Medium ACT Pronoun Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

ACT pronoun questions test your ability to ensure that every pronoun has a clear, singular antecedent and matches that antecedent in number, person, and case.

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, which is known as its antecedent. To succeed on the ACT English section, you must verify three main things: agreement, clarity, and case. First, the pronoun must agree in number; a singular noun like "the committee" requires a singular pronoun like "it," even if the committee consists of many people. Second, the pronoun must be clear. If a sentence mentions two women and then uses the pronoun "she," the reader may not know which woman is being referenced. Finally, you must use the correct case. Subjective pronouns (I, he, she, we, they, who) perform the action, while objective pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, whom) receive the action.

For students looking to build a strong foundation, visiting our ACT Prep hub provides a strategic overview of how these grammar rules fit into the larger exam structure. Many medium-level questions will try to trick you by placing several words between the noun and the pronoun or by using indefinite pronouns like "everyone" or "each," which are always singular in standard English usage as defined by Purdue OWL guidelines.

Solved Examples

1. Question: Neither of the lead actors remembered (his or her / their) lines during the final rehearsal.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the antecedent: "Neither."
   2. Determine the number: "Neither" is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular.
   3. Select the matching pronoun: Since the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must be singular.
   4. Correct Answer: his or her.
2. Question: The research team published (its / their) findings in a prestigious medical journal last month.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the antecedent: "team."
   2. Determine the number: "Team" is a collective noun acting as a single unit.
   3. Select the matching pronoun: Collective nouns take singular pronouns.
   4. Correct Answer: its.
3. Question: Between you and (I / me), the new policy seems unlikely to succeed.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the context: The pronoun follows the preposition "between."
   2. Determine the case: Prepositions require the objective case.
   3. Select the matching pronoun: "Me" is the objective form of the first-person pronoun.
   4. Correct Answer: me.

Practice Questions

1. Although the members of the board were divided on the budget, each of them expressed $\text{their}$ concerns clearly during the meeting.

2. The stray cat, along with its four kittens, found $\text{their}$ way into the warm garage during the blizzard.

3. After the marathon, the runners realized that the most difficult part of the race was the final hill that challenged $\text{one}$ to keep moving.

4. When a student chooses a major, $\text{they}$ should consider both personal interest and future career prospects.

5. The orchestra, known for $\text{its}$ impeccable timing, received a standing ovation after the conductor lowered the baton.

6. It was $\text{her}$ who first suggested that the company expand its operations into the European market.

7. The architect and the contractor discussed the blueprints, but $\text{he}$ could not agree on the material for the roof.

8. Neither the teachers nor the principal has submitted $\text{their}$ final reports for the academic year.

9. My brother and $\text{myself}$ spent the entire weekend building a treehouse in the backyard.

10. Anyone who wants to participate in the talent show must sign $\text{their}$ name on the sheet by Friday.

Answers & Explanations

1. his or her: The antecedent is "each," which is a singular indefinite pronoun. While "members" is plural, the subject of the clause is "each of them," requiring a singular pronoun. This is a common trap similar to those found in ACT subject-verb agreement problems.

2. its: The subject is "the stray cat." The phrase "along with its four kittens" is a parenthetical prepositional phrase and does not change the singular nature of the subject. Therefore, the singular pronoun "its" must be used.

3. them: The pronoun refers back to "the runners." Since "runners" is plural, the pronoun must be plural. "One" is used for general statements, but here we have a specific group already identified.

4. he or she: The antecedent is "a student," which is singular. In formal ACT English, "they" is traditionally considered plural, though this is evolving in modern speech. For the test, stick to singular pronouns for singular antecedents. You can find more on this in our ACT pronoun practice questions overview.

5. its: Correct as written. "Orchestra" is a collective noun. Since it is acting as a single unit, the singular possessive pronoun "its" is correct.

6. she: This sentence uses a linking verb ("was"). Pronouns following a linking verb should be in the subjective case (predicate nominative). Therefore, "It was she" is the grammatically correct form.

7. the architect / the contractor: This is a pronoun clarity issue. "He" is ambiguous because it could refer to either the architect or the contractor. To fix this, the specific noun must be repeated.

8. his or her: When using "neither/nor," the pronoun should agree with the noun closest to it. "Principal" is singular, so the pronoun must be singular. If you struggle with these rules, our ACT sentence structure guide can help.

9. I: Use a reflexive pronoun like "myself" only when the subject and object are the same person. Here, the pronoun is part of the compound subject. You would say "I spent," not "Myself spent," so "My brother and I" is correct.

10. his or her: "Anyone" is a singular indefinite pronoun. To maintain agreement, it must be paired with the singular "his or her" rather than the plural "their." This logic is also vital when tackling ACT parallelism in complex sentences.

1. Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence: "Every one of the volunteers gave ________ time to the project"?

• Atheir
• Bhis or her
• Cthey're
• Dthem

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pronoun-antecedent agreement error?

A pronoun-antecedent agreement error occurs when a pronoun does not match the noun it replaces in terms of number or gender. For example, using the plural "their" to refer to the singular "each student" is a common agreement error on the ACT.

How do I choose between "who" and "whom"?

Use "who" when the pronoun is the subject of a verb performing an action, and use "whom" when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition. A quick tip is to replace the word with "he" (who) or "him" (whom) to see which sounds correct.

Are collective nouns like "team" or "group" singular or plural?

In the context of the ACT, collective nouns are almost always treated as singular because they represent a single entity. Therefore, you should use singular pronouns like "it" or "its" when referring to them.

When should I use reflexive pronouns like "myself"?

Reflexive pronouns should only be used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same person, such as "I hurt myself." They should never be used as a substitute for "I" or "me" in a subject or object position.

Why does the ACT test pronoun clarity?

The ACT tests pronoun clarity to ensure that writing is not ambiguous or confusing for the reader. If a pronoun like "it" or "this" could refer to multiple previous ideas or nouns, the sentence must be rewritten to specify exactly what is being discussed.