sin
Explanation
Use sin when the possessive refers back to the sentence subject, han. Hans would indicate another male person's wife; hennes and deras point to a female or plural possessor.
sitt
Explanation
Sitt is the reflexive possessive form used here because it refers back to Kristina and agrees with the neuter noun huvud. Hans and hennes are nonreflexive possessives, while sina is the plural reflexive form.
sina; sig
Explanation
With man as the generalizing subject, the possessive reflexive is sin, sitt, or sina, and the reflexive pronoun is sig. Ens is the nonreflexive possessive, while en is the object form.
en
Explanation
En is the object form corresponding to the subject man in this sentence. Man is the subject form, ens is possessive, and sig is reflexive.
Man is more neutral, while en may be perceived as inclusive or as colloquial and affected.
Explanation
Språkrådet recommends man as the more neutral subject, while readers may interpret en positively as inclusive or negatively as colloquial, dialectal, or affected. The claim that en is preferred in formal writing reverses that recommendation.
Inte followed by någon, något, några, or någonting
Explanation
With two or more verbs in a main clause, the indefinite object is expressed with inte followed by någon, något, några, or någonting. The form ingen is used in a main clause with one verb, so it does not fit this condition.
To assess students’ understanding of these pronoun forms and their use
Explanation
The exam covers possessive and reflexive possessive pronouns as well as the different forms of man. Dialect attitudes and negation are addressed elsewhere in the material, not listed as the exam’s stated scope.
A non-reflexive form such as hans, hennes, or deras
Explanation
Non-reflexive possessives such as hans, hennes, and deras indicate that the possession belongs to someone other than the subject. Reflexive possessives refer back to the subject, so they would express a different relationship.
En is the object form, while ens is the possessive form.
Explanation
En functions as the object form of man, whereas ens expresses possession by man. Sig, rather than en, is the reflexive pronoun.
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When does Swedish use sin, sitt, or sina instead of hans, hennes, or deras?
When the possessive refers back to the subject.
What is the object form of the generalizing Swedish subject man?
En.
In “Han älskar sin fru,” whom does sin refer back to?
Han.
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