Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

Since the jury was divided in its opinion, the judge had no alternative but to err on the safer side.

  1. Since the jury was divided in its opinion

  2. Since the jury was divided in their opinion

  3. Since the jury were divided in their opinion

  4. Since the jury were divided in its opinion

  5. Since the jury members were divided in their opinions
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): Where the opinion or action in a group is divergent, the pronoun and verb used take plural form. Here, there is no unanimity in the group and hence both the verb and the possessive pronoun should take the plural form.

Explanation for (2): Where the opinion or action in a group is divergent, the pronoun and verb used take plural form. Here, there is no unanimity in the group and hence both the verb and the possessive pronoun should take the plural form. This option corrects the possessive but not the verb.

Justification for (3): Where the opinion or action in a group is divergent, the pronoun and verb used take plural form. Here, there is no unanimity in the group and hence both the verb and the possessive pronoun should take the plural form. This option corrects both the errors.
Explanation for (4): Where the opinion or action in a group is divergent, the pronoun and verb used take plural form. Here, there is no unanimity in the group and hence both the verb and the possessive pronoun should take the plural form. This option corrects the verb but not the possessive. Explanation for (5): This option makes no coherent sense.

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