Sometimes minor incidents in our lives stand out because we cherish

Analyze the question The sentence is: "Sometimes minor incidents in our lives stand out because we cherish ____." The question tests pronoun-antecedent agreement, which means choosing a pronoun that matches the noun it refers to.

Explain the concept A pronoun must agree in number with the noun it replaces (its antecedent). Here the object of the verb "cherish" refers back to "minor incidents."

• "incidents" is plural, so the pronoun must be plural.
• "cherish" is a transitive verb, so it needs an object. That object pronoun must be in the objective case.

Solution, option by option

• A. it: singular, so it does not agree with "incidents." Wrong.
• B. many: "we cherish many" is grammatically possible, but it doesn't clearly refer back to the incidents. It also changes the meaning to suggest only some are cherished, while the sentence says they stand out because we cherish them. Wrong.
• C. none: this gives a contradictory meaning. Things we cherish none of would not stand out because of that. Wrong.
• D. them: plural objective pronoun that refers directly to "incidents." The sentence reads "...stand out because we cherish them." Correct.

Answer: D. them

Tip: For pronoun questions, find the noun the blank refers to, check whether it is singular or plural, then check whether the blank needs a subject form (I, we, they) or an object form (me, us, them). Here, "incidents" is plural and the blank is an object, so the answer is "them."