EXERCISE PRONOUN

Diagnostic Test

PART I

1.      Nothing will ever come between (a. we / b. us) old friends.

Nothing will ever come between (b. us) old friends.

2.      Elly thinks that (a. she / b. her) and Jane can make us fight.

Elly thinks that (a. she) and Jane can make us fight.

3.      But what could break us up after all you and (a. I / b.me) have been through?

But what could break us up after all you and (a. I) have been through?

4.      The police say that Mazie and (a. they / b.them) can find the tools.

The police say that Mazie and (a. they / b.them) can find the tools.

5.      Mazie told Jorge and (a. I / b. me) about the search.

Mazie told Jorge and (a. I) about the search.

6.      Jorge has gone off looking for some of (a. they / b. them).

Jorge has gone off looking for some of (b. them).

7.      Some of these idea are completely new to Irene and (a. she / b. her).

Some of these idea are completely new to Irene and (b. her).

8.      Biff expects that his brothers and (a. he / b. him) can keep the store open while their father is gone.

Biff expects that his brothers and (a. he) can keep the store open while their father is gone.

9.      Their father has taught his wife and (a. they / b. them) most of the details.

Their father has taught his wife and (b. them) most of the details.

10.  People say that (a. we / b. us) young people are better educated than our parents are.

People say that (a. we) young people are better educated than our parents are.

11.  People who grew up fifty years ago usually went to small schools (a. his or her / b. their) own neighborhoods.

People who grew up fifty years ago usually went to small schools (b. their) own neighborhoods.

12.  Now our school board plans (a. its / b. their) programs for big merged schools.

Now our school board plans (b. their) programs for big merged schools.

13.  A woman who works still has the main responsibility for (a. her / b. their) household.

A woman who works still has the main responsibility for (a. her) household.

14.  Many todays husbands are less liberated than (a. his / b. their) wives.

Many todays husbands are less liberated than (b. their) wives.

15.  An ordinary person who goes into politics may have a hard time remembering what (a. his or her / b. their) motives were after a few years.

An ordinary person who goes into politics may have a hard time remembering what (a. his or her) motives were after a few years.

16.  A farmer in this area doesn’t have to worry about the rain spoilling (a. his or her / b.their) hay.

A farmer in this area doesn’t have to worry about the rain spoilling (a. his or her) hay.

17.  Everybody I know around here walks around with (a. his or her / b. their) headphones on all the time

Everybody I know around here walks around with (b. their) headphones on all the time

18.  People ought to realize that (a. he or she / b. they) might need to hear the sounds of traffic sometimes.

People ought to realize that (b. they) might need to hear the sounds of traffic sometimes.

19.  In anyone’s life, a time comes when (a. he or she / b. they) must make a difficult  choice.

In anyone’s life, a time comes when (b. they) must make a difficult  choice.

20.  One can’t avoid (a. his or her / b. their) basic responsibilities.

One can’t avoid (a. his or her) basic responsibilities.

21.  Most of them have (a. his or her / b. their) own umbrellas.

Most of them have (b. their) own umbrellas.

22.  Neither of the women             wants to take (a. her / b. their) car all that way.

Neither of the women             wants to take (b. their) car all that way.

PART II

In the paragraph below, some of the underlined pronouns are correct and some are not. After each underlined pronoun is a number. If the pronoun it marks is correct, mark C by the corresponding number in the list below the passage. If the pronoun it marks is incorrect, mark I beside the number in the list.

                                                   

Memory treats people differently according to their¹ personalities. For Jerry and me², it smooths over the rocky spots of our past, and makes us feel as if us³ two have lived charned lives. But it works differently for someone who expects thing to go perfectly for them⁴ all the time. My parents are like that. Their friends and them⁵ are always complaining about how things ought to have been. Everyone in their crowd acts as if lif e has cheated them⁶. Mom and dad even talked that way during the big anniversary party jerry and me⁷ threw for his parents and they⁸.

Im just the opposite. For instance, I can remember the face of someone who once loaned me their⁹ bike when I needed to get home fast for some emergency, but I can’t remember what the emergency was all about. When people tell me their¹⁰ recollections of various events in my life, im always amazed at how my mind simply refuses to hold on to the unpleasent parts. But everybody has her¹¹ own memory quirks. If a person wants to keep all the facts of their¹² life straight, she¹³ should keep a daily journal. Even then, what the person writes in a journal at the end of a day depends on their¹⁴ memory, which is already busy rearranging the details. Nobody can expects to control her¹⁵ memory completely. If I cant control mine, im glad it doles out pleasant images for me instead of the dismal kind my parents have to live with for the rest of their¹⁶ lives.

1.      C

2.      C

3.      I

4.      C

5.      C

6.      C

7.      I

8.      I

9.      I

10.  C

11.  I

12.  C

13.  I

14.  C

15.  I

16.  C