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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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 ______.

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.

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.

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.”

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]

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.

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.

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

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]

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?

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