1. Pronouns and Antecedents for Visual Learners
Fortner

2. James owns an ax, but James needs an log splitter.
Pronoun
Takes the place of one or more nouns.
Keeps us from having to repeat the same noun.
James owns an ax, but James needs an log splitter.
James owns an ax, but he needs a log splitter.

3. Singular Pronouns: I you he she it Plural Pronouns: we you they
Refers to one person or thing.
Singular Pronouns: I you he she it
Plural Pronouns
Refers to more than one.
Plural Pronouns: we you they

4. Pronoun Antecedents Takes its meaning from the noun it replaces.
The noun that the pronoun refers to.
A pronoun must agree with the Antecedent.
Must be the same number (singular or plural) as the noun it replaces.
Must be the same gender as the noun it replaces.

5. When George had enough money, he bought a new bike.
George left the bike out in the rain, and it rusted.

6. Antecedent
Must have a clear Antecedent for every pronoun.
A pronoun can have more than one Antecedent.
After Brandon and Carla had collected many recipes, they decided to write a cook book.

7. Antecedent
The Antecedent and pronoun can be in a different sentence.
Brandon and Carla wrote the cookbook. It was illustrated by Carla.

8. Tom and Wendy walked home quickly. Nancy walked fast too.
Try it out! What Pronoun would you use to replace the underlined part of the sentence?
Tom and Wendy walked home quickly.
Nancy walked fast too.
The streets were empty.
Bruce answered the door.
They
She
They He

9. Ruth looked at the clear sky. The friends went inside.
The rainstorm began suddenly.
The road was flooded.
She
They It It

10. Pronouns Summed Up A pronoun takes the place of one or more nouns.
The Antecedent of a pronoun is the noun or nouns to which the pronoun refers.
A pronoun must agree in number and gender with its Antecedent.

11. Pronoun Practice Write each pronoun and then write its Antecedent.
EXAMPLE: Are Dan and Rosa still here, or did they leave?

12. The fans cheered when they saw the touch down.
2. The seats were in the back, and they were uncomfortable.
3. The singer took a bow. Then he took another bow.

13. 5. Judy knew the melody, but she didn’t know the words.
4. The musicians played the school song. Then they marched off the field.
5. Judy knew the melody, but she didn’t know the words.
6. Angel held the football until it was stolen away.
7. The player of the game is Larry. Does he know it yet?

14. Writing With Pronouns
Make sure you can tell whom or what they refer to.
Replace a confusing pronoun with a noun or noun phrase.

15. CONFUSING:
It was their first year on the cheerleading squad. They lifted them onto their shoulders. Then they performed athletic back flips.
Clear:
It was Karen and Jeff’s first year on the cheerleading squad. The experienced cheerleaders lifted their teammates onto their shoulders. Then everyone performed athletic backflips.

16. Pronoun Overload AVOID IT!!
Repeating a pronoun over and over again when writing will make it sound boring.
Try to substitute noun and noun phrases for some of the pronouns.

17. DRONING PRONOUNS: The students started a pep club
DRONING PRONOUNS: The students started a pep club. They recruited club members and they , and they worked hard to increase school spirit. They organized homecoming events too. They want to support our terrific athletes.
Mix of Nouns and Pronouns: The students started a pep club. They recruited club members, and they worked hard to increase school spirit. The students organized homecoming events too. These hard workers want to support our terrific athletes.