ANTECEDE

NT
AGREEMEN
T
Competency/ies:

Use pronouns
appropriately
(EN10G-IIIc-31: )
 Activity:
Read the poem. Identify and
encircle the antecedents.
Underline every pronoun in the
poem.
Make it Green
Avani Desai (Nagarwasia)
Lives are crying, because it’s not clean,
Earth is dying, because it’s not green…
Earth is our dear Mother, don’t pollute it,
She gives us food and shelter, just salute it.
With Global Warming, it’s in danger,
Let’s save it by becoming a strong
ranger…
With dying trees and animals, it’s in
sorrow,
Make green today and green tomorrow

With melting snow, one day it will sink,

How can we save it, just think…
 Tree is precious, preserve it,
Water is a treasure, reserve it…

Grow more trees, make Mother Earth queen,

Reduce pollution and make her a Queen…
Answer key:

1. it’s 8.it’s
2.it’s 9.it
3.it 10.we
4.she 11.it
5.it 12.it
6.it’s 13.it
7.it’s 14.her
What is a pronoun?

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

Mother Earth delivered

Mother Earth’s speech to
mankind.
Automatically, we replace the noun Mother
Earth’s with a pronoun. More naturally, we say

Mother Earth
delivered her
speech to mankind.
The pronoun her refers back to Mother Earth.
Mother Earth is the antecedent of the pronoun
her.

An antecedent is a word for

which a pronoun stands.
The pronoun must agree with its
antecedent in number.
Rule: A singular pronoun must replace
a singular noun; a plural pronoun must
a replace plural noun.
Mother Earth delivered her speech to mankind.

Singular singular
feminine feminine
Nine Pronoun-Antecedent Rules:

1. A phrase or clause between the subject the

subject and verb does not change the number of the
antecedent.
Example:
An array of trees stands on its ground.

singular prepositional phrase singular

Dr. Gilbert Amado, who studied Ecology and
Sciences, delivers his message about Global
Warming.
singular(Antecedent) singular relative clause
masculine
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
Example:
Each of the birds flies toward its nest.

Singular phrase Singular

One must reach his/her ambition.

Singular singular
Everyone has his/her own
opinion about the issue.
Singular singular

Everything in this world has its

own life span.
Singular phrase singular
• Plural indefinite pronoun
antecedents require plural referents.
Plural: several, few, both, many
Example:
Both flowers bend their stems toward the sun.

Plural plural
 • 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

When the object of the preposition is uncountable use a singular

referent pronoun

Example: Some of the waves reached its top.

When the object of the preposition is countable use a plural
referent pronoun

Example:Some of the animals were

saved by their owners.

Animals are countable; therefore, the

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

Example:

The lion and the tiger run for their lives as

hunters chase them.
Plural plural
4. With the compound subjects joined by either or/
neither nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the
nearest antecedent. If the compound subjects are both
both singular, the referent pronoun is also singular. If the
compound subjects are both plural, the referent pronoun
is also plural.
Example:
Neither the dog nor the cats escaped their stalkers.

Singular plural plural

Neither the cats nor the dog escaped its
stalkers.
Plural singular singular

The nearest subject or antecedent is ‘dog’ which is singular. Therefore, the pronoun agrees with it.
Either the cats or dogs escaped
their stalkers.

Either the cat or dog escaped its

stalkers.
5. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team,
flock, etc.) may be singular or plural depending
on meaning.

Example:
A flock of birds made its nest on the tallest tree.

In this example, the flock is acting as one unit; therefore, the

referent pronoun is singular.
The jury agreed on its unanimous
decision.
The jury argued about their
decision.
The crew follows its captain.
The crew disobey their captain.
6. Titles of single entries(books, organizations,
countries, etc.) take singular referent pronoun.

The Gifts of Nature made its characters seem

realistic.
Singular singular
The Philippines is proud of its natural resources.

Singular singular
7.Plural form subjects with a singular meaning
take a singular referent.( news, measles,
mumps, physics, mathematics, etc.)

The news about forest fires has lost its

rage a few days after.
Singular
singular
Measles has spread its
virus.
Singular singular
 a before a noun or a series
8. Every or Many
of nouns requires a singular referent.

Every cow, pig, and horse has lost

its life in the fire.
Singular
singular
Many a fish dreams to swim its
trail along clear waters.
Singular
singular
9. The number of requires singular pronoun; A
number of requires plural pronoun.

The number of conserved wildlife

habitats increases its number each year.

Singular singular
A number of wild animals were
saved from their hunstmen.

Plural plural
Let’s Practice!

Directions: Write “C” if the pronoun

reference is clear of “F” if it is faulty.
Be prepared to defend your answers.
1.Tom had enough of school, which is why he decided to
join the Marines.
2.He uses a hacksaw instead of a wood saw to cut
through the wire fence.
3.Donna is able to design and sew her own clothes.
Those are two ways to save money.
4.Jake told his brother that he ought to get out and
enjoy the fresh air.
5.Ted threw the plate through the window and broke
it.
6. After I talked with the therapist, she told me to
come back once a week for consultation.
7. A rolling stone gathers no moss, which is why one
must always be on the go.
8. There is never enough time to see all my friends
when I come to town. It is a real shame.
9. Heidi told her mother that she should learn to
type.
10. Sue has always enjoyed helping people, and she
plans to study medicine when she completes her
undergraduate studies.
11. I have a bucket, but it has a hole.
12. He joined a commune because they share
everything there.
13. Life is peaceful on a farm, which is one good to
escape the rat race of the city.
14. After I heard Segovia play the guitar, I decided
that, that was what I wanted to do.
15. Wheat is one grain from which they make bread.
16. There is relatively little traffic in the sky, which is
one reason air travel is safer than driving.
17. I scored twenty points because I was very
good at it.
18. When he worked with clay, he could mold it
beautifully.
19. Greg told Jerome that he was an expert
marksman.
20. Mike told Alice that she was the most
intelligent person he had ever met.