TOEIC › Pronouns
Shaking ____________ head in disgust, William Gardis, the company's P.R man, explained, once more, that Paul's actions were not reflective of the company's moral fiber.
his
their
her
its
Here, we are looking for an appropriate pronoun to use in the introductory phrase, one that would avoid a dangling modifier. A dangling modifier occurs when the pronoun used in an introductory clause does not match the subject of the main clause. Since "William Gardis" is the subject of the main clause, the masculine pronoun "his" is the only appropriate choice.
Kathy was mad. I had never seen _______________ so mad.
her
she
him
he
This question is a simple interrogation of correct pronoun usage. The only possible correct answer is thus "her" since "Kathy" is the object of the second main clause.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
Middle school students are known for being impulsive, and __________ can sometimes be highly disorganized.
they
it
them
he
"They" is used to refer to the subject of a sentence. This sentence begins with the subject "middle school students," and so we know we need a plural pronoun to fill in the blank. The word "them" is used to refer to objects, not subjects, so it is the wrong choice. "It" and "he" are both singular, so they are incorrect as well.
________________ do you think he'll arrive? Paul's exit interview as scheduled to begin six hours ago, and he has not even called to cancel.
When
How
Who
Where
This question simply asks you to select the correct interrogative pronoun. Since the question is querying Paul's (suspicious) tardiness with regard to his exit interview, the only possible correct answer is "when."
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
If a student uses a computer, ___________ must remember to log out at the end of class.
he or she
it
we
they
The correct answer is "he or she." The subject of the sentence is "a student," which is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. It is also talking about students, so the pronoun "it" is not appropriate. The only option that is both singular and can refer to students is "he or she," and so it is the best choice.
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Each class has ____________ own teacher.
its
their
his
her
The correct answer is "its." This sentence requires a singular pronoun to agree with the subject, "apartment" which is singular, therefore, the choice "their," which is plural, is incorrect. The word apartment does not have a gender, so we do not use "his" or "her." That is why the best choice is "its."
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
She came to class to get something from _____________ friend.
her
she
his
he
The correct answer is "her." This pronoun refers to the subject, "she," which is singular and feminine, so the pronoun must also be singular and feminine. It also needs to be a possessive pronoun, since the pronoun describes something that belongs to the subject of the sentence ("her friend"). The only choice that fits these descriptions is "her," so it is the best choice.
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
_________ appears that the clouds are starting to fade.
It
He
She
We
The correct answer is "it." This sentence requires an object pronoun, and "it" is the correct choice because the subject of the sentence is already there-clouds. There are no people involved in the meaning of this sentence, which is why we choose "it" instead of "he," "she," or "we."
What option would best replace the underlined section of the given sentence?
The survivors are in the hospital.
They
He
Them
She
The correct answer is "they." "They" is a pronoun used to refer to two or more people. Since the subject "survivors" is plural, we know we need to replace it with a plural pronoun. The other options "she" and "he" are singular, and the option "them" is used to replace the object of a sentence, not the subject. Therefore, the best option is "they."
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The man was so large that he could not fit into _______________ seat.
his
he
he's
him
The correct answer is "his." This sentence requires a singular possessive pronoun, because in this sentence, the chair belongs to the man. The only option that fits as both singular and possessive is "his."