Question

Although the average Girl Scout joins the organization at age 14, they have already been Brownies for several years.

• A. they have already been Brownies
• B. they were Brownies
• C. she has already been a Brownie
• D. she had already been a Brownie
• E. she was in the Brownies

Hint:

Nouns modified by "average," "every," or "each" are singular. For example, "the average student" is singular, "every employee" is singular, and "each player" is singular. They all require singular pronouns.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests pronoun-antecedent agreement. The pronoun must agree in number with the noun it replaces (the antecedent).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The antecedent in this sentence is "the average Girl Scout." Although it represents a group, the noun itself is grammatically singular. The original sentence uses the plural pronoun "they," which creates an agreement error.
We must replace "they" with a singular pronoun, "she."
Now we must choose the correct verb tense. The present perfect tense "has already been" is the best choice because it describes an experience that started in the past and is relevant to the present moment of joining at age 14.
Option (D) uses the past perfect "had already been," which would be appropriate only if the action was completed before another specific past event. Option (E) uses the simple past "was," which does not convey the duration implied by "for several years" as effectively as the present perfect.
Step 3: Final Answer:
"The average Girl Scout" is a singular antecedent requiring the singular pronoun "she." The present perfect tense "has been" correctly describes the past experience.