Pronouns

Step 1: Identify the pronoun. The word “they” is a pronoun that refers back to a previously mentioned noun (its antecedent).
Step 2: Examine the sentence for possible antecedents. Sentence: Possible nouns:
shops
strawberries
owners
season
Step 3: Use meaning and logic. The phrase “are out of season” logically applies to strawberries, not to shops, owners, or season itself.
Step 4: Identify the correct reference. Thus, “they” refers to strawberries.
Hence, the correct answer is

Step 1: Identify the pronoun. The word “it’s” (it is) is a pronoun referring back to a noun mentioned earlier.
Step 2: Find the most logical antecedent. Sentence: The thing that can logically be \emph{gone} is the coffee cup.
Step 3: Eliminate incorrect options.
Phone — phones do not normally disappear in this context.
Shelf — shelves are fixed objects.
Both (A) and (B) — only one logical antecedent fits.
Hence, ‘it’ refers to

Step 1: Identify the pronoun. The word “it” is a pronoun. A pronoun refers back to a noun mentioned earlier in the sentence (antecedent).
Step 2: Find the nearest logical noun. Sentence: The noun that can logically be \emph{turned into} something else is post office.
Step 3: Eliminate incorrect options.
They — refers to people, not a building.
Coffee shop — this is the result, not the thing being changed.
Closed — a verb, not a noun.
Hence, ‘it’ refers to

Step 1: Identify the pronoun. The word “it” is a pronoun. A pronoun refers back to a noun already mentioned in the sentence (called its antecedent).
Step 2: Look for the nearest suitable noun. In the sentence: The noun introduced before “it” is coat.
Step 3: Check logical meaning. You \emph{drop off} a coat at the dry cleaner’s, not Dad or the place itself.
Hence, ‘it’ refers to

Step 1: Identify the noun to which the pronoun must refer. In this sentence, the pronoun refers to the children, which is a plural noun. Therefore, the correct pronoun must also be plural to agree in number.
Step 2: Consider the structure of the phrasal verb “pick __ up.” In such constructions, when a pronoun is used as the object, it must appear in the objective case. Additionally, since the reference noun is plural, the pronoun must be both plural and objective.
Step 3: Evaluate each option: - it – singular pronoun, so it does not agree with the plural noun children → incorrect. - her – singular and feminine, which does not match the plural reference → incorrect. - them – plural and in the objective case, correctly referring to the children → correct. - they – plural but in the subject case, not suitable as an object in this phrasal verb → incorrect.