The violins handmade in the seventeeth century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari have been celebrated as some of the
ﬁnest in the world. In close collaboration with musicians, Stradivari introduced changes to the shape of a traditional violin,
ﬂattening some of the instrument’s curves and making ______ lighter overall.
those
one
them
it
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun “it”
agrees in number with the singular antecedent “violin” and thus indicates that the traditional violin (and not its curves) was
made lighter.
Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.”
Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear
what Stradivari made lighter. Choice C is incorrect because the plural pronoun “them” doesn’t agree in number with the
singular antecedent “violin.”