1. Using Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Indefinite pronouns
Compound antecedents
Solving special agreement problems
Collective nouns
Plural forms
Titles
Relative pronouns
Expressions of amount
Review A
Review B

2. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
You may have heard that it is rude to point, but that’s exactly what pronouns do.
A pronoun “points” to a noun or another pronoun called its antecedent.
Antecedent
Antecedent
Pronoun
Pronoun
Nicole was glad that she had brought her camera.
Nicole was glad that she had brought her camera.
When a pronoun and its antecedent do not agree, listeners and readers become lost.

3. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Number
A pronoun should agree in both number and gender with its antecedent.
A word that refers to one thing is singular.
A word that refers to more than one is plural.
Plural
Singular
lion
lions
noses
nose
they
she

4. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Number
Use singular pronouns to refer to singular antecedents.
Singular
antecedent
Singular
pronoun
Break one egg and fry it.
Break one egg and fry it.
Break one egg and fry it.
Singular Personal Pronouns I me
my, mine
you
your, yours
he, she, it
him, her, it
his, hers, its

5. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Number
Use plural pronouns to refer to plural antecedents.
Plural
antecedent
Plural
pronoun
Cut two slices and toast them.
Cut two slices and toast them.
Cut two slices and toast them.
Plural Personal Pronouns we us
our, ours
you
your, yours
they
them
their, theirs

6. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Gender
Some singular pronouns indicate gender.
Masculine pronouns refer to males.
Feminine pronouns refer to females.
Neuter pronouns refer to places, things, ideas, and animals.
Masculine he
him
his
himself
Feminine
she
her
her, hers
herself
Neuter it
its
itself

7. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Person
Person indicates whether a pronoun refers to
the one(s) speaking
first person
I promised myself that I would clean my room.
the one(s) spoken to
second person
Do you have your library card with you?
the one(s) spoken about
third person
They built their new house themselves.

8. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Then, identify the antecedent.
1. The neighbors forgot to close the gate to __________ backyard.
2. Mrs. Farrow always posts the schedule on the door of __________ classroom.
3. Ignoring the food we offered, the cat began to clean __________ paws.

9. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Then, identify the antecedent.
Antecedent
1. The neighbors forgot to close the gate to __________ backyard.
their
The plural pronoun their agrees with the plural antecedent neighbors.

10. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Then, identify the antecedent.
Antecedent
2. Mrs. Farrow always posts the schedule on the door of __________ classroom.
her
The singular feminine pronoun her agrees with the singular feminine antecedent Mrs. Farrow.

11. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Then, identify the antecedent.
Antecedent
3. Ignoring the food we offered, the cat began to clean __________ paws.
its
The singular neuter pronoun its agrees with the singular neuter antecedent cat.

12. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
On Your Own
The following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
1. Two girls won a prize for her project.
2. Although we drove through the mountains, we could not see it because of the fog.
3. If he calls this afternoon, tell he that I’ll call back.
4. My cousin’s house has two fireplaces in them.
5. The children forgot to put on its jackets.
[End of Section]

13. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Answers
The following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
1. Two girls won a prize for their project.
2. Although we drove through the mountains, we could not see them because of the fog.
3. If he calls this afternoon, tell him that I’ll call back.
4. My cousin’s house has two fireplaces in it.
5. The children forgot to put on their jackets.

14. Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to a person or thing whose exact identity is unknown.
Some indefinite pronouns are singular.
Some are plural.
Some may be either singular or plural depending on how they are used.

15. Singular Indefinite Pronouns
The following indefinite pronouns are singular:
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
anybody
either
neither
one
anyone
everybody
nobody
somebody
anything
everyone
no one
someone
each
everything
nothing
something
Everybody on the boys’ team has his racket.
One of the women waved to her children.
Each of the birds had completed its nest.

16. Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns do not indicate gender. Often a word in a phrase following the indefinite pronoun will tell you the gender.
Each of the women runs her own business.
When you do not know the gender of the antecedent, use both the masculine and feminine pronouns connected by or.
No one remembered to bring his or her permission slip.

17. Grammar Guy Says... Indefinite pronouns
If the a sentence with an indefinite is awkward using his or her, try rewriting it to avoid using that structure.
Grammar Guy Says...
Everybody should have his or her book open to page 47.
All students should have their books open to page 47.

18. Plural Indefinite Pronouns
The following indefinite pronouns are plural:
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
both
few
many
several
Few of the passengers waited by themselves.
Both of the babies closed their eyes.
If many are cracked, discard them.

19. Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns
The following indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural, depending on how they are used:
Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns
all
more
none
any
most
some
I deleted some of the document. Is there a way to recover it?
Singular
I deleted some of the documents. Is there a way to recover them?
Plural

20. Compound antecedents
A compound antecedent is two or more antecedents joined by and or or.
Use a plural pronoun to refer to two or more antecedents joined by and.
Wind
and
rain
unleashed their fury on the land.
Antecedent 1
Antecedent 2
Nina,
Sandra,
and
Maya
taught themselves.
Antecedent 1
Antecedent 2
Antecedent 3

21. Compound antecedents
Use a singular pronoun to refer to two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor.
Craig or
Keith
will bring his camera.
Singular
Singular
Neither
Kate
nor
Ann
said that she would help.
Singular
Singular

22. Grammar Guy Says... Compound antecedents
Sentences with antecedents of different number may be unclear or awkward.
Grammar Guy Says...
Unclear
Neither the donkey nor the horses are in their stalls.
Awkward
Neither the donkey nor the horses are in its or their stalls.

23. Grammar Guy Says... Compound antecedents
Revise sentences to avoid unclear and awkward constructions like these.
Grammar Guy Says...
Unclear
Revised
Neither the donkey nor the horses are in their stalls.
Neither the donkey nor the horses are in the stalls.
Awkward
Revised
Neither the donkey nor the horses are in its or their stalls.
The donkey and the horses are not in their stalls.

24. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
1. Several of the reporters asked __________ questions at the same time.
2. Anybody should be free to give __________ opinion.
3. Neither Ned nor Dennis made a mistake when presenting __________ arguments during the debate.

25. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
1. Several of the reporters asked __________ questions at the same time.
their
The plural pronoun their agrees with the antecedent Several, an indefinite pronoun.

26. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
2. Anybody should be free to give __________ opinion.
his or her
In this sentence, the gender of the singular antecedent Anybody is not known, so both the masculine and feminine pronouns should be used.

27. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
3. Neither Ned nor Dennis made a mistake when presenting __________ arguments during the debate.
his
The singular antecedents are joined by neither/nor. The singular pronoun his agrees with the compound subject.

28. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
On Your Own
Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, write C.
1. One of the boys brought their basketball.
2. Hilda and Lupe presented her reports.
3. Either the puppy or the kitten lost their collar.
4. Everyone should wash their own dishes after lunch.
All the students worked hard to improve themselves.
[End of Section]

29. Indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents
Answers
Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, write C.
1. One of the boys brought his basketball.
2. Hilda and Lupe presented their reports.
3. Either the puppy or the kitten lost its collar.
4. Everyone should wash his or her own dishes after lunch.
5. All the students worked hard to improve themselves. C

30. Solving special agreement problems Collective nouns
A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on how the noun is used.
Use a singular pronoun when the noun refers to the group as a unit.
The tour group surprised its guide by presenting her with a lovely thank-you gift.
Use a plural pronoun when the noun refers to parts of the group or to individual members.
The guide surprised the tour group by presenting them with souvenirs.

31. Solving special agreement problems Collective nouns
The singular form of a collective noun refers to a group.
Common Collective Nouns
army
club
family
squadron
assembly
congregation
group
staff
audience
fleet
herd
team
band
flock
number
troop

32. Solving special agreement problems Plural forms
Some nouns that are plural in form take singular pronouns.
Plural Forms That Take Singular Verbs
civics
gymnastics
molasses
economics
linguistics
mumps
electronics
mathematics
news
genetics
measles
physics
There’s no more molasses in the jar. Did you use it?
I am taking physics now, and I find it challenging.

33. Solving special agreement problems Plural forms
Many nouns ending in –ics, such as athletics, acoustics, and ethics, may be singular or plural.
Grammar Guy Says...
Such nouns are generally singular when they refer to a science, system, or skill.
Acoustics is the branch of science that deals with sound.
Such nouns are plural when they refer to qualities or individual items.
The acoustics of the new theater are excellent.

34. Solving special agreement problems Plural forms
Some nouns that refer to single items take plural verbs.
binoculars
pants
shears
eyeglasses
pliers
slacks
Olympics
scissors
trousers
After you use my scissors, please put them back where you found them.
When the Olympics were on television, did you watch them?

35. Solving special agreement problems Titles
Even when plural in form, these types of nouns take singular pronouns.
Titles of a creative work—books, songs, movies, or paintings
Once I started watching Finders, I never missed an episode of it.
Names of countries, cities, or organizations
I don’t know the population of Grand Rapids, but it is the second-largest city in Michigan.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars held its parade last Saturday.

36. Solving special agreement problems Titles
When the name of an organization refers to individual members, it takes a plural pronoun.
Grammar Guy Says...
The Veterans of Foreign Wars wore their uniforms when they marched in the parade.

37. Solving special agreement problems Relative pronouns
The gender and number of the relative pronoun that, which, or who is determined by the word to which the relative pronoun refers—its antecedent.
Enrique, who lives with his aunt and uncle, was born in Puerto Rico.
The relative pronoun who refers to Enrique.
Enrique is a singular, masculine noun.
The relative pronoun who takes a singular, masculine pronoun, his.

38. Solving special agreement problems Expressions of amount
An expression of amount (a measurement, percentage, or fraction) may be singular or plural, depending on how it is used.
Use a singular pronoun when the amount is thought of as a unit.
The part costs fifty dollars, and I don’t have it.
Use a plural pronoun when the amount is thought of as separate items.
He had dropped two dollars, so I picked them up for him.

39. Solving special agreement problems Expressions of amount
A fraction or a percentage is
singular when it refers to a singular word.
One quarter of the pizza is left. Do you want to take it home?
plural when it refers to a plural word.
One quarter of the slices are left. Do you want to take them home?

40. Solving special agreement problems
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
1. I can’t find my binoculars; I must have left ______ somewhere.
2. Ray decided to study economics after he took a class about _____.
3. We have practiced “The Stars and Stripes Forever” until everyone in the band is comfortable playing ______.

41. Solving special agreement problems
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
1. I can’t find my binoculars; I must have left ______ somewhere.
them
Binoculars is a noun that takes a plural pronoun even though it refers to a single item. The plural pronoun them agrees with the plural antecedent binoculars.

42. Solving special agreement problems
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
2. Ray decided to study economics after he took a class about _____. it
The noun economics is singular because it refers to a science, system, or skill. The singular pronoun it agrees with the singular antecedent economics.

43. Solving special agreement problems
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
3. We have practiced “The Stars and Stripes Forever” until everyone in the band is comfortable playing ______. it
Titles of creative works are singular. The singular pronoun it agrees with the singular antecedent “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

44. Solving special agreement problems
On Your Own
Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, write C.
1. Did the Cub Scouts wear its hats during the ceremony?
2. The room, which had no decorations on their walls, looked very bare.
3. The team needs to make a decision about their mascot.
4. Measure two thirds of a cup of flour, and add it one spoonful at a time.
5. Locate the Netherlands on the map, and write the name of their capital city.
[End of Section]

45. Solving special agreement problems
Answers
Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, write C.
1. Did the Cub Scouts wear their hats during the ceremony?
2. The room, which had no decorations on its walls, looked very bare.
3. The team needs to make a decision about its mascot.
4. Measure two thirds of a cup of flour, and add it one spoonful at a time. C
5. Locate the Netherlands on the map, and write the name of its capital city.

46. Review A
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
I enjoyed the movie, but ________ was too long.
Some of the members did not cast ________ votes yet.
Everyone in the class brought _________ notebook.
The woman, who was walking ________ dogs in the park, asked to use my cell phone.
5. Either Brian or Charles will read _______ report first.

47. Review A
Possible Answers
Complete each sentence by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
I enjoyed the movie, but ________ was too long. it
Some of the members did not cast ________ votes yet.
their
Everyone in the class brought _________ notebook.
his or her
The woman, who was walking ________ dogs in the park, asked to use my cell phone.
her
5. Either Brian or Charles will read _______ report first.
his

48. Review B
The following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
1. If any of the oranges are left, please put it away.
The League of Women Voters will sponsor their annual debate for the candidates next week.
3. Mike bent the pliers and wasn’t able to straighten it.
4. One third of the field doesn’t have any crops planted in them.
5. Does anyone still need their locker combination?
[End of Section]

49. Review B
The following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
1. If any of the oranges are left, please put them away.
The League of Women Voters will sponsor its annual debate for the candidates next week.
3. Mike bent the pliers and wasn’t able to straighten them.
4. One third of the field doesn’t have any crops planted in it.
5. Does anyone still need his or her locker combination?

50. The End