Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
The draft policy outlines (1)/ that each employee must adhere to (2)/ the code of conduct (3)/ irrespective of their position, (4)/
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 i.e. (4).
Error concept: related to the use of incorrect pronoun/number agreement.
What is wrong: The plural possessive pronoun "their" is used to refer back to the singular subject "each employee".
Grammatical concept: Indefinite pronouns like "each," "every," "everyone," and "each employee" are grammatically singular. Therefore, the possessive pronoun that refers back to them must also be singular (his/her) to maintain subject-pronoun agreement.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: In this sentence, "each employee" (singular) is paired with "their" (plural), which creates a numerical mismatch in the formal structure of the sentence.
Correction: Thus, "their" should be replaced with "his or her" (or "his") to agree with the singular noun "employee".
Correct phrase: irrespective of his or her position.
Final sentence: The draft policy outlines that each employee must adhere to the code of conduct irrespective of his or her position.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.