📚 Part of: Colonial History And Trade Mcqs: British East India Company And Medieval Indian History

My grandparents live in Mumbai ..... visit us often.

Category: Miscellaneous Indian Gk

Correct Answer: B) They.

Exam Relevance: UPSC, SSC, Bank PO, CLAT, GRE

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes:

In English grammar, pronouns are used to replace nouns in sentences to avoid repetition. "They" is a plural pronoun used to refer to a group of people or when the gender of the subject is not specified. In the given sentence, "My grandparents" is a plural subject, and "they" is the correct pronoun to use.

Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing "they" with "them" or "their."
  • Not recognizing "grandparents" as a plural subject.
  • Choosing "he" instead of "they" due to a lack of understanding of gender-neutral pronouns.
Explanation:

In English grammar, pronouns are used to replace nouns in sentences to avoid repetition and to maintain clarity. The correct use of pronouns depends on the grammatical role they play in the sentence, such as subject, object, or possessive.

In the given sentence, "My grandparents live in Mumbai..... visit us often," the pronoun is needed to replace the subject "My grandparents." The subject "My grandparents" is a plural noun, referring to more than one person. Therefore, the pronoun used must also be plural.

The correct pronoun to use in this context is "they." "They" is a plural subject pronoun that correctly refers back to the plural subject "My grandparents." It maintains the grammatical structure of the sentence and ensures that the subject and verb agree in number.

Let's analyze the other options:

- "Them" is an object pronoun and cannot be used as the subject of a sentence. It would be incorrect to use "them" in this context.

- "Their" is a possessive pronoun and is used to show ownership. It is not appropriate to use "their" as a subject pronoun in this sentence.

- "He" is a singular pronoun used to refer to a male subject. Since "My grandparents" is a plural subject and includes both male and female individuals, "he" is not the appropriate pronoun to use.

Understanding the correct use of pronouns is essential for maintaining grammatical accuracy and clarity in writing and speaking. In this case, "they" is the correct choice because it correctly refers to the plural subject "My grandparents" and maintains the grammatical structure of the sentence.

Option Analysis:
  • Option A: This option is incorrect. "Them" is an object pronoun and cannot be used as the subject of a sentence. The sentence requires a subject pronoun to replace "My grandparents," and "they" is the correct choice.
  • Option B: This option is correct. "They" is the appropriate subject pronoun to use in this sentence because "My grandparents" is a plural subject. The pronoun "they" correctly refers back to the plural subject and maintains the grammatical structure of the sentence.
  • Option C: This option is incorrect. "Their" is a possessive pronoun and is used to show ownership. In this sentence, the pronoun is needed to replace the subject "My grandparents," not to indicate possession. Therefore, "their" is not the correct choice.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect. "He" is a singular pronoun used to refer to a male subject. Since "My grandparents" is a plural subject and includes both male and female individuals, "he" is not the appropriate pronoun to use in this context.

Mnemonic: Remember: "They" is used for plural subjects or when the subject is not specified as male or female.

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