1. The committee has made ___ decision about the project.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his or her
- D. his
- E. her
B. its
"Committee" is a collective noun, and in this context, it is treated as a singular entity, making "its" the correct pronoun.
- A (their): Incorrect because "their" is plural and does not agree with "committee."
- C (his or her): Incorrect as it suggests individual members, not the committee as a whole.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
2. Neither of the solutions has met ___ requirements.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his
C. its
"Neither" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "Its" refers to the singular noun "solution."
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "neither."
- B (his or her): Incorrect because it is unnecessarily lengthy for a singular subject.
- D (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
- E (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
3. The teacher gave each of the students ___ assignment.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female students.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male students.
4. All of the employees must submit ___ reports by Friday.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"All" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female employees.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male employees.
5. Somebody left ___ umbrella in the classroom.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Somebody" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect because "their" is plural and does not agree with "somebody."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
6. Few of the participants have shared ___ experiences during the seminar.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"Few" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female participants.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male participants.
7. Each of the projects has its own ___ requirements.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
C. its
"Each" is singular, therefore the correct pronoun must also be singular. "Its" is appropriate for referring to the singular "project."
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a singular subject.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the project is male.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the project is female.
8. The audience expressed ___ opinions about the performance.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his or her
- D. her
- E. his
B. their
"Audience" can be treated as a plural collective noun, hence "their" is appropriate.
- A (its): Incorrect as "its" suggests a singular viewpoint.
- C (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- D (her): Incorrect as it excludes male audience members.
- E (his): Incorrect as it excludes female audience members.
9. Every child should bring ___ lunch to school.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Every" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "every."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female children.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male children.
10. Each employee is responsible for ___ performance review.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, thus the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is suitable to refer to both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female employees.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male employees.
11. Everyone must submit ___ own work by Friday.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Everyone" is singular, hence the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to cover all genders.
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "everyone."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female individuals.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male individuals.
12. Each of the students brought ___ book to the class.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, therefore the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to encompass both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect because "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female students.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male students.
13. Neither of the candidates showed ___ qualifications for the role.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his
A. his or her
"Neither" is treated as singular, thus the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- B (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "neither."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
- E (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
14. All of the students need to bring ___ own supplies for the project.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"All" indicates a plural subject, making "their" the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female students.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male students.
15. Someone forgot to bring ___ textbook to class.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Someone" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to cover both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "someone."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
16. Each participant should submit ___ feedback after the session.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is suitable to refer to both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect because "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it excludes female participants.
- E (her): Incorrect as it excludes male participants.
17. Neither of the sisters could find ___ way home.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his
D. her
"Neither" is singular, so the correct pronoun must be singular. "Her" correctly refers to the singular noun "sisters."
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "neither."
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a singular subject.
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- E (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
18. All of the furniture must have ___ own label.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
C. its
"Furniture" is a collective noun and is treated as singular, so the correct pronoun must be singular as well. "Its" is the right choice.
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "furniture."
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessary for a singular noun.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
19. Everybody has finished ___ project ahead of schedule.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Everybody" is singular, thus the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" includes both genders appropriately.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "everybody."
- C (its): Incorrect as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
20. The committee made ___ decision after much debate.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
C. its
"Committee" is a collective noun and treated as singular, therefore the correct pronoun must be singular as well. "Its" is the correct choice.
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with "committee."
- B (his or her): Incorrect as it is unnecessary for a singular noun.
- D (his): Incorrect as it assumes a male perspective.
- E (her): Incorrect as it assumes a female perspective.
21. Someone needs to present ___ idea at the meeting.
- A. No error
- B. his
- C. their
- D. her
- E. its
C. their
In modern English, "their" is often used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun, making it acceptable here.
- A (No error): Incorrect; while some might argue there's no error, "someone" is singular, so a singular pronoun is expected.
- B (his): This would have been traditionally acceptable but does not account for gender neutrality.
- D (her): This assumes the individual is female, which may not always be accurate.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human subjects.
22. The team decided to present ___ findings to the committee.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. it’s
A. its
When referring to a group or collective noun such as "team," use "its" if the team is acting as a single entity.
- B (their): Incorrect, unless emphasizing the individual members of the team acting separately.
- C (his): Incorrect, as this pronoun doesn’t match the noun "team."
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (it’s): Incorrect, as "it’s" is a contraction of "it is," which doesn't fit the context.
23. Neither the teachers nor the students could recall ___ schedule.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
B. their
In a sentence involving compound subjects such as "neither the teachers nor the students," the pronoun agrees with the nearer subject, in this case, "students," which is plural.
- A (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for singular or non-human subjects.
- C (his): Incorrect, as "his" does not match the plural subject "students."
- D (her): Incorrect, for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect; the plural pronoun "their" is required here.
24. Anyone who wishes to participate should submit ___ application by tomorrow.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
When referring to "anyone," which is singular, "his or her" is traditionally correct to account for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes women.
- B (their): Although commonly used, "their" is not traditionally correct for singular indefinite pronouns like "anyone."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" does not apply to people.
- E (no error): Incorrect, since "his or her" is the most accurate in formal writing.
25. The committee will submit ___ recommendations tomorrow.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. it’s
A. its
A committee, as a collective noun, is treated as singular when it acts as a single entity. Thus, "its" is the correct pronoun.
- B (their): Incorrect, as it would imply the committee members are acting individually.
- C (his): Incorrect, as this doesn’t match the noun "committee."
- D (her): Same as "his," it doesn’t fit with the noun "committee."
- E (it’s): Incorrect; "it’s" is a contraction of "it is" and cannot be used as a possessive pronoun.
26. The jury has reached ___ verdict after a long deliberation.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
B. its
Jury, as a collective noun, is treated as singular when it acts as a unit, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" implies multiple people acting individually, but here the jury is acting as one body.
- C (his): Incorrect, as the jury is not a person.
- D (her): Incorrect, for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "its" is required here to match the singular "jury."
27. Everyone should bring ___ ID card to the exam hall.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
"Everyone" is a singular pronoun, so the correct answer is "his or her" to account for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (their): Incorrect in formal writing, as "everyone" is singular.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- E (no error): Incorrect, since "his or her" is the appropriate pronoun in this context.
28. Either the manager or the employees will present ___ proposal first.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. his or her
- D. its
- E. no error
B. their
In compound subjects joined by "or," the pronoun agrees with the closer subject. Since "employees" is plural, the correct pronoun is "their."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it does not agree with the plural subject "employees."
- C (his or her): Incorrect, since "employees" is plural.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for singular, non-human subjects.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because the sentence needs "their" for agreement.
29. The group of students will submit ___ assignment tomorrow.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
B. their
"Group" is a collective noun, but in this case, it refers to individual members, so the correct pronoun is "their."
- A (its): Incorrect, because "its" implies the group is acting as a single entity.
- C (his): Incorrect, as it doesn't account for the plural nature of the group.
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because the sentence needs "their" for correct agreement.
30. Neither the CEO nor the directors could remember ___ passwords.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. her
- D. its
- E. no error
B. their
When using "neither... nor," the pronoun agrees with the nearer subject, which is "directors" (plural), so the correct pronoun is "their."
- A (his): Incorrect, because it doesn’t match the plural subject.
- C (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for singular, non-human subjects.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "their" is the correct choice for agreement.
31. If anyone calls, tell ___ I'll call back later.
- A. them
- B. him
- C. her
- D. him or her
- E. no error
D. him or her
"Anyone" is singular, so the correct pronoun is "him or her" to account for both genders.
- A (them): Incorrect, because "them" is plural and "anyone" is singular.
- B (him): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "him or her" is necessary to match the singular "anyone."
32. Neither of the options seems satisfactory on ___ own.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
A. its
Since "neither" is singular, the correct pronoun is "its."
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and "neither" is singular.
- C (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a gender.
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "its" is required to match the singular subject.
33. The board of directors gave ___ approval to the new policy.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
A. its
"Board of directors" is a collective noun that is treated as singular when it acts as a unit, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" suggests the directors are acting individually rather than collectively.
- C (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a male subject.
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because the singular pronoun "its" is necessary.
34. Every one of the participants expressed ___ opinion on the matter.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
"Every one" is singular, so the correct pronoun is "his or her" to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "every one."
- B (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- E (no error): Incorrect, as "his or her" is necessary to agree with "every one."
35. A person should always be mindful of ___ responsibilities.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. his or her
- D. her
- E. no error
C. his or her
"A person" is singular, so the pronoun must be singular as well. "His or her" is the correct choice to include both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it does not include females.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, and "a person" is singular.
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "his or her" is required for singular agreement and gender inclusivity.
36. Anybody can join if ___ want to contribute.
- A. they
- B. he
- C. she
- D. he or she
- E. no error
D. he or she
"Anybody" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "He or she" is used to account for both genders.
- A (they): Incorrect, as "they" is plural and "anybody" is singular.
- B (he): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- C (she): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "he or she" is required for proper singular agreement.
37. Some of the students brought ___ laptops to the meeting.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. no error
C. their
"Some" can be singular or plural depending on the noun it refers to. Here, it refers to "students" (plural), so the correct pronoun is "their."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a male subject and is singular.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes a female subject and is singular.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects or entities.
- E (no error): Incorrect, as "their" is required to match the plural subject "students."
38. Everyone in the group must submit ___ reports by Monday.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. his or her
- D. their
- E. no error
C. his or her
"Everyone" is singular, so the correct pronoun must be singular as well. "His or her" is used to account for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- D (their): Incorrect in formal writing, because "everyone" is singular and requires a singular pronoun.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "his or her" is necessary for correct singular agreement.
39. The committee made ___ recommendation to the board.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his
- D. her
- E. no error
B. its
"Committee" is a collective noun treated as singular when it acts as a unit, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" suggests the committee members are acting individually.
- C (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a gender and does not match a collective noun.
- D (her): Incorrect for the same reason as "his."
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "its" is required to match the singular noun "committee."
40. Each of the boys has completed ___ homework.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. no error
B. his
"Each" is always singular, so the correct pronoun is "his." The sentence assumes that the boys are male, so "his" is correct.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and "each" is singular.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the boys are female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "his" is needed for singular agreement.
41. Somebody left ___ bag on the train.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
Since "somebody" is singular, the correct pronoun should be singular as well. The most appropriate choice is "his or her" to account for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the person is male.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the person is female.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "somebody" is singular.
- E (no error): Incorrect, as "his or her" is needed to match the singular "somebody" and account for gender.
42. None of the students has submitted ___ assignments yet.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. his or her
- D. their
- E. no error
D. their
"None" can be singular or plural, but in this context, it refers to the plural "students," making "their" the correct choice.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females and is singular.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males and is singular.
- C (his or her): Incorrect, because the context suggests a plural sense (students).
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "their" is needed to agree with the plural nature of "students."
43. Someone in the office left ___ phone at the meeting room.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
"Someone" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is used to account for both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, because "their" is plural, but "someone" is singular.
- B (his): Incorrect, because it assumes a male subject.
- C (her): Incorrect, because it assumes a female subject.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "his or her" is necessary for singular agreement and gender inclusivity.
44. Both of the candidates gave ___ best speeches at the debate.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. his or her
- E. no error
C. their
"Both" refers to two people, which is plural. Therefore, the correct pronoun is "their."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes both are male.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes both are female.
- D (his or her): Incorrect, as "his or her" is used for singular subjects, but "both" is plural.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "their" is needed to match the plural subject "both."
45. Every member of the team must bring ___ own equipment.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. his or her
- D. their
- E. no error
C. his or her
"Every member" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is used to include both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- D (their): Incorrect in formal writing, because "every member" is singular and "their" is plural.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "his or her" is required to maintain singular agreement.
46. Neither of the books had ___ cover damaged.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. its
- D. their
- E. no error
C. its
"Neither" is singular, and the noun it refers to is "book" (singular), so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a male subject, which is not applicable to books.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes a female subject, which is not applicable to books.
- D (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and "neither" is singular.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "its" is needed to match the singular noun "book."
47. Somebody left ___ umbrella in the hallway.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Somebody" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is used to account for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the person is male.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the person is female.
- C (their): Incorrect, because "their" is plural.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects, not people.
48. The dog wagged ___ tail when it saw its owner.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. its
- D. their
- E. no error
C. its
The subject here is "dog," which is an animal, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the dog is male, which is not specified.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the dog is female.
- D (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "dog" is singular.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "its" is the proper pronoun for animals.
49. No one should forget to bring ___ own lunch.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. his or her
- E. no error
D. his or her
"No one" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" accounts for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- C (their): Incorrect in formal writing, as "their" is plural and "no one" is singular.
- E (no error): Incorrect, as "his or her" is needed to match the singular subject and account for both genders.
50. Each of the girls has chosen ___ favorite color for the project.
- A. her
- B. his
- C. their
- D. its
- E. no error
A. her
"Each" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. Since the subject is "girls," "her" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a male subject, but "girls" is female.
- C (their): Incorrect, because "their" is plural, but "each" is singular.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (no error): Incorrect, because "her" is necessary to maintain singular agreement with "each" and match the female subject.
51. Each student must submit ___ homework on time.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is correct because it accounts for both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural while "each" is singular.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
52. Anyone can bring ___ own lunch to the picnic.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his
B. his or her
"Anyone" is singular, so the correct pronoun must be singular. "His or her" is the best option to account for both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, because "their" is plural, but "anyone" is singular.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the subject is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the subject is male.
53. Neither of the boys brought ___ shoes to the game.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his or her
B. his
"Neither" is singular, and since it refers to "boys," "his" is the correct pronoun.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "neither" is singular.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- D (her): Incorrect, as "her" is feminine and refers to females.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as "his or her" is unnecessary since "boys" are male.
54. The committee has made ___ decision.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
D. its
"The committee" is treated as a singular entity, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (his): Incorrect, as "his" refers to a male individual, not a collective entity.
- B (her): Incorrect, as "her" refers to a female individual, not a collective entity.
- C (their): Incorrect in formal usage, as "their" is plural, but "committee" is singular.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as "his or her" refers to individuals, not collective entities.
55. Everyone must sign ___ name on the attendance sheet.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Everyone" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is used to include both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- C (their): Incorrect in formal writing, as "everyone" is singular, but "their" is plural.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
56. Either of the girls can share ___ notes with the class.
- A. her
- B. his
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
A. her
"Either" is singular, and since it refers to "girls," "her" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his): Incorrect, as it refers to males, but the subject is female.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "either" is singular.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as "his or her" is not needed, since "girls" is clearly female.
57. Neither John nor Jane remembered to bring ___ phone.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his
A. his or her
"Neither John nor Jane" involves both a male and a female, so "his or her" is the correct pronoun.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "neither...nor" is singular.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it excludes John.
- E (his): Incorrect, as it excludes Jane.
58. The cat scratched ___ ear.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. its
- D. their
- E. his or her
C. its
"Cat" is an animal, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the cat is male, which isn't specified.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the cat is female.
- D (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "cat" is singular.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as "its" is the correct pronoun for animals.
59. Nobody likes to be late for ___ appointment.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. his or her
- E. its
D. his or her
"Nobody" is singular, so the pronoun must be singular. "His or her" is the correct option to cover both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, while "nobody" is singular.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
60. Either Tim or Sarah will bring ___ project tomorrow.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Either Tim or Sarah" involves both a male and a female, so "his or her" is the correct option.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes Sarah.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes Tim.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, but "either...or" is singular.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
61. The teacher gave ___ students a chance to ask questions.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
A. their
"Students" is plural, so the correct pronoun is "their."
- B (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the students are all male.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the students are all female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily gender-specific for a plural noun.
62. Each of the players has to bring ___ own equipment.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. his or her
- E. its
D. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is used to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "each."
- B (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the players are all male.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the players are all female.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
63. Neither of the answers seems to support ___ argument.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
B. his
When "neither" is used, it refers to a singular subject. Therefore, "his" is the correct pronoun to use.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, while "neither" is singular.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the argument is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy and implies multiple subjects.
64. Somebody left ___ bag at my house.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
B. his
"Somebody" is singular, and using "his" is common in informal contexts. However, "his or her" would be more accurate for formal contexts.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "somebody."
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the subject is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect in informal settings, but acceptable in formal contexts.
65. The group finished ___ project ahead of schedule.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
D. its
Since "the group" is treated as a singular entity, "its" is the correct pronoun.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular noun "group."
- B (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the group is male.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the group is female.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily gender-specific for a collective noun.
66. The team celebrated ___ victory with a party.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his or her
- D. her
- E. his
B. its
"Team" is a collective noun, and in this context, it is treated as singular, so the correct pronoun is "its."
- A (their): Incorrect as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "team."
- C (his or her): Incorrect as this option is unnecessarily gender-specific for a collective noun.
- D (her): Incorrect as it assumes the team is female.
- E (his): Incorrect as it assumes the team is male.
67. Everyone should take care of ___ health.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. his or her
"Everyone" is a singular pronoun, so the correct pronoun is "his or her."
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural, and does not agree with "everyone."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes females.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes males.
68. The committee reached ___ decision unanimously.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his or her
- D. his
- E. her
B. its
"The committee" is treated as a singular entity, thus "its" is the correct pronoun.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular noun "committee."
- C (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily gender-specific for a collective noun.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the committee members are all male.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the committee members are all female.
69. Each student should submit ___ assignment on time.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. his
- D. her
- E. its
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
70. Many people believe that ___ is important to stay healthy.
- A. it
- B. their
- C. him
- D. her
- E. they
A. it
In this context, "it" refers to the idea of staying healthy.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" does not fit contextually and is plural.
- C (him): Incorrect, as it implies a specific male subject.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it implies a specific female subject.
- E (they): Incorrect, as "they" is plural and does not fit with the singular "is."
71. Either of the options has lost ___ value.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. her
- E. his
C. its
"Either" is singular, thus "its" is the correct pronoun.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "either."
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily gender-specific for a singular noun.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the option is female.
- E (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the option is male.
72. Many of the students submitted ___ projects late.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
C. their
"Many" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for plural subjects.
73. Someone left ___ umbrella at the restaurant.
- A. their
- B. his
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
B. his
"Someone" is a singular pronoun, and using "his" is common in informal contexts. However, "his or her" would be more appropriate in formal contexts.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "someone."
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the person is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect in informal settings, but acceptable in formal contexts.
74. Each employee must complete ___ evaluations by Friday.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female employees.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male employees.
75. The children each brought ___ favorite toy to the party.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. its
A. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female children.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male children.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
76. Most of the team expressed ___ opinions during the meeting.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"Most" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female team members.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male team members.
77. Few people realize how much ___ decisions can impact their lives.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
C. their
"Few" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female individuals.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male individuals.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
78. Each of the players celebrated ___ victory enthusiastically.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female players.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male players.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
79. All of the books on the shelf have lost ___ covers.
- A. their
- B. its
- C. his or her
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"All" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (its): Incorrect, as "its" is singular and does not agree with the plural subject.
- C (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female authors.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male authors.
80. The family decided to keep ___ traditions alive.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
C. their
"The family" can be considered a plural entity, thus "their" is appropriate.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female family members.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the family is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human entities.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
81. Each student should bring ___ own lunch to the picnic.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
E. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
82. None of the committee has expressed ___ opinion on the matter.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"None" can be treated as singular in this context, so "his or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular interpretation of "none."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female committee members.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male committee members.
83. Each of the artists has exhibited ___ work in galleries worldwide.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. his
- D. her
- E. its
A. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female artists.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male artists.
- E (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
84. A couple must make sure that ___ decisions are mutual.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. her
- D. its
- E. his or her
B. their
"A couple" can be considered a plural entity, thus "their" is appropriate.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the couple is male.
- C (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the couple is female.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human entities.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
85. Few of the students have made ___ own projects for the competition.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
C. their
"Few" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
- D (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for plural subjects.
86. Each of the athletes showed ___ skills during the competition.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female athletes.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male athletes.
87. None of the participants has finished ___ assignments yet.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"None" can be treated as singular in this context, so "his or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular interpretation of "none."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female participants.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male participants.
88. The family decided to honor ___ traditions this year.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. his or her
- D. her
- E. his
B. their
"The family" can be considered a plural entity, thus "their" is appropriate.
- A (its): Incorrect, as "its" is used for non-human entities.
- C (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- D (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the family is female.
- E (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the family is male.
89. Each of the players must submit ___ report by Friday.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female players.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male players.
90. Few of the guests have shared ___ stories about the event.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"Few" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female guests.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male guests.
91. Each of the workers has completed ___ tasks on time.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" appropriately includes both genders.
- B (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female workers.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male workers.
92. None of the suggestions were suitable for ___ project.
- A. his
- B. her
- C. their
- D. its
- E. his or her
D. its
"None" can refer to a singular entity, and in this context, the project is a non-human object, making "its" appropriate.
- A (his): Incorrect, as it assumes a male perspective.
- B (her): Incorrect, as it assumes a female perspective.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not match the singular noun "project."
- E (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a singular non-human subject.
93. Each of the students must submit ___ assignments by Friday.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
94. Few of the applicants have shown ___ skills during the interview.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. their
"Few" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- A (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female applicants.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male applicants.
95. Each of the dogs wagged ___ tail happily when they saw their owner.
- A. its
- B. his or her
- C. their
- D. his
- E. her
A. its
"Each" is singular, and "its" is appropriate for referring to a singular dog.
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is not necessary to specify gender for animals.
- C (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- D (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the dog is male.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the dog is female.
96. All of the players have brought ___ own equipment to the game.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
A. their
"All" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female players.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male players.
97. Each of the birds has built ___ nest in the tree.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
C. its
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "Its" is appropriate for referring to a singular bird.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- B (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a singular subject.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it assumes the bird is male.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it assumes the bird is female.
98. Each student must submit ___ report by the deadline.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female students.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male students.
99. Most of the committee members have expressed ___ opinions on the matter.
- A. his or her
- B. their
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. their
"Most" indicates a plural subject, so "their" is the correct pronoun.
- A (his or her): Incorrect, as it is unnecessarily lengthy for a plural subject.
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female committee members.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male committee members.
100. Each of the players showed ___ skills during the match.
- A. their
- B. his or her
- C. its
- D. his
- E. her
B. his or her
"Each" is singular, so the correct pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" is appropriate to include both genders.
- A (their): Incorrect, as "their" is plural and does not agree with "each."
- C (its): Incorrect, as "its" refers to non-human objects.
- D (his): Incorrect, as it excludes female players.
- E (her): Incorrect, as it excludes male players.
