Pronoun-Antecedent

Agreement
A pronoun is a word used to
stand for (or take the place
of) a noun.
Example:

We do not talk or write this way. Automatically,

we replace the noun Lincoln's with a
pronoun. More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President

Lincoln. President Lincoln is the ANTECEDENT for
the pronoun his.
An antecedent is a word for
which a pronoun
stands. (ante = "before")
The pronoun must agree with
its antecedent in number and
gender.
Rule: A singular pronoun
must replace a singular
noun; a plural pronoun
must replace a plural
noun.
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement RULES
1. A phrase or clause between
the subject and verb does not
change the number of the
antecedent.
2. Indefinite pronouns as antecedents
• Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents
take singular pronoun referents.
SINGULAR: each, either, neither, one, no one,
nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody, anything,
someone, somebody, something, everyone,
everybody, everything
• Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents
require plural referents.
PLURAL: several, few, both, many
 Some indefinite pronouns that are
modified by a prepositional phrase may
be either singular or plural.
>>>EITHER SINGULAR OR
PLURAL: some, any, none, all, most
Note: When the object of the
preposition is uncountable, use a
singular referent pronoun.
Example:

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence

has a singular referent pronoun.
Example:

Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the

sentence has a singular referent pronoun.
Note: When the object of the preposition
is countable, use a plural referent
pronoun.
Example:

 Marbles are countable; therefore, the

sentence has a plural referent pronoun.
Example:

Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence

has a plural referent pronoun.
3. Compound subjects joined
by and always take a plural referent.

Example:
4. With compound subjects joined
by or/nor, the referent pronoun
agrees with the antecedent closer to
the pronoun.
Example #1 (plural antecedent closer
to pronoun):
Example #2 (singular antecedent closer
to pronoun):
5. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd,
team, etc.) may be singular or
plural, depending on meaning.

 In this example, the jury is acting as one unit;

therefore, the referent pronoun is singular.
 In this example, the jury members are acting
as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
pronoun is plural.
 In this example, the jury members are acting
as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
pronoun is plural.
6. Titles of single entities. (books, organizations,
countries, etc.) take a singular referent.
EXAMPLES:
7. Plural form subjects with a singular
meaning take a singular referent. (news,
measles, mumps, physics, etc)

EXAMPLE:
8. Every or Many a before a noun or a series
of nouns requires a singular referent.
EXAMPLES:
9. The number of vs A number of before a
subject:
The number of is singular.

A number of is plural.
 Gamercise II
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Instructions: Find out the correct
pronoun for each of the following
sentences by tapping it from the given
choices. The faster you get the correct
answer, the more stars you will get.

NEXT
 CORRECT!
1. During early rehearsals, an actor
may forgethis_______
or her lines.
his or her

Time's Up!
X
their

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

Xhis
X
her

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
2. The basketball team was opportunistic;
it took advantage of every break.
____

X Time's Up! X
he their

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
they it

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
3. A person needs to his
see ______dentist
or her
at least twice a year.
X
its his or her

Time's Up!
START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
your
X
their

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
4. The committee members theirput ___
signatures on the document.
Xits
X
our

Time's Up!
START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

their
X
his or her

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
5. If any one of the sisters needs ashe
ride,
____ can call me.
she

Time's Up!
X
he

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
they
X
you

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
6. When someone has been he or she
drinking, _______ may drive poorly.
X Time's Up! X
he she

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
they he or she

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
7. If the board of directors controls the
company, ____ it may vote for a raise.

X
theirs it

Time's Up!
START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
they
X
its

NEXT!
 CORRECT!
8. Neither the pilot nor the attendants
their opinion about the accident.
gave ____
X
her
X
your

Time's Up!
START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

Xhis their

NEXT!
CORRECT!
9. Each of these companiesits
had ___
books audited.
its
Time's Up! X
those

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
their
X
his or her

NEXT!
CORRECT!
10. Some of the china hasits
lost ___
luster.

X Time's Up! X
our your

START!
Tap anywhere to try again.

X
their its

NEXT!
END OF GAMERCISE!!!
 QUIZ 3.4
(Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement)
PART 1
DIRECTION: Identify
the ANTECEDENT in
each sentence. The
referent pronouns
are marked for you.
1. A few of the researchers felt
that they had discovered a
marketable antiviral medicine to
cure the common cold.
2. Neither of the managers planned
to keep his or her inventory lean.
3. Most of the executives expect
modest gains for their firms.
4. Some of the income will find its way
into the accounts of other companies.
5. None of the organic farmers felt that
an increase in consumer interest would
threaten their profitability.
6. Few of today’s teenagers are loyal to
one brand of clothing even though he or
she may prefer one brand to another.
7. Only one of the managers who gathered
at the Ocean City convention expects to
pay their expenses.
8. All of this new market stability
owes its strength to a few courageous
investors.
9. Anyone can make a good impression
on their prospective employer.
10. Many of the firms have
asked their executives to recruit at local
colleges.
1. Jim Little or his boys have lost
____________ way.
2. Everybody wants to go home so
_____________ can see friends and relatives.
3. As of today, the team has played seven
games, and _____________ has won them all.
4. Each of the girls knew that
______________ had a chance to win the prize.
5. All of the contestants feel that
_____________ should win the biggest award.
6. None knows so well the perils and ecstasies of
surfing as the surfer who daily pits _____________ board
against the waves.
7. In the jury room after the trial, the jury members
discussed ______________ different feelings about the
case; they could not reach an agreement.
8. We saw the dog and cat as _____________ bounded
through the neighbor’s garden.
9. One needs only to take _____________ car to the
garage to receive a free carwash.
10. The boys or their father saw the flight and expressed
_____________ pride in the achievement.
DIRECTIONS: The following paragraphs
contain some pronoun - antecedent
agreement errors. Each sentence below
contains an antecedent in need of a
referent pronoun. For each sentence, write
the correct referent pronoun in the blank
and then draw an arrow from the referent
pronoun to its antecedent.