Examples of Correct Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement in Sentences

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Pronoun: A word that replaces a noun (e.g., he, she, it, they).
• 👤 Antecedent: The noun that a pronoun refers to.
• ✅ Agreement: Pronouns and their antecedents must agree in number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine/neuter).
• 📝 Singular Antecedents: Use singular pronouns (e.g., The student completed *his* homework).
• 👯 Plural Antecedents: Use plural pronouns (e.g., The students completed *their* homework).
• 🤔 Indefinite Pronouns: Some indefinite pronouns (e.g., everyone, someone, nobody) are singular. (e.g., Everyone should bring *his or her* lunch). It's increasingly common to use 'their' in informal contexts.
• 🤝 Compound Antecedents: Antecedents joined by 'and' are usually plural (e.g., John and Mary finished *their* project).
• 📢 Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (e.g., team, committee, family) can be singular or plural, depending on whether they act as a unit or as individuals. (e.g., The team is playing *its* best. The team are arguing among *themselves*.)

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
   1. The dog wagged their tail happily.
   2. Each of the girls brought her lunch.
   3. Someone left their umbrella in the office.
   4. The committee made its decisions quickly, but they were later overturned.
2. Identify the sentence with incorrect pronoun-antecedent agreement.
   1. The cat licked its paws clean.
   2. All students should bring their own pencils.
   3. Neither John nor Tom remembered his lines.
   4. The company announced their new CEO.
3. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun-antecedent agreement.
   1. Every student must do their best on the test.
   2. The group presented its findings to the board.
   3. Nobody wanted to admit their mistake.
   4. Each of the players showed their skills.
4. Which of the following sentences has correct pronoun agreement?
   1. The flock of birds flew to its nest.
   2. The band practiced their music all day.
   3. Each participant had to sign their waiver.
   4. The jury has reached their verdict.
5. Select the sentence that correctly uses pronoun-antecedent agreement.
   1. The CEO and the CFO gave their presentation.
   2. Neither the boy nor his sisters finished her chores.
   3. Everyone on the team did their best.
   4. The dog buried its bones in the yard, but they were later dug up.
6. Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement when referring to a collective noun?
   1. The family is excited about their vacation.
   2. The class is preparing for their final exam.
   3. The team celebrated its victory.
   4. The audience clapped their hands enthusiastically.
7. Identify the correctly written sentence.
   1. Someone needs to clean up after themselves.
   2. Each of the boys did their part.
   3. Neither of the women wanted his help.
   4. The corporation released its quarterly earnings report.