Extract:
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence?
The nurse told Silvio’s family that visiting hours were over, but Silvio’s family could come back early tomorrow morning.
-
A
them
-
B
us
-
C
they
-
D
those
The word "they" best substitutes for "Silvio's family" because the pronoun functions as the subject of the clause "could come back."
A) them
"Them" is objective case, appropriate for objects—but not subjects. "Them could come back" creates a case error because the pronoun serves as the clause's subject requiring subjective case.
B) us
"Us" is first-person objective case—incorrect person (should be third-person to match "Silvio's family") and incorrect case (should be subjective for subject position).
C) they
"They" is third-person plural subjective case, correctly replacing the plural noun phrase "Silvio's family" functioning as the subject of "could come back." Family collective nouns take plural verbs/pronouns when emphasizing individual members' actions.
D) those
"Those" is a demonstrative adjective/pronoun—not a personal pronoun substitute for "family." "Those could come back" creates semantic awkwardness and isn't the standard pronoun replacement for collective nouns.
Conclusion
Subject pronouns require subjective case matching the antecedent's person and number. "Silvio's family" functions as a plural subject here (members acting individually), requiring third-person plural subjective "they" rather than objective "them" or other inappropriate substitutes.