16. In the saying, 'If a person wants to get ahead in life, you have to be willing to work for it,' which of the following language conventions is violated?
Answer: D
The pronoun-antecedent agreement is violated in the saying.
In the saying, 'If a person wants to get ahead in life, you have to be willing to work for it,' there is a violation of pronoun-antecedent agreement. The use of "you" does not agree with the antecedent "a person," which is singular, while "you" is plural.
A) Use of a colon
The saying does not involve a colon, which is used to introduce lists, quotes, or explanations. Therefore, this option does not apply to the language conventions in question and is not relevant to the analysis.
B) Verb tense
The verb tense in the saying is consistent, as both "wants" and "have" are in the present tense. There is no violation regarding verb tense, making this option incorrect.
C) Punctuation of an introductory clause
The punctuation in the saying is correct, as it appropriately uses a comma after the introductory clause "If a person wants to get ahead in life." Thus, this option does not indicate a violation.
D) Pronoun-antecedent agreement
This option correctly identifies the violation present in the saying. The antecedent "a person" is singular, while the pronoun "you" used later in the sentence is not aligned with it, creating a grammatical inconsistency.
Conclusion
The violation of pronoun-antecedent agreement in the saying highlights the importance of ensuring that pronouns correctly match their antecedents in number and form. Options A, B, and C do not present any violations relevant to the context, confirming that D is the only correct choice. This emphasizes the need for attention to grammatical consistency in language use.