Pick out the best alternative from the options given for the underlined…
2025
Pick out the best alternative from the options given for the underlined portion in the given sentence.
Whenever we went to the temple, it was mandatory for each of us to remove our shoes near the steps.
- A.
to remove his/her shoes
- B.
in removing our shoes
- C.
to remove my shoes
- D.
removing our shoes
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Indefinite pronouns such as "each", "each of", "every", "either", and "neither" are always grammatically singular, even when followed by a plural noun phrase such as "us" or "the students". Any pronoun that refers back to them — including a possessive pronoun — must therefore also be singular.
Here, "each of us" is the singular subject controlling the possessive pronoun that follows it. The original sentence uses the plural "our", which does not agree in number with the singular "each". Replacing "our" with the singular "his/her" fixes the agreement, while keeping the infinitive "to remove", which the construction "mandatory for + subject + to-verb" requires.
"in removing our shoes" swaps the infinitive for a gerund, breaking the "mandatory for + subject + to-verb" pattern, and still keeps the plural "our".
"to remove my shoes" keeps the infinitive but shifts to the first person "my", which does not match the third-person subject "each of us".
"removing our shoes" drops "to" altogether, losing the infinitive, and still carries the same plural-pronoun mismatch.