 A pronoun is a word that takes the place (a substitute or stand-in) for one or more nouns.

 Camp once made, Buck lay down like a dead dog. Hungry as Buck was, Buck would not move to receive Buck’s ration of fish that Francois had brought to Buck. ( Call of the Wild)  Camp once made, Buck lay down like a dead dog. Hungry as he was, he would not move to receive his ration of fish that Francois had brought to him.

 Antecedent – the word or group of words that a pronoun replaces, or refers to, is called its antecedent.  It may be in the same sentence as the pronoun or in another sentence.  The trees have lost their leaves.  Marcy is happy. Her dog won the Cutest Pet contest.

1. Jason moves confidently with the aid of his crutches. 2. In 1875, Elizabeth Blackwell opened her own medical college for women. 3. Most snakes never travel more than a few miles from their birthplace. 4. Roy entered the diving contest. His second dive received a perfect score.

 A pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent.  Number = singular or plural  Gender = whether a noun/pronoun is masculine, feminine, or neuter

 Masculine = he, him, his  Feminine = she, her, hers  Neuter = it, its (no apostrophe!!)  NOTE: Things and places are neuter in gender. Unless animals are given a proper name, they are also considered neuter.

 MASCULINE: Richard forgot HIS sneakers.  FEMININE: Janet had to give HER cat a bath.  NEUTER: Wash the car and wax IT. What about this? Why?  The singers have taken THEIR places on stage.

 One of the boys can’t open his locker.  Someone in the girls’ choir forgot her music.  Everyone must was his own dishes.  Everyone must was his or her own dishes.  Several of the women offered their help.  Both of my brothers lost their keys.  All of the house was restored to its original beauty.

1. Althea and (she, her) are equal partners. 2. During the Boston Tea Party, some of the ships in the harbor lost (its, their) cargo. 3. Should the tickets be sent to (you, him)? 4. Either of the women will give (her, their) report at the meeting. 5. Give Daniel or (she, her) the money from the car wash.

1. she 2. their 3. him 4. her 5. her

1. Both of the girls must give _____ speeches today. 2. One of the women lawyers will plead ____ case before the state supreme court. 3. The pony ran quickly to ____ mother. 4. Several of the chorus members will sing ____ own arrangement of “Oklahoma”. 5. All of the beach has white sand covering ___.

1. their 2. her 3. its (no apostrophe!) 4. their 5. it