Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

1. Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

2. What is a Pronoun? • A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. • It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality but does not refer to it by its name. • Mrs. Gessel gives too much homework. John wishes John could talk to Mrs. Gessel about the pressure John feels. John hates Mrs. Gessel’s class. • Mrs. Gessel gives too much homework. I wish I could talk to her about the pressure I feel. I hate her class.

3. What is an Antecedent? • An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, understood by the context. • Mrs. Gessel gives too much homework. I wish I could talk to her about the pressure I feel. I hate her class.

4. Agreement • A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in three ways: • Personrefers to first, second, or third person. • Number distinguishes between singular and plural. • Gender distinguishes masculine or feminine.

5. Steps for Determining Antecedent Agreement • Identify the pronoun. • Decide to whom or to what this pronoun refers or what it replaces--the antecedent. • Identify the person, gender, and number of the referenced pronoun. • Determine if the person, gender, and number are the same for the pronoun and the antecedent. • If they are, you have agreement. • If they are not the same, you have a correction to make.

6. For Example: • Diversity training is a positive experience if it is well planned. • The e-mail that we received from an employee named Chris explained the problem that he or she wanted us to solve. • New York and New Jersey allow their state employees ten holidays a year. • Neither Teresa nor her assistants were aware of their negative attitudes.

7. Basic Rules

8. Rule #1 1.  A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number of the antecedent: • The can of lima beans sits on its shelf.

9. Rule #2: Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronouns. • Indefinite Pronoun Antecedents

10. Rule #2: Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents. Always Plural Singular or Plural all more none any most some Indefinite Pronoun Antecedents both others few several many

11. Examples: • Each of the clerks does a good deal of work around his or her office. • Both do a good job in their office

12. Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either singular or plural. • Some of the sugar fell out of its bag. • All of the jewelry has lost its glow.

13. Rule #3 • Compound subjects joined by andalways take a pluralreferent. • Jones and Smith made their presentation.

14. Rule #4 • With compound subjects joined byor/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent closer to the pronoun. • Neither the directornor the actors did their jobs. • Neither the actorsnor the director did his or her job. • 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."  

15. Rule #5 • Collective Nouns may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.   • Family, group, jury, crowd, team, etc. • Examples: • The jury read its verdict. • The jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent pronoun is singular. • The jury gave their individual opinions. • The jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent pronoun is plural.

16. Rule #6 • Titles of single entities take a singular referent. • Books, organizations, countries, etc. • The Grapes of Wrath made its characters seem real. • The United States cherishes its democracy.

17. Rule #7 • Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent.  • News, measles, mumps, physics, etc. • The news has lost much of its sting.

18. Rule #8 • Everyor Many a before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent. • Every cow, pig, and horse had lost its life in the fire. • Many a girl wishes she could dance.

19. Rule #9:Thenumber ofvsAnumber of before a subject: • The number of is singular. • The number of volunteers increases its ranks daily. • A number of is plural. • A number of volunteers are offering their help.

20. Let’s Practice!!

21. 1. • One of the students must give their oral report tomorrow. • One of the students must give his oral report tomorrow.

22. 2. • Everybody was hoping to have his lottery number picked. • Everybody was hoping to have their lottery number picked.

23. 3. • If anyone doesn't like the music I'm playing, they can go somewhere else. • If anyone doesn't like the music I'm playing, he or she can go somewhere else.

24. 4. • Each member of the committee must submit their response in writing. • Each member of the committee must submit his response in writing.

25. 5. • Neither of the girls knew that her teacher had seen the police report. • Neither of the girls knew that their teacher had seen the police report.

26. 6. • Either of the boys may take his seat in the front of the room. • Either of the boys may take their seat in the front of the room.

27. 7. • The group hasits meeting here. • The group has their meeting here. • The group has it’s meeting here.

28. 8. • The senior class wore its rings proudly. • The senior class wore their rings proudly. • The senior class wore his or her rings proudly.

29. 9. • Children never realize how loud he or she can be. • Children never realize how loud they can be.

30. 10. Select all the correct sentences. • One of my friends must bring their tapes to the party. • Everyone should take his work seriously. • Since it was cold and windy, the boys had to wear his caps. • Sara and Jen had to finish their homework before they could go to the movies. • In the first-day confusion, neither of the teachers could find his classroom.