Praxis Writing : Pronoun-Antecedent
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Example Question #2 : Sentence Correction
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
It is explicitly stated in the employee handbook that all workers must supply his or her own steel-toed shoes.
that all workers must supply their own steel-toed shoes.
that all workers must supply his or her own steel-toed shoes.
that any worker must supply their own steel-toed shoes.
that each worker must supply their own steel-toed shoes.
that all workers must supply their own steel-toed shoes.
This question asks you to recognize and correct a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "All workers" is plural, therefore the pronoun that refers to it must also be plural. Thus, the correct version of the sentence is: "It is explicitly stated in the employee handbook that all workers must provide their own steel-toed shoes."
If the workers are made individual ("each worker") then the correct pronoun form would be "his or her," because the individual pronoun is required but the gender of the worker is not specified.
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