Pronoun Agreement Examples in Sentences for AP Language & Composition

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Definition: Pronoun agreement means that a pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) with its antecedent (the noun it refers to).
• 📝 Singular Antecedents: Use singular pronouns (he, she, it, him, her, himself, herself, itself) with singular antecedents. Example: *The student completed his assignment.*
• 👥 Plural Antecedents: Use plural pronouns (they, them, their, themselves) with plural antecedents. Example: *The students completed their assignments.*
• 🤔 Indefinite Pronouns: Some indefinite pronouns (everyone, each, somebody) are singular, even if they seem plural. Example: *Everyone needs to bring his or her own lunch.* (To be more inclusive, rewrite as: *All students need to bring their own lunch.*)
• 🤝 Compound Antecedents: Antecedents joined by *and* are usually plural. Example: *John and Mary submitted their report.*
• 💡 Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, committee) can be singular or plural, depending on whether they are acting as a unit or as individuals. Example (singular): *The team won its game.* Example (plural): *The team disagreed about their strategies.*
• ⚠️ Pronoun Reference: Ensure the pronoun clearly refers to only one antecedent. Avoid ambiguity. Example (ambiguous): *The manager spoke to the employee after he made a mistake.* (Clearer: *After the employee made a mistake, the manager spoke to him.*)

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun agreement?
   1. The dog wagged their tail.
   2. Each of the girls brought her lunch.
   3. The company announced their new policy.
   4. Someone left their keys on the table.
2. The committee will present _____ findings next week.
   1. its
   2. their
   3. his
   4. her
3. Every student should bring _____ textbook to class.
   1. his
   2. her
   3. their
   4. his or her
4. John and Mary said _____ are going to the party.
   1. he
   2. she
   3. they
   4. it
5. The team celebrated _____ victory.
   1. its
   2. their
   3. his
   4. her
6. Neither John nor Bill completed _____ assignment.
   1. his
   2. their
   3. its
   4. her
7. A student should always do _____ best.
   1. his
   2. her
   3. their
   4. his or her