8. pronoun-antecedent agreement Key Concepts Antecedents are the nouns (or the words that take the place of nouns) for which pronouns stand. This section will show that just as a subject and verb must agree, so must a pronoun and its antecedent agree. 8a. Agreement in number, person, and gender… 1. A personal pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, person, and gender. In the following example, the pronoun her agrees with its antecedent, Claire, in number (both are singular), in person (both are third person), and in gender (both are feminine). Claire expressed her doubts about joining the band. 2. Use a singular personal pronoun with two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor. Neither Tom nor Ken brought his equipment. 3. Use a plural personal pronoun with two or more antecedents joined by and. Sue and Stan have chosen their instruments. 4. Use a plural personal pronoun if any part of a compound antecedent joined by or or nor is plural. If my sisters or Carol arrives, ask them to wait. 5. When dealing with pronoun-antecedent agreement, take care not to shift either person or gender. Shift in Person: Kris is going to New York City, where you can attend a fine music school. Correct: Kris is going to New York City, where he can attend a fine music school. 6. When gender is not specified, use his or her or rewrite the sentence. Each member of the band must practice his or her music daily. All members of the band must practice their music daily. 8b. Agreement with indefinite pronouns… When an indefinite pronoun (such as each, all, or most) is used with a personal pronoun, both pronouns must agree. Usage problems are rare when both pronouns are plural. 1. Use a plural personal pronoun when the antecedent is a plural indefinite pronoun. Many of the children were excited about their music lessons. 2. Use a singular personal pronoun when the antecedent is a singular indefinite pronoun. Only one of the boys practiced his trumpet. Each of the musicians wore his or her uniform. The musicians wore their uniforms. Most of the music had lost its appeal. Most of the listeners wanted their money back. 8c. Agreement with reflexive pronouns… Reflexive pronouns end in –self or –selves and are used correctly only when they refer to a word earlier in the same sentence, as in “Frank made dinner for himself.” A reflexive pronoun must agree with an antecedent that is clearly stated. Incorrect: Our parents listen to my sister and myself. Correct: Our parents listen to my sister and me. 8d. Vague pronoun references… 1. A pronoun requires an antecedent that is either stated or clearly understood to avoid confusion. Vague: Jay was carsick, the dog was restless, and the air conditioner was broken. These made our trip to the aquarium unpleasant. Correct: Jay was carsick, the dog was restless, and the air conditioner was broken. These misfortunes made our trip to the aquarium unpleasant. 2. The personal pronouns it, they, and you should always have a clear antecedent. Vague: Marge is studying marine mammals next year. It should be very educational. Correct: Marge is studying marine mammals next year. The experience should be very educational. Vague: I enjoyed reading Moby-Dick, but they never explained what the whale symbolized. Correct: I enjoyed reading Moby-Dick, but the author never explained what the whale symbolized. 3. Use you only when the reference is truly to the reader or listener. Vague: You couldn’t understand a word Jim said. Correct: We couldn’t understand a word Jim said. Vague: In the school my great-aunt attended, you were expected to stand up when addressed. Correct: In the school my great-aunt attended, students were expected to stand up when addressed. 8e. Ambiguous pronoun references… A pronoun is ambiguous if it can refer to more than one antecedent. When a pronoun has more than one possible antecedent, the sentence is unclear and difficult to understand. 1. A pronoun should never refer to more than one antecedent. Ambiguous: Joe told Walt about the whales he wanted to observe. Correct: Joe told Walt about the whales Walt wanted to observe. 2. Do not repeat a personal pronoun in a sentence if it can refer to a different antecedent each time. Ambiguous: When Jon asked his father if he could borrow the car, he said he needed it to go to work. Correct: When Jon asked his father if he could borrow the car, his father said he needed it himself to go to work. 8f. Distant pronoun references… A pronoun too far away from its antecedent will cause confusion. A personal pronoun should always be close enough to its antecedent to prevent confusion. Distant: Molly shifted her weight from her injured leg. Two days ago, she had fallen, cutting herself on the glass that littered the street. Now it was swathed in bandages. Correct: Molly shifted her weight from her injured leg. Two days ago, she had fallen, cutting herself on the glass that littered the street. Now her leg was swathed in bandages. All material on this page borrowed for education use only from Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action: Ruby Level. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 2001.

9: pronoun case >

< 7: possessive nouns and pronouns

 
 
 
 
 
Made on a Mac