PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
- A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
- An antecedent is a word that comes before a pronoun and that the pronoun stands for.
Pronouns and their antecedents should agree in number.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a singular or plural pronoun should be used to match the antecedent.
Either the fire dancers or the young
singer will get
her results from the judges next.
Neither the young singer nor the fire
dancers have received
their results from the judges yet.
The
committee will present
its findings on the community's water pollution problem at the next town hall.
The
committee will sign
their names on the document before submitting it for review.
If this is confusing, adding the word "members" after the collective noun can make it easier to understand:
- The committee members will sign their names on the document before submitting it for review.
Indefinite pronouns can act as antecedents. Some indefinite pronouns are singular, some are plural, and some can be both singular and plural.
Singular: another,
anyone,
anything,
anybody, much, everything, nothing, other, either, neither, no one, and little.
- Remember to put everything back where you found it after you're done with the experiment.
Plural: both, many, few, others, and several
- Many have attempted the 50 taco challenge at Paco's, and they have all failed.
Singular OR Plural: all, any, more, most, none, and some
- All of the picnic table is damp from the rain, so we shouldn't sit on it.
- All of the picnic tables are damp from the rain, so we shouldn't sit on them.
Pronouns and their antecedents should agree in person.
What should be done if the gender of the antecedent is unknown?
The new
doctor is from Harvard, and
he or she will be the one taking over your training.
The new
doctors are from Harvard, and
they will be in charge of the new program.
7th Grade Writing - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Lesson