Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Rule & Examples

Jane lost a glove, and she can't find it. A pronoun is a word used to take the place of a noun. Antecedent is the word that is replaced by a pronoun later in the same sentence. antecedent Jane lost a glove, and she can't find it. pronoun

The pronoun (referent) must AGREE with the antecedent in both number and gender.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns Plural Indefinite Pronouns Each / Each of… One of… Neither of / Either of No one, Nobody, Nothing Anyone, Anybody Somebody, Someone, something Everybody, Everyone, Everything Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents. If any of these pronouns are used in the subject, then treat the subject as SINGULAR.

Each of the clerks does a great deal of work around his or her office. singular antecedent subject Each of the clerks does a great deal of work around his or her office. pronoun/referent Hint: Don’t be fooled by clerks being plural, the use of each makes the subject singular.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns Plural Indefinite Pronouns Each Neither of / Either of No one, Nobody, Nothing Anyone, Anybody Somebody, Someone, something Everybody, Everyone, Everything Several Few Many Both *** the word “and” creates a compound subject—plural Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents. Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents. If any of these pronouns are used in the subject, then treat the subject as SINGULAR.

These Pronouns can be either *Uncountable = Singular Singular Indefinite Pronouns Plural Indefinite Pronouns Each Neither of / Either of No one, Nobody, Nothing Anyone, Anybody Somebody, Someone, something Everybody, Everyone, Everything Several Few Many Both *** the word “and” creates a compound subject—plural These Pronouns can be either singular or plural: All, Some, None, Most; Any *Uncountable = Singular *Countable = Plural

Both do a good job in their offices. pronoun/referent plural antecedent

some, any, none, all, or most can be either singular or plural. Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either singular or plural.  some, any, none, all, or most can be either singular or plural. A helpful hint is to determine if the subject is countable or uncountable.

Some of the sugar fell out of its bag. subject Some of the sugar fell out of its bag. pronoun/referent Indefinite pronoun antecedent sugar is “uncountable” in this instance, so the antecedent is treated as singular subject

Some of the marbles fell out of their bag. subject Some of the marbles fell out of their bag. pronoun/referent Indefinite pronoun antecedent marbles are “countable” in this instance, so the antecedent is treated as plural subject

Jones and Smith made their presentation. Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent — joint possession. Jones and Smith made their presentation. pronoun/referent plural antecedent

Lisa, assisted by Kim, completed her research on the novel. singular antecedent Lisa, assisted by Kim, completed her research on the novel. pronoun/referent Hint: This is not a compound subject because Lisa and Kim are not joined by “and,” so this is a singular subject/antecedent.

Lisa OR Kim is treated as singular because it is ONE or the other. antecedent Lisa or Kim is going to give her notes for this chapter. pronoun/referent Hint: Using “or” is the opposite of using “and,” so this is a singular subject/antecedent.

Neither the director nor the actors did their jobs. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent closer to the pronoun. pronoun/referent Neither the director nor the actors did their jobs. plural antecedent Hint: “actors” is closer to the pronoun

Neither the actors nor the director did his or her job. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent closer to the pronoun. pronoun/referent Neither the actors nor the director did his or her job. singular antecedent Hint: “director” is closer to the pronoun

The jury gave its verdict. Collective Nouns such as group, jury, crowd, or team may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.   The jury gave its verdict. pronoun/referent singular antecedent

The jury members gave their individual opinions. Collective Nouns such as group, jury, crowd, or, team may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.   plural antecedent The jury members gave their individual opinions. pronoun/referent

The Grapes of Wrath made its characters seem real. Titles of single entities such as books, organizations, or countries take a singular referent. The Grapes of Wrath made its characters seem real. pronoun/referent singular antecedent

The United States cherishes its democracy. Titles of single entities such as books, organizations, or countries take a singular referent. The United States cherishes its democracy. pronoun/referent singular antecedent

Plural form subjects with a singular meaning such as news, measles, mumps, physics, or economics take a singular referent.  The news has lost much of its sting two days later. pronoun/referent singular antecedent

Every cow, pig, and horse had lost its life in the fire. “Every” or “Many a” before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent. singular antecedent subject Every cow, pig, and horse had lost its life in the fire. pronoun/referent

Many a girl wishes she could sing like Beyoncé. “Every” or “Many a” before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent. singular antecedent Many a girl wishes she could sing like Beyoncé. subject pronoun/referent

The number before a subject is singular. A number before a subject is plural. subject The number of volunteers increases its ranks daily. singular antecedent pronoun/referent Hint: The subject is referring to ONE thing, so it is singular.

The number before a subject is singular. A number before a subject is plural. subject A number of volunteers are offering their help. plural antecedent pronoun/referent