<p>On the 1296 Princeton’s ACT book, I can’t understand the explanation in the back of the book. Can someone please explain:</p>
<p>The Question:
People ask me why I can’t just make do with one book in my bag, or none. But, I always point out, what if I finish them? F. NO CHANGE G. the book I’m reading H. it J. those</p>
<p>*If you have the book, it is #22 on pg 106</p>
<p>What I Chose:
I chose (H) because I thought the first sentence made it quite clear what the “it” in the second sentence refers to the book. I don’t see how that pronoun could refer to anything other than the book.</p>
<p>The Answer: G
As written, this sentence had a pronoun that doesn’t really refer to anything, and even if properly singular could refer either to the book or the bag. Choice (G) replaces the pronoun with a short phrase that makes it clear what the author is discussing, Choices (H) and (J) repeat the initial pronoun problem.</p>
<p>Dilemma:
I don’t see how anyone could finish a bag so how could “it” possibly refer to the bag. Also, (G) seems overwordy compared to (H) so I chose the simpler answer choice which was (H). Is this just a mistake in the answer choice or am I missing something here?</p>
<p>Yeah, this is one of those things SAT keeps testing. H) is usually fine in spoken English, because we would assume “it” refers to the book. In standard, written English, “it” is somewhat ambiguous.</p>
<p>“Them” is located in a new sentence; no one knows to what “them” refers at this point. Yes, it can be assumed; but why give the test makers that luxury? You have to be alert, savvy, and intransigent in your application of the rules of written English. Passive selection of the seemingly best answer choice will not get you a 36.</p>
<p>In response to your dilemma, I’ll explain your error. The reasoning here is that since this is a new sentence, and “them” has yet to be clarified in this sentence, “them” could essentially refer to anything, not necessarily the most logical thing.</p>
<p>I think the problem is the number of books in the bag. People are suggesting just one or none, but the writer obviously has more. So, should a pronoun in the second sentence refer to the multiple books that the writer already has? No, because her argument is that she needs multiple books. If she finishes all of them, then she still has nothing to read, so that can’t be her point.</p>
<p>Should the pronoun refer to the single book that others suggest? Maybe. But what pronoun could refer to the suggestion that the writer carry zero books? None, so the pronoun must refer to a book that she’s already reading, perhaps one she has in her hand right now. </p>
<p>I agree that in a conversation, it would probably be quite obvious that ‘it’ refers to the one she’s currently reading. She might gesture with it or wave it in the air a bit or whatever. But in written form, with no visual clues, the best option is to remove the ambiguity with an explicit reference rather than a pronoun reference.</p>
<p>Or, at least that’s one way of looking at it.</p>