Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Front

What is a pronoun?

Back

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition.

Front

What is an antecedent?

Back

An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to.

Front

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Back

Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that a pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent.

Front

Give an example of a singular antecedent and its corresponding pronoun.

Back

Antecedent: 'The teacher'; Pronoun: 'she'.

Front

Give an example of a plural antecedent and its corresponding pronoun.

Back

Antecedent: 'The students'; Pronoun: 'they'.

Front

What is the rule for pronouns when the antecedent is a collective noun?

Back

Collective nouns can be singular or plural; the pronoun should agree with the intended meaning (singular or plural) of the collective noun.

Front

What pronoun would you use for the antecedent 'the committee'?

Back

It depends on context; if referring to the committee as a single unit, use 'it'; if referring to individual members, use 'they'.

Front

What is the correct pronoun for the antecedent 'the two sisters'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'they'.

Front

In the sentence 'The dog wagged its tail', what is the antecedent for 'its'?

Back

The antecedent is 'the dog'.

Front

What is the correct pronoun for the antecedent 'each student'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'his or her'.