16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumPronoun agreeing with a plural antecedent

Standard English Conventions practice question

The engineers presented ____ findings to the board on Monday.

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

  1. A. theirCorrect
  2. B. its
  3. C. it's
  4. D. there

Answer: A. their

The findings belong to 'the engineers', a plural noun, so the plural possessive 'their' is needed.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. its
'its' is singular. The engineers are several people.
C. it's
'it's' means 'it is' — 'presented it is findings' makes no sense, and it's singular besides.
D. there
'there' is a place word. It sounds like 'their' but shows no ownership.

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