Which pronoun would correctly replace the noun in this sentence: The teacher gave the students instructions. The students were confused.

The choice "They" is the correct pronoun to replace "the students" in the given context. This pronoun functions as a third-person plural pronoun that refers back to a specific group previously mentioned in the sentence—namely, "the students."

Using "they" effectively captures the essential meaning, indicating that the students are the ones who were confused following the teacher's instructions. Since "students" is a plural noun, a plural pronoun like "they" is necessary to maintain grammatical consistency and clarity in the sentence. This helps to avoid repetition and enhances the flow of the narrative.

Other options do not appropriately match the referential context of "the students." For example, "it" refers to singular nouns, "them" is an object pronoun that would require a different grammatical construction, and "us" implies inclusion that is not applicable in this scenario. Therefore, "they" is the only option that fulfills both the grammatical and contextual requirements of the sentence.