In the following essay excerpts, watch for errors in the use of pronouns. Circle the mistakes and write down the corrections.
When one works hard on academics all semester, you expect to get some kind of recognition.
School authorities shouldn’t try to control the lives of students completely. If a student doesn’t want to perform community service, they shouldn’t have to.
The school administration has given a lot of thought to the value of the honor roll. They feel that by doing away with the honor roll, students will lose motivation to work hard.
Our school administration is debating whether or not to allow the use of films in the classroom. They say that movies are effective at capturing the interest of students.
A girl who has attended a single-sex school is likely to report that they feel teachers take their opinions seriously.
Student council exists to serve the student body. Therefore, they should have the responsibility of electing the representatives.
A bilingual classroom doesn’t help a non-native English speaker learn English quickly. They should get tutoring and extra help, but they should attend classes in English.
I’ve read the newspaper every day for the past five months, and they say that education is one of the most pressing issues in the upcoming election.
Every student deserves the right to wear what they want to, within reasonable boundaries of course.
Educators, because they have more experience, know what’s best for students. They should be the ones who decide about new course offerings.
This exercise should have increased your awareness of sloppy pronoun usage. Question 1 is wrong because it shifts between one and you. Many of the others are wrong because the pronoun they, which is plural, appears without a plural noun that it can logically refer to. Here are some corrections you could have made. Note that you might have come up with different revisions that effectively correct the pronoun errors.
Although some slang words and expressions are acceptable in ordinary conversation, you should avoid slang in your ACT essay. The purpose of the essay is to present a logical argument based on reasoning and evidence, and the language you choose should reflect the seriousness of the task. As you practice, become sensitive to the tone of various expressions. If you think something is slang or too informal, ask yourself if there’s a more appropriate phrasing.
Like slang, clichéd language is best avoided in your ACT essay. A cliché is a worn-out, overused expression. Your essay should show that you’re taking a fresh and thoughtful approach to the question posed, and the overuse of clichés undercuts the serious and thoughtful attention you bring to your argument.