Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Definition

Pronouns Must Agree with Their Antecedents in Number.

 A singular pronoun refers to a singular antecedent.

 A plural pronoun refers to a plural antecendent.

Examples:
Singular

My dog Chester chews his tennis ball into tiny pieces.

 The singular possessive pronoun his agrees with the singular noun antecedent
Chester.

The committee voted in haste and later regretted its decision.

 The singular pronoun its agrees with the singular noun antecedent committee.
(The noun committee is an example of a collective noun--a singular noun which
refers to a group that may have many members but is being referred to as a single
entity. Other collective nouns are words like class, team, squad, and faculty.)

Plural

Many of the fans lost their voices during the final minutes of the exciting playoff game.

 The plural possesive pronoun their agrees with the plural noun fans.

Indefinite

One group of pronouns is especially troublesome. These pronouns, called indefinite pronouns,
are always singular. These pronouns include everyone, anyone, nobody, everybody, and
anybody.

Notice that the pronoun specifies everyone or someone, not "everytwo" or "sometwo." Look at
the common pronoun error in this sentence:
 I told everyone to bring their coats since the temperature is falling.

 The plural pronoun their does not agree with the singular indefinite pronoun
antecedent everyone.

Correct the error either by making the antecedent plural or by specifying both genders:

 I told all my friends to bring their coats . . .

 I told everyone to bring his or her coat . . . .

Self Teaching Unit:

Pronoun - Antecedent Agreement
copyright   2002, 1979  Margaret L. Benner   All rights reserved.

In order to understand pronoun – antecedent agreement, you must first understand pronouns. 

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

Below are the personal pronouns.  They are called “personal” because they usually refer to
persons (except for it, which refers to things).
            

Look at this sentence.

             

There are two nouns in this sentence:  John and man.

Either of these nouns can be replaced by a pronoun.  If we replace John (the subject of the
sentence) with a pronoun, we choose he, a subject pronoun.

           

If we replace man (the object in the sentence) with a pronoun, we choose him, an
object pronoun.

           

For you to do:

Rewrite the following sentence in the space provided, first replacing the subject noun Laura with
a subject pronoun; then replacing the object noun Amy with an object pronoun.

These sample sentences tell us some important things about pronouns:

        1.      A pronoun takes the place of a noun.

        2.      The pronoun which replaces the noun must agree with it in these ways:

                a)     A subject pronoun must replace a subject noun.

                         An object pronoun must replace an object noun.

                b)     A feminine pronoun must replace a feminine noun.

A masculine pronoun must replace a masculine noun.

                c)     A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun.

A plural pronoun must replace a plural noun.

Thus, in the sentence

               

We must replace the singular, masculine subject noun, John, with the singular, masculine subject
pronoun, He.  We can replace the singular, feminine object noun, woman, with singular, feminine
object pronoun, her.                       

Here is another problem for you to solve.

Three words describe the properties of of the pronoun he.  Select the correct ones, then click on
"submit" and check your answers.

A pronoun can also refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.

Look at this sentence.

     

         

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 to President Lincoln.

In this sentence, the pronoun his is called the REFERENT because it “refers back.”

We call President Lincoln the ANTECEDENT because it comes before the pronoun that refers
to it later.  (ante = “before”)

Thus, the mechanics of the sentence look like this:

          

Look at the examples below to see how to choose the right pronoun for two antecedents joined
by and, or, or nor.
1.      When two or more singular noun antecedents are joined by and, they make a PLURAL
antecedent.  (1 + 1 = 2)

example:

NOTE: The plural pronoun their replaces both masculine and feminine nouns.

If both noun antecedents joined by and are plural, then the referent pronoun will also be
PLURAL.

       

2.      When two or more noun antecedents are joined by or or nor, choose a pronoun referent
to agree with the antecedent CLOSEST TO THE VERB.

Examples:

 A.     Two singular antecedents

   

 B.  Two plural antecedents

       

C.    One singular antecedent followed by a plural antecedent

   

D.    One plural antecedent followed by a singular antecedent

     

In the above examples, C and D are the most difficult because the antecedents have both a
singular and a plural noun.  Remember these two guidelines . . .

1.  For antecedents joined by and – always choose a plural referent pronoun.

2.  For antecedents joined by or or nor – choose a referent pronoun to agree with the
antecedent closest to the verb.

Now click on the link below to do Exercise 1.

Link to Exercise 1

Some nouns which name groups can be either singular or plural, depending upon their meaning
in individual sentences.
Some examples of group nouns are:

             

Because they can describe either the group as a SINGLE ENTITY (only one – singular) or the
INDIVIDUALS in the group (more than one – plural), these nouns pose special problems as
antecedents.

However, the following guidelines can help us decide which referent pronoun agrees with such
noun antecedents.

First, if we refer to the group as a whole, and therefore, as a single unit, we consider the noun
as a singular.  In this case, we use a singular referent pronoun.

Example:

           

On the other hand, if we are actually referring to the individuals with the group, then we consider
the noun plural.  In this case, we use a plural referent pronoun.

Example:

       

Here, each member of the class is considered separately.  The students in the class will each
hand in a report.

Of course, we can make group nouns plural as well, usually by adding an s.

Some examples of plural group nouns are:

             

When used in the plural form, a group noun means more than one group.  It naturally takes a
plural referent pronoun.

Example:

              

Remember these three important points about pronoun – antecedent agreement when a group
noun is the antecedent:

1.      Group nouns considered as single units take singular referent pronouns.

(the club uses it ; the woman uses she or her)

2.      Group nouns which consider the members as individuals in the group take plural
referent pronouns.

(the club member uses they or their)

             3.      Plural group nouns meaning two or more groups take plural referent pronouns.

(the clubs use they or their)

Now click on the link below to do Exercise 2.

Link to Exercise 2

Sometimes a personal pronoun may be an antecedent.

In this sentence, he is the antecedent for the referent pronoun his.

           

His is both masculine and singular to agree with the masculine, singular antecedent he.

In the following sentence, she is the antecedent for the referent pronoun her.

           

Her is both feminine and singular to agree with the feminine, singular antecedent she.

In this sentence, I is the antecedent for the referent pronoun, my.

             

My is singular to agree with the singular antecedent, I.

Remember this important guideline:

            A referent pronoun agrees with its personal pronoun antecedent.

**You may want to look back at the chart of personal pronouns to see which referents agree
with which antecedents.

Now click on the link below to do Exercise 3.

Link to Exercise 3

Indefinite pronouns as antecedents also pose a special problem.

Some indefinite pronouns seem as if they should be plural when really they are singular.

Use the following guidelines.

1.      As antecedents, the indefinite pronouns below ALWAYS take a singular pronoun
referent.  Look at them closely.

                        

Examples:

       

2.  The following indefinite pronouns ALWAYS take plural pronoun referents.

                         

 Examples:
        

3.   However, the following indefinite pronoun antecedents may be either singular or plural,
depending upon how they are used in a sentence.

                         

Generally speaking, if one of these indefinite pronouns is used to designate something that CAN
be counted, then the pronoun is plural.

If one of these indefinite pronouns is used to designate something that CANNOT be counted,
then the pronoun is singular.

Examples:

         
In the above sentence, all designates the voters.  Voters can be counted (1 voter, 2 voters,
etc.).  Therefore, the plural pronoun their is the correct referent for all.

             

In the above sentence, all designates sugar.  Sugar cannot be counted (1 sugar, 2 sugars). 
Therefore, the singular pronoun, its, is the correct referent for all.

             

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
What is a pronoun?

A pronoun takes the place of a noun and sometimes refers to a noun.

Example #1

He is riding a bike through the park.

Reasoning: The word "he" is a pronoun because it takes the place of a person (e.g., John, David,
Stephen).

Example #2

The weather is great today; let's make the most of it by going to the beach.
Reasoning: The word "it" is a pronoun because it refers to the weather.

What is an antecedent?

An antecedent is a noun or pronoun to which another noun or pronoun refers. It usually goes
before the pronoun ("ante" means before).
Example #1

Even though the party was fun, it was crowded.

Reasoning: "It" is the pronoun because it refers to the noun "party." And "party" is the
antecedent because "party" is the noun to which "it," the pronoun, refers.

Example #2

People often like parties because they get to see old friends.
Reasoning: "They" refers to "people" and is, therefore, the pronoun. "People" is the antecedent
because "people" is the noun to which "they" refers.

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Pronoun antecedent agreement is when the pronoun agrees in number (referring to singular or
plural) and person (referring to first, second, or third person) with its antecedent.

HOT GRAMMAR TIP

When you check your own sentences to determine if the pronouns agree with their antecedents in
both number and person, look first for what the antecedent is. Then match the antecedent with a
pronoun that is consistent in number. For example, if the pronoun is singular, the antecedent
should also be singular. Then identify the person of the antecedent (first, second, or third
person), and then match the pronouns in person.

Example #1 (Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement - Number)

When an employee does not agree with their plural boss's decision, the employee singular should not
support that decision.
Reasoning: This sentence contains an antecedent and a pronoun. Since the antecedent
(employee) is singular and the pronoun (their) is plural, the pronoun disagrees with the
antecedent, thus containing a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. You can correct this in one of
two ways: either make both the pronoun and antecedent singular, or make both the pronoun and
antecedent plural.

Example #1 (Corrected)

When an employee does not agree with his singular boss's decision, the employee singular should not
support that decision.

Example #2 (Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement - Person)

Everyone singular should make their plural own decision.

Reasoning: This sentence contains an antecedent (everyone) and a pronoun (their). Since the
antecedent is third person and singular (everyone), the pronoun (they) should also be third person
and singular; instead, "they" is third person and plural.
Example #2 (Corrected)

Everyone singular should make his or her singular own decision.

General Antecedent Agreement

The antecedent of a pronoun is the word the pronoun refers to. There are several style problems
which writers and speakers sometimes have when they do not match the pronoun and the noun it
replaces correctly.

Missing or Mismatched Antecedent

A pronoun, unless it is an indefinite pronoun, must have an antecedent, a word it refers to. The
pronoun must match the word it replaces--singular or plural, and, sometimes, masculine or
feminine.

Incorrect: Every student must have their pencils.

(Both every and student are singular; therefore, his, her, or his or her must be used. Their is
plural and cannot refer to a singular noun.)

Unclear Antecedent

A pronoun's antecedent must be clear.

Incorrect: I never go to that place because they have stale bread.

(What does they refer to? Both I and place are singular.)

Correct: I never go to that place because it has stale bread.

When the antecedent is a different gender, person, or number than the pronoun it is supposed to
replace; this is sometimes called a "faulty co-reference."

Incorrect: Politics is my favorite subject. They are such fascinating people.

Correct: Politics is my favorite subject. Politicians are such fascinating people.

Faulty co-reference may also occur with adverbs that do not replace an adverbial expression or
pronouns that do not replace nouns.

Incorrect: He ought to speak French well. He lived there for twenty years.

Correct: He ought to speak French well. He lived in France for twenty years.
Ambiguous Antecedent

A pronoun's antecedent must be unambiguous. Sometimes there may be more than one word the
pronoun could refer to. In a case like that, it may be better not to use the pronoun.

Incorrect: The suitcase was on the plane, but now it's gone.
(What is gone? The suitcase or the plane?)

Correct: The suitcase was on the plane, but now the suitcase is gone.

OR
The suitcase was on the plane, but now the plane is gone.
(Depends on which you mean...)

Faraway Antecedent

The pronoun must be close enough to the word it is replacing so that your reader knows whom or
what you are talking about.

Unclear: Buford saw Longstreet's division coming toward his men. Reynolds' troops responded
quickly to the calls for assistance, and soon he found himself in the midst of a deadly battle.
(Who is he? Buford, Reynolds, or Longstreet?)

Clear: Buford saw Longstreet's division coming toward his men. Reynolds' troops responded
quickly to the calls for assistance, and soon Buford found himself in the midst of a deadly battle.

Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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

A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.

        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.

Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a
plural noun.

Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

               

        

Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules.  These rules are related to the
rules found in subject-verb agreement.

1.  A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number of
the antecedent.

            Example:

                   

2.  Indefinite pronouns as antecedents

 Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.   

         

            Example:

                   

 Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.

                PLURAL: several, few, both, many

            Example:

                   

 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

             

               Examples:

                       

                        Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent

pronoun.

                        
                       

                        Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent

pronoun.

                

             

                Examples:

                          

                        Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent
pronoun.

                

                           

                        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):

                         

    Note:  Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a
smoother sentence
               than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."  

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.

                                     

PRONOUNS 1: PRONOUN
-
ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
(
Dirty Dozen Error 5: (p/a) Pro
noun
-
Antecedent Agreement Error)
A
pronoun
takes the place of a noun. An
antecedent
is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun
refers. In
all of
the fo
llowing example
s
, the
antecedent
is in bold and the
pronoun
is italicized.
The
teacher
forgot
her
book.
In the sentence above
,
her
is the pronoun,
and
teacher
is the antecedent.
Checking for Pronoun
-
Antecedent Agreement
Ap
ronoun and
its antecedent
must
agree in
‘
person
’:
first (
I
,
we
), second (
you
), or third (
he
,
she
,
it
,
the
y
)
.
They also
must
agree in gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and number (singular or plural). Errors in
person and gender are rare, so
we
won’t discuss
them
here. Most pronoun
-
antecedent agreement errors
have to do with number.
If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun should be singular. If the antecedent is plural, the
pronoun should be plural.
E
xample
1
—
incorrect
:
The
dogs
tugged on
its
leash.
Correct
ion
1
:
The
dogs
tugge
d on
their
leashes.
Only in the second sentence does the pronoun (
their
) agree with the antecedent (
dogs
): b
oth are plural.
Except for careless mistakes or typos, students rarely mak
e this
kind of error
. In the next section, we’ll
look at the pronoun
-
ante
cedent situations that cause
most
problems.
The Most Problematic Pronoun
-
Antecedent Situation
Most agreement problems arise with the singular indefinite nouns (
person
,
student
,
individual
,
soldier
,
etc.) and indefinite pronouns (
someone
,
each
,
anybody
,
nei
ther
). These words are "indefinite" because
they do not definitely refer to males, nor do they definitely refer to females. Because they are singular,
they should be followed by the singular pronouns "his or her," "his or hers," or "him or her," depending
on
context. However, people often (
very
often) mistakenly use
plura
l pronouns such as
they
or
their
to refer
to indefinite
singular
antecedents, like this:
E
xample
2
—
incorrect
:
Everyone
has
their
own locker.
E
xample
3
—
incorrect
:
A
person
can padlock
thei
r
locker.
“E
veryone
”
is
singular
and therefore must have a singular pronoun.
“
P
erson
”
is also singular and should
have a singular pronoun
.
Correction
2
:
Everyone
has
his
or
her
own locker.
Correct
ion
3
:
A
person
can padlock
his
or
her
locker.
However, u
sing
“
his
or her
,
”
“
him or her
,
” and
“
he or she
”
can be
awkward and repetitive.
Therefore, we
often resort to other strategies and revise our text in such a way as to avoid “his or her” and the like, yet
still communicate our meani
ng and maintain correct g
rammar.