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Which sentence has an inappropriate shift in number?

Scott and Julie showed the judging panel their science fair project.


If my friend calls, tell them I'm at my violin lesson.


I talked to my aunt on the phone, and she told me a funny story.


Pet owners should be prepared to take care of their pets for a long time.
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User Rhesa
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2 Answers

6 votes

Final answer:

The sentence that has an inappropriate shift in number is: 'If my friend calls, tell them I'm at my violin lesson.' In this sentence, the subject of the sentence, 'my friend,' is singular, but the pronoun used later, 'them,' is plural.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence that has an inappropriate shift in number is: If my friend calls, tell them I'm at my violin lesson.

In this sentence, the subject of the sentence, 'my friend,' is singular, but the pronoun used later, 'them,' is plural. To maintain consistency, it would be more appropriate to use the singular pronoun 'him or her' instead of 'them.'

User Lich
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4.4k points
8 votes

Answer:

Sentence two, "If my friend calls, tell them I'm at my violin lesson."

Step-by-step explanation:

"Friend" is singular. "Them" is third-person plural.

User Brad Bruce
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4.2k points