Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

Front

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Back

Pronoun-antecedent agreement is the grammatical rule that a pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent (the noun it replaces).

Front

What is an antecedent?

Back

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

Front

What is a pronoun?

Back

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition, such as he, she, it, they, etc.

Front

When should you use 'his or her'?

Back

Use 'his or her' when referring to a singular antecedent that is either male or female.

Front

When should you use 'their'?

Back

Use 'their' when referring to a plural antecedent or when the gender of the antecedent is unknown or irrelevant.

Front

What is the rule for using 'its' vs. 'their'?

Back

Use 'its' for singular antecedents and 'their' for plural antecedents.

Front

What is the correct pronoun for 'Everyone'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'his or her' because 'everyone' is a singular indefinite pronoun.

Front

What is the correct pronoun for 'Neither the nails nor the hammer'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'its' because the subject is singular (the hammer is the closer antecedent).

Front

What is the correct pronoun for 'Neither Mr. Daws or Dr. Newton'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'his' because it refers to a singular antecedent.

Front

What is the correct pronoun for 'Before the students began arriving'?

Back

The correct pronoun is 'its' because it refers to a singular antecedent (everything).