Understanding Pronoun Agreement with 'One'

The question asks us to select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank in the sentence: "One should be careful to check the grease and oil in _______ car occasionally for its smooth functioning". The blank requires a word that shows possession and agrees with the subject "one".

Identifying the Subject and Possessive Form

The subject of the sentence is the indefinite pronoun "one". When "one" is used as a pronoun referring to a person in general, its corresponding possessive form is "one's". This is similar to how "he" uses "his", "she" uses "her", and "it" uses "its" for possession.

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at the given options:

• ones: This is the plural form of "one" (e.g., "Choose the red ones"). It is not a possessive form and does not fit here.
• their: This is the possessive form for the pronoun "they" or a plural noun. It is used when referring to multiple people or things, or sometimes as a gender-neutral possessive for a singular person (though "one" typically takes "one's"). It does not agree with the singular subject "one".
• our: This is the possessive form for the pronoun "we". It refers to possession by a group including the speaker. It does not agree with the subject "one".
• one's: This is the possessive form of the indefinite pronoun "one". It indicates something belonging to "one". This form correctly agrees with the subject "one" in the sentence.

Applying the Correct Form

The sentence "One should be careful to check the grease and oil in _______ car occasionally for its smooth functioning" uses "one" to represent a general person. Therefore, the possessive form needed to show possession of "car" by this general person is "one's".

The completed sentence is: "One should be careful to check the grease and oil in one's car occasionally for its smooth functioning".

Conclusion

Based on the rules of pronoun agreement, the correct possessive form to use with the subject "one" is "one's".

Revision Table: Possessive Pronouns and Determiners

Additional Information: Indefinite Pronoun 'One'

The indefinite pronoun "one" is used to refer to a person in a general sense, not a specific individual. When "one" is the subject of a sentence, the corresponding possessive form is "one's". The reflexive pronoun is "oneself".

• Subject: One
• Possessive Determiner: one's
• Possessive Pronoun: (rarely used)
• Reflexive Pronoun: oneself

For example:

• One must take care of one's health.
• One should allow oneself enough time.

Using other possessives like "his" or "her" or "their" when the subject is "one" is generally considered less formal or grammatically incorrect in standard English, although practices can vary in informal contexts or different dialects. The most standard and grammatically correct possessive form for "one" is "one's".