SAT Question: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Ben e-mailed me about today's SAT Question of the Day:

Hi Snarky! In today's SAT question, the sentence makes sense to me just the way it is. But that's not the right answer. Can you explain it? Thanks!

Sure, Ben! Here's the question:

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.  

Enrico Caruso sang opera in Italy before traveling to the United States, then he gave his first performance at the Metropolitan Opera in November 1903.

A) then
B) when
C) and which
D) in that
E) where

This sentence is made up of two clauses separated by a comma. Before the comma, we have an independent clause that could stand on its own as a sentence. Enrico Caruso sang opera in Italy before traveling to the United States.

After the comma, we have a dependent clause that has both a noun and a verb but could not stand on its own as a sentence. [Note, however, that if you eliminate the word 'then', the sentence becomes an independent clause.]

There are two ways to connect an independent clause to a dependent clause. Both ways require a comma right after the independent clause. (Remember, commas separate words, phrases or clauses.)

Immediately after the comma, we could use a subordinate conjunction, which is a word or short phrase that joins clauses. (There are over two dozen possibilities, including if, for, after, as, before, because, while, since, until and even though.)

Alternatively, right after the comma we could use a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun must agree with the antecedent, which is the noun that comes immediately before the comma.

In this sentence, the antecedent is 'the United States,' so immediately after the comma, we need a relative pronoun that can refer to 'the United States.' The best choice is 'where' because it refers to places.

Correction:

• Enrico Caruso sang opera in Italy before traveling to the United States, where he gave his first performance at the Metropolitan Opera in November 1903.

SAT Question: An Unfair Comparison?

Olivia was perplexed by yesterday's SAT Question of the Day:

Hi Snarky. I am studying for the SAT and I got yesterday's SAT Question wrong. I don't understand why the correct answer works and my choice doesn't. I chose D but the answer is C. Can you explain it?

Here's the SAT Question from September 17, 2012:

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A. 

Modern discus throwers use much the same technique of ancient Greece.

Answer Choices:

• (A) of ancient Greece
• (B) of ancient Greeks
• (C) as ancient Greeks did
• (D) as they did in ancient Greece
• (E) like ancient Greeks 

Hi Olivia. If it makes you feel any better, I would select Choice D, too. But let's walk through it and see where it takes us.

Modern discus throwers use much the same technique of ancient Greece.

This sentence makes a comparison between modern discus throwers and ancient Greek discus throwers. So right away, we can hone in on one word: same.

When making a comparison, we use the phrase same as, not 'same of' or 'same like'. That means we can eliminate choices A, B and E. Hooray!

Next, both sides of the comparison should be parallel—meaning that they follow the same form. On one side, 'Modern discus throwers use' follows the simple pattern of noun + verb. That means on the other side, we need as + noun + verb.

Choice C does that: as + ancient Greeks + did.
Choice D also does that: as + they + did. (The prepositional phrase 'in ancient Greece' does not come into play here.)

So far, it looks like both Choice C and Choice D are correct. But the SAT is about choosing the best answer, so let's take a look at the explanation given on the CollegeBoard site:

Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by comparing what “Modern discus throwers” do to what “ancient Greeks did” (not to “ancient Greece,” a comparison that would not make logical sense).

That explanation is wrong. It implies that Choice D is incorrect, when it isn't. Choice D does not compare what 'modern discus throwers' do to 'Ancient Greece.' Choice D compares what 'modern discus throwers' do to what 'they did in Ancient Greece.'

My verdict: I think Olivia has unearthed an unfair question. Both Choice C and Choice D are correct.

Please, English teachers, feel free to chime in here with your opinions.

Update: As Patrick rightly points out in the comments, there is a problem with Choice D. The pronoun 'they' seems to refer back to 'modern discus throwers', otherwise known as the antecedent. Therefore, Choice D does not make sense and Choice C is better.

Grumble, grumble. I concede. But I still say the explanation on the CollegeBoard website is woeful and doesn't address the antecedent.

Talking About a Company? Think About 'It.'

The folks at the popular tech blog Gizmodo goofed with this headline whose pronoun doesn't agree with the antecedent.  

Apple Hates Ads...Unless They're the Ones Selling Them.

Where did Gizmodo go wrong? This subject of this headline is Apple: 'Apple Hates Ads...' Apple is the antecedent of the pronoun 'they're.' An antecedent comes before the pronoun that replaces it. Apple is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular. The editor should have used 'it's' instead of 'they're.'

Quick rule: People are constantly referring to companies and organizations as 'they' and 'them,' but it's a lazy habit. Use 'it' instead.

Correction:

• Apple Hates Ads...Unless It's the One Selling Them
• Apple Execs Hate Ads...Unless They're the Ones Selling Them