When you use indefinite pronouns, pair them with a singular verb and a singular possessive adjective:
Everyone has his own goals.
Somebody left his phone on the table.
Note: In everyday spoken English, people often use ‘their’ instead of his/her with indefinite pronouns:
Everyone has their own goals.
Somebody left their phone on the table.
However, this is not acceptable for your admission tests or formal writing.
Always use the correct singular possessive adjective (his, her, or its) in those cases.
A pronoun must clearly refer back to one noun (the antecedent) in the sentence and must match it in number and person.
Incorrect:
Lisa was not allowed to attend the meeting because they thought she was unprepared.
(Who is “they”? It’s not clear.)
Correct:
The board members did not allow Lisa to attend the meeting because they thought she was unprepared.
(“They” clearly refers to “board members.”)
OR
Lisa was not allowed to attend the meeting because the board members thought she was unprepared.
(This uses the noun instead of a pronoun.)
Incorrect:
Adam hates mathematics because they are confusing.
(“They” has no clear noun. “Mathematics” is singular.)
Correct:
Adam hates mathematics because he finds it confusing.
(Uses “it” for the singular “mathematics.”)
OR
Adam dislikes math teachers because they always give too much homework.
(Here, “they” correctly refers to “teachers.”)
