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ACT English 4.2 Grammar and Usage 278 Views


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Description:

ACT English: Grammar and Usage Drill 4, Problem 2

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by pronouns, who are known to sometimes look

00:08

down on amateur nouns.

00:11

How would you correct the following sentence, if it needs correcting at all?

00:14

The tarantula, with one's long, hairy legs, is one of the most feared insects on earth.

00:25

The possessive pronoun here needs to agree with "the tarantula" in both number (singular) and gender (unknown).

00:37

Usually, agreeing with a tarantula is the best idea, anyway. They can get ornery otherwise.

00:42

(A) is incorrect because "one" usually refers to a person in general.

00:47

Choice (B) fails because "their" is plural instead of singular.

00:52

Which is kind of a relief. One tarantula is about all we can handle.

00:56

(D) is incorrect since the statement refers to tarantulas in general and not specifically

01:00

a male or female tarantula.

01:02

Anybody know how you tell a boy tarantula from a girl tarantula?

01:07

The girls are the ones with bows on their heads. Obviously.

01:11

Anyway, the process of elimination has led us to choice (C), the correct answer.

01:16

Unlike people, animals can take the gender-neutral pronoun "it."

01:20

Quick tip: referring to someone's pet as "it" is usually okay,

01:25

referring to someone's baby that way is not.

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