Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Person, number, and gender in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Person Singular Plural First I we Second you you Third he, she, it they Gender: 1) Masculine: he, him, himself; 2) Feminine: she, her, herself; 3) Neuter: it, itself

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 1) Antecedents joined by and usually take plural pronouns. Ex: Anne and Jane sold their textbooks. Ex: Mr. Mister and I cannot settle our dispute. Exception: When the compound antecedent refers to single person, idea, or thing, then the pronoun is singular. Ex: My brother and friend offered his help.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 2) When parts of an antecedent are joined by or or nor, the pronoun agrees with the nearer part. Ex: Either Anne or Jane left her umbrella. When one antecedent is plural and the other singular, the sentence will be awkward unless you put the plural antecedent second. Ex: Neither the principal nor the parents have made their choice.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 3) With an indefinite word as antecedent, use a singular or plural pronoun as appropriate. Ex: Neither of the Girl Scouts paid her fee. (Neither is singular.) Ex: Each of the men succeeded in his chosen career. (Each is singular.) Ex: Everyone took his or her seat. (Everyone is singular.) Ex: All the students took their seats. (All is plural.) Avoid using the pronouns he, him, and his to refer to antecedents of unspecified gender.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 4) Reflexive pronouns must agree with an antecedent that is clearly stated. Correct Skippy gave himself a break after studying for two hours. Incorrect The trouble between Sue and myself arose over jealousy. Should be: The trouble between Sue and me arose over jealousy.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 5) Collective noun antecedents take singular or plural pronouns depending on meaning. When the group acts as one unit, the pronoun is singular. Ex: The herd of cows is too cramped in its small pasture. When the members of a group act separately, the pronoun is plural. Ex: The couple divided their belongings.

Special Problems with Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. Problem: They make a lot of mistakes in the paper. Correct: Newspaper stories are not always accurate. That paper has many typographical errors.

Special Problems with Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. Problem: Bruce told Danny his mother was sick. Correct: Bruce told Danny that Danny’s mother was sick. Bruce told Danny that Bruce’s mother was sick.

Special Problems with Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. Problem: When Joyce invited Anna and her family to come for the weekend, she forgot to check the date. Correct: Joyce forgot to check the date when she invited Anna and her family to come for the weekend.

Special Problems with Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. Problem: In English literature you will read Shakespeare and Milton. Correct: A student of English literature will read Shakespeare and Milton.