1. Pronoun Agreement (Grammar #8) and Work on Mock Trial
TONIGHT’S HOMEWORK:
Continue preparing for mock trial (outline due Tuesday, April 25),
work on final-exam review handout (due Thursday, April 27), AND
complete Grammar #8 (pronoun agreement), due Tuesday, April 25

2. Pronoun Agreement (Grammar #8) and Work on Mock Trial
Pronouns
replace nouns (or other pronouns) so you do not have to repeat them. Tina let me borrow Tina’s coat. Tina let me borrow her coat. You met Mark. Mark is my cousin. You met Mark. He is my cousin.

3. Antecedent
(the word that a pronoun replaces) A personal pronoun refers to a specific person, place, or thing. The lawyer handed out the papers. They were very complicated.

4. A pronoun must AGREE with its antecedent (just like a subject and verb agree). Singular antecedent singular pronoun Plural antecedent plural pronoun
0 or 1
2 or more

5. Keep pronouns consistent
Keep pronouns consistent. Do not switch from “he/she” or “I” to “you” without reason. When the caller presses 1, you get a recording. Ginny loves peanut butter but wears braces, and you can’t eat peanut butter with braces.

6. Indefinite pronouns = not specific
Most indefinite pronouns are either always singular or always plural.
HINT: -one / -body / -thing = singular

7. Singular indefinite pronouns
Pronoun Agreement (Grammar #8) and Work on Mock Trial
Plural indefinite pronouns
both few many several
Singular indefinite pronouns
someone anyone no one everyone
somebody anybody nobody everybody
something anything nothing everything
each either neither

8. However, the indefinite pronouns
Pronoun Agreement (Grammar #8) and Work on Mock Trial
However, the indefinite pronouns
all
more / most
some
can be singular or plural.
HINT: Look at the object of the prepositional phrase that follows. (most of the workers = plural; most of the salt = singular)

9. Pronoun agreement with indefinite pronouns
A singular pronoun requires a singular verb (-s ending) and a singular pronoun.
Someone has lost his or her books.
A plural pronoun requires a plural verb (no -s ending) and a plural pronoun.
Many have lost their books.
Everybody fails Ms. Bielecki’s tests unless he or she studies.
Few survive to tell their tales of addiction to methamphetamines.

10. Collective Nouns A collective noun names a group that acts as a single unit, so use the pronoun “it.”
audience band class
college committee company
couple* crowd family
government group jury
office party society
staff team union
Purdue University Writing Lab

11. Collective Nouns
The band played its biggest hit at the end of the concert. (acting as a unit) The team won the last three games of its season. (acting as a unit) HINT: There’s no “I” in “team.”

12. Grammar Exercise #8 (10 points) Complete the entire exercise on MyHCC / Canvas before class begins on its due date.
Every presidential candidate must appeal to a wide variety of ethnic and social groups if ____________ to win the election. A. they want B. it wants C. he wants D. he or she wants
By refusing to take a blood or breath test, a driver will have _______________ license suspended for six months. A. their B. its C. his D. his or her
The Department of Education issued new guidelines for school security. _____________ trying to anticipate problems and avert disaster. A. They were B. It was C. We were D. He or she was
Either the boys or their father should give ____________ seat to the elderly woman. A. their B. its C. his D. his or her

13. You have the rest of the class period to work in groups on the mock trial. If you finish early, work on the final-exam review.
See pages of your textbook for some ideas. Each team should have a plan for its case in the form of an outline. Every student (not just those playing the lead attorneys) must bring the written informal outline (handout) to class every day through April 25. Each legal team may call as many witnesses and ask as many ques­tions as it likes but will have only about 30 minutes to present its case.