Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Rules and Examples for College Writing

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🧑‍🏫 Definition: A pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) and gender with its antecedent (the noun it refers to).
• 🔢 Singular Antecedents: Use singular pronouns (he, she, it, him, her, his, hers, its) with singular antecedents. Example: *The student finished their homework.* (Incorrect) → *The student finished his or her homework.* (Correct).
• 👯 Plural Antecedents: Use plural pronouns (they, them, their, theirs) with plural antecedents. Example: *The students finished his homework.* (Incorrect) → *The students finished their homework.* (Correct).
• 🤝 Compound Antecedents: Generally, if two or more antecedents are joined by 'and', use a plural pronoun. Example: *John and Mary submitted his application.* (Incorrect) → *John and Mary submitted their application.* (Correct).
• 💔 Singular Indefinite Pronouns: Words like *each, everyone, nobody, someone, anyone* are singular. Use singular pronouns. Example: *Everyone should bring their own lunch.* (Incorrect) → *Everyone should bring his or her own lunch.* (Correct).
• 🗣️ Collective Nouns: Nouns that represent a group (team, committee, family) can be singular or plural, depending on whether the group is acting as a unit or as individuals. Example: *The team celebrated its victory.* (acting as a unit). *The team are arguing among themselves.* (acting as individuals).
• 💡 Tips: When possible, rewrite the sentence to avoid awkward constructions like 'his or her'. Consider using plural antecedents or rephrasing the sentence entirely.

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
   1. Every student should bring their textbook to class.
   2. Each of the girls brought her own lunch.
   3. Someone left their umbrella in the classroom.
   4. Neither of the boys wanted to share his toys.
2. The committee is meeting to discuss ______ proposal.
   1. its
   2. their
   3. it's
   4. there
3. John and Mary said ______ would be late.
   1. he
   2. she
   3. they
   4. it
4. Nobody remembered to bring ______ calculator.
   1. his
   2. their
   3. his or her
   4. there
5. The dog wagged ______ tail excitedly.
   1. his
   2. its
   3. her
   4. their
6. Each participant must sign ______ consent form.
   1. their
   2. his
   3. his or her
   4. its
7. The company announced ______ new policy.
   1. his
   2. its
   3. their
   4. it's