Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement PronounAntecedent Agreement Person number
Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement �Person, number, and gender in pronoun-antecedent agreement. �Person First Second Third Singular Plural I you he, she, it we you they �Gender: 1) Masculine: he, himself; 2) Feminine: she, her, herself; 3) Neuter: it, itself
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement � 1) Antecedents joined by and usually take plural pronouns. � Ex: Anne and Jane sold their textbooks. � Ex: Mr. Mister and I cannot settle our dispute. �Exception: � When the compound antecedent refers to single person, idea, or thing, then the pronoun is singular. � Ex: My brother and friend offered his help.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement � 2) When parts of an antecedent are joined by or or nor, the pronoun agrees with the nearer part. � Ex: Either Anne or Jane left her umbrella. �When one antecedent is plural and the other singular, the sentence will be awkward unless you put the plural antecedent second. � Ex: Neither the principal nor the parents have made their choice.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement � 3) With an indefinite word as antecedent, use a singular or plural pronoun as appropriate. � Ex: Neither of the Girl Scouts paid her fee. (Neither is singular. ) � Ex: Each of the men succeeded in his chosen career. (Each is singular. ) � Ex: Everyone took his or her seat. (Everyone is singular. ) � Ex: All the students took their seats. (All is plural. ) �Avoid using the pronouns he, him, and his to refer to antecedents of unspecified gender.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement � 4) Reflexive pronouns must agree with an antecedent that is clearly stated. �Correct � Skippy gave himself a break after studying for two hours. �Incorrect � The trouble between Sue and myself arose over jealousy. � Should be: The trouble between Sue and me arose over jealousy.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement � 5) Collective noun antecedents take singular or plural pronouns depending on meaning. �When the group acts as one unit, the pronoun is singular. � Ex: The herd of cows is too cramped in its small pasture. �When the members of a group act separately, the pronoun is plural. � Ex: The couple divided their belongings.
Special Problems with Pronoun. Antecedent Agreement �A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. �Problem: �They make a lot of mistakes in the paper. �Correct: �Newspaper stories are not always accurate. That paper has many typographical errors.
Special Problems with Pronoun. Antecedent Agreement �A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. �Problem: �Bruce told Danny his mother was sick. �Correct: �Bruce told Danny that Danny’s mother was sick. �Bruce told Danny that Bruce’s mother was sick.
Special Problems with Pronoun. Antecedent Agreement �A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. �Problem: �When Joyce invited Anna and her family to come for the weekend, she forgot to check the date. �Correct: �Joyce forgot to check the date when she invited Anna and her family to come for the weekend.
Special Problems with Pronoun. Antecedent Agreement �A personal pronoun should have a clear, single, close, and logical antecedent, stated or understood. �Problem: �In English literature you will read Shakespeare and Milton. �Correct: �A student of English literature will read Shakespeare and Milton.
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