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Robotics News: Keep Pronouns Consistent

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Robotics News: Keep Pronouns Consistent

Recognize and repair shifts in pronoun number and person.

Read Like an Editor

Read the report, then evaluate the related draft excerpts. Keep the writer’s intended meaning.

Pronouns should match the people or things they refer to. First person includes I and we; second person uses you; third person includes he, she, it, and they. A change is appropriate when the speaker or referent changes. Singular they is also correct; do not treat it as a number error.

A Careful Finish at the Robotics Meet

1On Saturday, students from Bellwick Middle School carried a small wheeled robot into the district robotics competition. The machine had to move foam blocks into marked spaces without being steered by a person. Teams could revise their programs between rounds, but once a run began, students had to step away from the course.

2The Bellwick team’s first run ended with two blocks outside the target area. Its robot turned too soon after passing a strip of dark tape. Team programmer Nikhil examined the instructions on a laptop while driver Celeste checked the wheels. Neither student blamed the other. Instead, both compared the robot’s movement with their practice notes.

3During the repair period, the students shortened one turn and tested the change on a practice surface. They also moved a loose cable away from a wheel. The team’s adviser watched from behind the table, leaving the decisions to the students. With only a few minutes remaining, the teammates agreed to stop adding changes and check the program they already had.

4The second run was slower, but the robot placed more blocks inside the marked spaces. Bellwick did not receive the highest score. However, the team earned a judges’ certificate for explaining its testing process clearly. After the results, Celeste described the adjustment in a brief interview for the school news page.

5Back at school, the news editors chose a photograph of the testing table rather than a photograph of the certificate alone. Their caption identified the students’ different jobs. The finished report would include the result, but it would also show readers the careful work behind that result.

Unedited follow-up draft
The student reporters arrived before the final round. They recorded the teams’ scores. You checked the spelling of each competitor’s name before submitting the article. The article appeared on the school news page on Monday.
1.
In the follow-up draft, all reporting tasks were done by the student reporters. What pronoun problem needs correction?
Question 1 options
2.
Underline the one sentence in the follow-up draft that contains the inappropriate shift identified in question 1.

3.
A reporter writes: “The robot crossed the starting line. They stopped beside the first block.” Both sentences describe the robot. Which revision fixes the number shift?
Question 3 options
4.
Which news sentence uses a change in pronouns appropriately because the pronouns refer to different things?
Question 4 options

Repair the Drafts

Use each stated viewpoint and referent to choose or write the correct pronouns.

5.
The student reporters are writing about themselves: “We reached the gym early so you could photograph the empty course.” Replace you with the subject pronoun that keeps their first-person plural voice.

We reached the gym early so could photograph the empty course.

6.
Both sentences refer to the same two laptops. Replace it with the correct subject pronoun.

The two laptops stored the team’s programs. remained on the testing table.

7.
The reporters write: “We asked Celeste about the second run, and she explained the shorter turn.” An editor wants to change she to we. Which response is correct?
Question 7 options
8.
Celeste is describing her own work throughout this quotation. Replace both shifts with first-person singular pronouns. Use the word bank. Word bank: I, my, we, our

“I checked the wheels before returned to the course. I kept notes beside the laptop.”

9.
A caption describes only Nikhil and Celeste: “The two students compared her practice notes before they changed the program.” The notes belong to both students. Which edit is needed?
Question 9 options

Check the Final Copy

Distinguish confusing shifts from appropriate changes, then explain one revision.

10.
Classify each draft excerpt. Use the referents stated in each excerpt.
11.
A reporter tells readers how to find competition photographs: “If you open the school news page, we can choose the competition album and view our favorite photographs.” Which revision consistently addresses the reader?
Question 11 options
12.
Which sentence correctly keeps third-person plural pronouns for the student competitors throughout?
Question 12 options
13.
The first blank refers to the reporters speaking about themselves. The second refers to one robot. Write one pronoun in each blank.

We watched the final run, and recorded the score. The robot stopped after crossed the finish line.

14.
The reporters write about their own work: “We reviewed the interview before you posted our article. Celeste read her quotation and approved it.” Rewrite the excerpt to fix the inappropriate shift. Explain why the other pronouns do not need to change.