Choosing the Correct Pronoun

Circle the pronoun that agrees in number with its antecedent in
each sentence.

 1. Each of the girls makes (her, their) own clothes.

 2. The jury finally made (its, their) decision.

 3. It often seems that television programmers are not concerned  
    with (its, their) viewers.

 4. Both Tim and Tony write (his, their) mothers twice a week from 
    camp.

 5. Neither the Library of Congress nor the New York Public Library 
    has (its, their) own film rooms.

 6. Either of the two boys will offer (his, their) help. 

 7. Neither Jim nor the New York Public Library has (its, their)  
    own film rooms.

 8. Either the congressman of the senator will give (his, their)  
    speeches today.

 9. American citizens must protect (its, their, his) rights.

10. Every person should turn in (her,their) own savings account.

11. Neither the baseball players nor the managers want to lose    
    (his, their) side of the argument.

12. Each student should turn in (her, their) paper now.

13. Does everyone have (his or her, their) textbook?

14. Everyone has the right to (his or her, their own opinion.

15. Each of the freshmen women called (her, their) mother on the  
    first day of the fall term.

16. President and Mrs. Clinton offered (his, her, their) home to  
    the Daughters of the American Revolution for (its, their)     
    annual ball.


17. One of the girls agreed to drive (her, their) car.

18. Does anyone have (his or her, their) car keys?

19. Ms. Perry is a captain in the Navy; (he, she, they) also is a 
    well-known author.

20. Virtue is  (its, his, her) own reward.


Correcting Incorrect Pronoun Reference

Read the following paragraph carefully.  Correct any errors in
pronoun reference by striking out any pronouns that do not agree
with their antecedent and writing in the correct pronoun above
them.

     (1) Perhaps because their country has a relatively short
history, Americans are fascinated by its nation's past and their
own.  (2) America, the land of the immigrant, has become America
the land of deeply rooted cultures.  (3) Americans' fascination
with his past takes may forms.  (4) First, Americans eagerly search
through dusty court records and yellowed newspapers to trace our
ancestors' lives.  (5) Family trees are constructed to trace its
heritage from the present to the seventeenth century and, perhaps,
even to the "old country."  (6) Second, the increasing memberships
in ethnic and social organizations signal a renewed interest in the 
past.  (7) For example, the Daughters of the American Revolution
still admits members to their elite roll.  (9) Millions of people
flock to Colonial Williamsburg each year to consider your country's
past.  (10) Also, ethnic festivals draw large crowds to its
celebration of native foods and cultures.  (11) In the past, new
American citizens  cast off the culture and traditions of his "old
countries" and instead were quickly assimilated into the mainstream
of American society.  (12) Today, however, each of us is quick to
describe their family's lineage and residence in the United States.