16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardPronoun agreement with a collective in the plural

Standard English Conventions practice question

The two committees could not agree, and each blamed the other for ____ failure.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. theCorrect
  2. B. their
  3. C. its
  4. D. there

Answer: A. the

'The failure' avoids an ambiguous pronoun: neither 'their' nor 'its' makes clear whose failure is meant.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. their
'Their' could mean both committees or the other one.
C. its
'Its' could refer to either committee.
D. there
'There' is not a possessive.

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