Choose the sentence that shows proper pronoun-antecedent agreement.

• A. Every student must hand in their assignments on time.
• B. Every student must hand in his or her assignment on time.
• C. Every student must hand in his assignment on time.
• D. Every student must hand in their assignment on time.

Answer: (B)

Pronoun-antecedent agreement hinges on matching the pronoun to the number of its antecedent. Here, the subject “Every student” is singular, so the pronoun that refers back to it must be singular as well. “His or her” is explicitly singular and inclusive, so it correctly agrees with the singular, gender-neutral antecedent. Using “their” would treat the antecedent as plural, which breaks formal agreement. Using only “his” would be gender-specific and not appropriate for all students. So the sentence with “his or her” preserves proper agreement and inclusivity. (In casual writing, singular they is commonly used, but this item adheres to the traditional form.)