<p>Nursing homes that violate regulations have become an important statewide problem, and it has become a hot political issue. </p>
<p>This above sentence is possibly wrong. Is the word it supposed to refer to an important statewide problem or to nursing homes (then I would have to change it to they have)?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I think the 'it' refers to 'an important statewide problem' because the 'problem' is singular just like 'it'. 'Nursing homes' is a plural subject. That's what I think.</p>
<p>I don't think the sentance is constructed correctly if "it" is supposed to refer to the statewide problem. I think it should be "they have" which still links to nursing homes.</p>
<p>I think the pronoun should be more specific. I would say that "it has become" should be replaced with "becoming". I just think your sentence sounds awkward. Or maybe turn it into a semicolon and specify it since there seems to be a confusion.</p>
<p>(don't take my word for it though, i only scored a 540 on writing, but i'm preping now)</p>
<p>anybody with a 800 writing SAT want to jump in and help?</p>
<p>i agree with both Pearl and mrcapslock. the word "it" seems to be used doubly as problem or nursing homes, one can't tell which. but, gramatically (word?) i think it should be changed to they have.</p>
<p>This sentence is highly flawed. The original sentence is posted below. Pay attention to the numbers with a given parenthesis for further explanation. </p>
<p>Nursing homes that violate regulations have (3.become) (2. an important statewide problem), and (1. it) (3. has become) a hot political issue. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>What immediately jumps out at the reader is the pronoun it. It, clearly a singular pronoun, fails to rename the plural compound noun, nursing homes.</p></li>
<li><p>Secondly, the reader may also notice that the sentence gramatically incorrect due to a falty predicate nomnitive. Nursing homes is plural, requiring the predicate nomnitie (problem) to be plural as well. In other words, it should be problems. </p></li>
<li><p>Lastly, the sentence is redundant. It is very passive in voice and does not effectively combine the two predicate nomnitives "problem and issue".</p></li>
</ol>
<p>MED786</p>