Standard English ConventionsHardPronoun agreement with a collective noun
Standard English Conventions practice question
After a long debate, the committee announced ____ decision to fund the new library wing.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. itsCorrect
- B. their
- C. it's
- D. there
Answer: A. its
'The committee' is a collective noun acting as one unit, so it is singular and takes the singular possessive 'its'.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. their
- 'their' is plural. A committee acting together as one body is treated as singular in Standard English.
- C. it's
- 'it's' means 'it is' — 'announced it is decision' makes no sense. The possessive has no apostrophe.
- D. there
- 'there' is a place word, not a possessive. It sounds like 'their' but can't show ownership.
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