Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A ______________ is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a _________.
A word can refer _____________________ in the sentence.

Example:

We do not talk or write this way. Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with a
_______________. More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln. President Lincoln is
the ___________________ for the pronoun __________.
An ____________________ is a word for which a pronoun stands. _______________
__________________________________________________.
Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a
plural noun.
Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules. These rules are related to the
rules found in subject-verb agreement.
1. ____________________________________________________________ does
not change the number of the antecedent.

Example:

2. _____________________________________________________
• Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take __________________________.

Example:

• ___________________________________ require plural referents.
PLURAL: several, few, both, many

Example:

• Some indefinite pronouns that are ________________________________ may
be either singular or plural.
EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: ____________________________________

Examples:

________________________; therefore, the sentence has a _________
referent pronoun.

________________________; therefore, the sentence has a _________
referent pronoun.

Examples:

__________________________; therefore, the sentence has a _______
referent pronoun.

_________________________; therefore, the sentence has a ________
referent pronoun.
3. ___________________________________________ always take a ______ referent.

Example:

4. With ___________________________________, the referent pronoun agrees with
the____________________________________.

Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

Note: Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a
smoother sentence than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."
5. ____________________________________________________ may be singular or
plural, depending on meaning.

In this example, the jury ________________; therefore, the referent pronoun
is ________________.

In this example, the jury members ___________________________;
therefore, the referent pronoun is_____________.

In this example, the jury members ___________________________;
therefore, the referent pronoun is_____________.
6. _______________________________. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a
___________________________.

EXAMPLES:

7. __________________________________________ take a ______________
referent. (news, measles, mumps, physics, etc)

EXAMPLE:

8. _____________________________________________ requires a
____________________________
EXAMPLES:

9. ____________________________________ before a subject:
• _____________________ is singular.

• _________________________ is plural.