a unique pronoun in that it can do more than just refer to a noun (as in example 1 below). This can also refer to a previously described situation (as in example 2 below). Examples: 1. Jane tried on several outfits before she picked this dress. 2. Jane is always trying on several outfits before she finally picks one while John waits for her impatiently and tells her to make up her mind already or they will be late. This is becoming a problem in their relationship.

In example 1, this fulfills the traditional pronoun function: referring to a noun (dress). In example 2, on the other hand, this does not refer to any specific noun. It refers to the general situation that was described in the previous sentence.

Let's look at the following example: The word jewelry is accessories such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings. This sentence is logically flawed. It equates a word with what this word defines/describes: word = accessories (e.g., earrings, bracelets, etc.) Instead of the correct equation: jewelry = accessories (e.g., earrings, bracelets, etc.) The logical problem here is that the word is not accessories: you can't wear the word "jewelry". At best, the word "jewelry" can describe or refer to accessories. Thus, the GMAT way of correcting such mistakes is as follows: Incorrect: The word jewelry is accessories such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings. Correct: The word jewelry refers to accessories such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings. Correct: The word jewelry describes accessories such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings

Is there a Stop Sign so I can identify these questions quickly? There sure is. The appearance of the words the word/term in a Sentence Correction question is a Stop Sign: The word/term... it is... The word/term appears, then there are more words, and then we see the pronoun it, which refers to the word/term, followed by the verb is. Example: Incorrect: The word guys is commonly used to refer to both sexes although, grammatically speaking, it is males only. Correct: The word guys is commonly used to refer to both sexes although, grammatically speaking, it refers to males only. Whenever we see this Stop Sign, we know that the topic that the question checks is pronouns, specifically using refers to/defines/describes after the word/term (and not is).

In the Himalayan foothills, after a snow avalanche, it is unusual that it leaves any survivors. In the Himalayan foothills, after a snow avalanche, it is unusual that it After a snow avalanche occurs in the Himalayan foothills, it is unusual that it After a snow avalanche in the Himalayan foothills, it is unusual that it It is unusual that a snow avalanche in the Himalayan foothills In the Himalayan foothills, after a snow avalanche occurs, it is unusual that it

It is unusual that a snow avalanche in the Himalayan foothills Very good! This answer choice corrects the original stylistic flaw by eliminating the second it (a pronoun referring to avalanche, in the original question) and turning snow avalanche into the subject of the verb leaves. Note that the first it still functions as a subject replacement in the corrected sentence.

The ☺Kennedy family exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of their members were☺ assassinated and three others died in aircraft crashes. Kennedy family exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of their members were Kennedy family exemplifies the connection of fame to misfortune because two of their members were Kennedies exemplify the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of its members Kennedies exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of its members were Kennedy family exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of its members were

Kennedy family exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of their members were Incorrect. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect: the plural pronoun their does not agree with the noun it describes, family, which is singular. What helps us identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after the underlined part Kennedy family exemplifies the connection between fame and misfortune, as two of its members were Correct! This answer choice corrects the original Pronoun mistake by replacing the plural pronoun their with the singular pronoun its, which agrees with the noun it describes, family (singular).