Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Examples: Singular, Plural, and Collective Nouns

📚 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: A Quick Study Guide

• 👤 Definition: Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that a pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) and gender with its antecedent (the noun it refers to).
• 🔢 Singular Nouns: Use singular pronouns (he, she, it, him, her, his, hers, its, himself, herself, itself) with singular antecedents. Example: The cat licked *its* paws.
• 👯 Plural Nouns: Use plural pronouns (they, them, their, theirs, themselves) with plural antecedents. Example: The students finished *their* exams.
• 🏘️ Collective Nouns (Singular in Form): These nouns (e.g., team, family, committee) can be tricky. If the group acts as a single unit, use a singular pronoun. If the members act individually, use a plural pronoun. Example (singular): The team celebrated *its* victory. Example (plural): The team argued about *their* individual bonuses.
• ❓ Indefinite Pronouns: Some indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, someone, nobody) are always singular. Others (several, few, both, many) are always plural. Some (all, any, none, some) can be either singular or plural depending on the context. Example (singular): Each student completed *his or her* assignment. Example (plural): Several students completed *their* projects.

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
   1. The dog wagged their tail.
   2. The dogs wagged its tail.
   3. The dog wagged its tail.
   4. The dogs wagged her tail.
2. The committee reached _______ decision quickly.
   1. their
   2. its
   3. his or her
   4. there
3. Each of the girls brought _______ own lunch.
   1. their
   2. her
   3. its
   4. his
4. The company announced _______ new policy today.
   1. their
   2. its
   3. her
   4. his
5. Several of the books were missing _______ covers.
   1. its
   2. his
   3. her
   4. their
6. The family is planning _______ annual vacation.
   1. their
   2. its
   3. his or her
   4. there
7. None of the food was _______ favorite.
   1. their
   2. its
   3. his or her
   4. there