16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardPronoun agreement with a collective noun

Standard English Conventions practice question

After two days of deliberation, the jury delivered ____ verdict.

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

  1. A. itsCorrect
  2. B. their
  3. C. it's
  4. D. there's

Answer: A. its

'The jury' acts as one body, so it is singular and takes the singular possessive 'its'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. their
'their' is plural. A jury delivering one verdict is treated as a single unit.
C. it's
'it's' means 'it is'. The possessive 'its' has no apostrophe.
D. there's
'there's' means 'there is' — not a possessive at all.

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