Which word should replace the underlined word? “[Him] and Javier built a model of the solar system for the science fair.”
Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 6–7 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
Read the sentence. The underlined part has an error.
[Him] and Javier built a model of the solar system for the science fair. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- HeCorrect answer
- His
- Himself
- Them
Why “He” is correct
This tests pronoun case in a compound subject. "___ and Javier" are the people who built the model, so the subject pronoun "He" is needed. A quick check is to remove "and Javier": "He built a model" sounds right, while "Him built a model" does not. Students often use object pronouns like "him" and "me" in compound subjects because they hear it in casual speech.
Why the other answers are wrong
- His — "His" shows ownership and must come before a noun, such as "his model."
- Himself — "Himself" is used only when the same person is already the subject, as in "he hurt himself."
- Them — "Them" is plural and is an object pronoun, so it cannot be part of the subject.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grades 6–7, or see the TELPAS practice test for 6th and 7th grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.