Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement Lesson

Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun.
An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that the pronoun replaced.

Number

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.
A singular pronoun (he, she, it) replaces a singular noun.
A plural pronoun (they, them, we) replaces a plural noun.

Gender

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in gender.
A masculine pronoun (he, him, his) replaces a masculine noun.
A feminine pronoun (she, her, hers) replaces a feminine noun.

Multiple Choice

The boys scratched his armpits.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

Helena and Rachel attended their class.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

I want that last piece of pizza. She looks delicious.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

My son went to his soccer game.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

Abraham Lincoln recited her speech at Gettysburg.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

Hey, you dropped your pencil. Here it is.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Easy, right?

Well, what if it is harder to figure out who/what the antecedent is?
Try these next questions.

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? If you are finished using those colored pencils, please put them back in the box.

• box

• you

• colored

• pencils

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? Somebody left her backpack in the girls' locker room.

• backpack

• girl

• locker

• room

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence?A few arrived early. They are waiting outside.

• outside

• few

• early

• arrived

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? "I moved that pile of papers to your bedroom," said Kendra's mom. "I was tired of looking at it."

• bedroom

• papers

• pile

• mom

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? At the beginning of the month, my family bought new dinner plates. Three of them are already broken!

• family

• plates

• dinner

• month

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? "If nobody raises his or her hand, I'm just going to call on someone," said the teacher.

• someone

• teacher

• nobody

• hand

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? A collection of paintings is on display at the museum. It will be there until June.

• paintings

• museum

• June

• collection

Multiple Choice

What is the antecedent in the sentence? The all star soccer team, made up of players from all over the state, won its championship game.

• state

• game

• team

• players

Indefinite Pronouns - Now it gets real!

Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that refer to unknown people, places, or things.


These pronouns are really tricky, and its easy to mess these up.

Some of these pronouns are always singular, some are always plural, but a few of them can be either singular or plural depending upon the phrase that follows them.

Indefinite pronouns

Singular

Indefinite pronouns

Plural

Indefinite pronouns

Singular or Plural

(based upon the phrase that follows the pronoun)

Multiple Choice

A few of the researchers felt that (he or she, they) had discovered a marketable antiviral medicine to cure the common cold.

• he or she

• they

Multiple Choice

Neither of the managers planned to keep (his or her, their) inventory lean.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Most of the executives expect modest gains for (his or her, their) firms.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Some of the income will find (its, their) way into the accounts of other companies.

• its

• their

Multiple Choice

None of the organic farmers felt that an increase in consumer interest would threaten (his or her, their) profitability.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Neither Aaron nor Travis answered (his, their) phone.

• his

• their

Multiple Choice

Everyone has a right to (his or her, their) own opinion.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Many of her friends have already finished (his or her, their) homework.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

There were five girls in the group, each with (her, their) own idea of what the group should do first.

• her

• their