Which word should replace the underlined word? “When the band members returned from the state competition, the principal congratulated [her] in front of the whole school.”

Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 10–12 writing. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Reporting category 2: find and fix an error in a short text. On the real test some of these are typed answers or sentence rewrites. Here they are multiple choice so they can be checked.

The question

Choose the best answer.

Read the sentence. The underlined word has an error. When the band members returned from the state competition, the principal congratulated [her] in front of the whole school. Which word should replace the underlined word?

• AthemCorrect answer
• Bit
• Cthey
• Dhim

Why “them” is correct

This tests pronoun–antecedent agreement. The pronoun refers back to 'band members', which is plural, and it is the object of the verb, so the correct form is the plural object pronoun 'them'. Ask the student, 'Who did the principal congratulate?'

Why the other answers are wrong

• it — 'It' refers to a thing, not to a group of people.
• they — 'They' is a subject pronoun, but this pronoun is the object of 'congratulated'.
• him — 'Him' is singular, but 'band members' is plural.

Practice more of this

More writing practice for Grades 10–12, or see the TELPAS practice test for 10th–12th grade.