Inappropriate Shifts in Pronoun Number & Person | English for ACT PDF Download

Introduction

On the ACT, it is important to make sure that each pronoun is connected to a specific noun, which is referred to as the antecedent. Although the antecedent usually comes before the pronoun, this is not always the case. The purpose of this rule is to prevent vague pronouns from causing confusion in a paragraph. Instead, pronouns such as "he" should clearly refer to a specific male figure, such as Jim or Bob.

• Jim was voted class president mainly because he is very popular amongst the student body.

ACT Level Example

Despite Einstein being widely celebrated for his brilliance, he did not possess exceptional mathematical skills, and he frequently depended on his more mathematically inclined colleagues to perform calculations that bolstered his intricate theories.

Number

In the previous sentence, both the pronouns "he" and "his" refer to Einstein. While this use of pronouns is not uncommon, things can get more complicated when the word "number" is introduced into the verb-pronoun mix. "Number" refers to either singular or plural, but the ACT is likely to test your understanding by using the pronoun "it" to refer to a plural subject or vice versa. Can you spot the error below?

• Bobby forgot to do several assignments but turned it in later.

The antecedent of the pronoun “it” in the given sentence is “assignments.” While in speech, this may be easily understood, in writing, the pronoun should match the number of its antecedent. Since “assignments” is plural, the correct pronoun to use is “them.” It is worth noting that some students may be taken aback by the use of “them” to refer to non-human subjects and abstract nouns, but this is a grammatically correct usage.

• Bobby forgot to do several assignments but turned them in later.

If you're not yet convinced and believe that "it" refers to homework, which is a singular noun, keep in mind that for it to be an antecedent, the noun "homework" must appear somewhere in the sentence.

Person

The ACT often includes sentences that shift from the third person (one) to the second person (you) or vice versa. When encountering such sentences, it is important to note that the correct pronoun to use is the one that matches the non-underlined portion of the sentence. Here is a table that illustrates the different numbers and "persons" of pronouns as a refresher.

Solved Example

We have all received them: emails claiming that we have won or inherited a large sum of money. While most of us see these emails for what they are—utter scams—a small percentage are lured in, believing that they are indeed the recipients. Yet Internet scams are not always so obvious and so one needs to be on guard against far subtler forms of online deception.

Ex.1
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) you need
(c) we need
(d) they need 

Often, a scammer will pose as a legitimate company, sending an email that has the insignia and branding of that company. Called “phishing,” this method of extorting confidential financial information from online users is on the rise. Indeed, if one looks at recent emails, they are likely to come across an email that seeks to “phish.” Of course, you probably do not even bother to open such an email in the first place, because it seems like junk mail, or mass email.

Correct Answer is Option (c)
From the very beginning of the paragraph, the pronoun “we” is used. There is even an “us,” signaling that we are using the third person plural. “You” is the second person. We can’t just change the pronoun of the audience we are addressing. Whichever pronoun is not underlined determines the pronoun the essay should use to address the reader.

Ex.2
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) he and she is
(c) you are
(d) one is

Correct Answer is Option (d)
Here, the author uses the third person singular pronoun “one.” To keep this consistent, the first underlined part should read “one is.”

Ex.3
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) we probably do
(c) they probably do
(d) one probably does

Correct Answer is Option (d)
Here, the pronoun changes to "you." Again, keep it consistent with the pronoun “one,” which appears in the non-underlined part of the paragraph.