Select the sentence that contains no errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement:
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Every student participating in the regional mathematics olympiad must bring his or her scientific calculator.
- Step 1: 'Every student' is a grammatically singular indefinite pronoun phrase requiring a singular possessive pronoun.
- Step 2: 'His or her' is the traditional formal singular possessive pronoun phrase matching the singular antecedent 'every student'.
- Step 3: Notice also that 'calculator' remains singular.
Answer
Every student participating in the regional mathematics olympiad must bring his or her scientific calculator.
Why not the others: While singular 'their' is increasingly common in informal spoken English, traditional formal academic writing standards tested in aptitude examinations mandate singular agreement ('his or her'); Sentence 3 mixes singular and plural pronouns erratically; Sentence 4 pairs a plural subject ('All students') with a singular pronoun ('his').
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