Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent
Key Notes :
| What is a Pronoun? |
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun (person, place, thing, or idea) to avoid repetition.
Example:
- Sarah loves her cat. She feeds it every day. 🐱👧
(“She” replaces “Sarah”)
| What is an Antecedent? |
The antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to.
Example:
- The dog wagged its tail. 🐶
| Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Rules |
🔹 Rule 1: Number Agreement
A pronoun must match the number of its antecedent:
- Singular → Singular
- The boy lost his book. 👦📚
- Plural → Plural
- The girls finished their homework. 👧👧📖
🔹 Rule 2: Gender Agreement
A pronoun must match the gender of its antecedent:
- Male → he/him/his
- Tom forgot his keys. 🔑
- Female → she/her/hers
- Maya brought her bag. 🎒
- Gender-neutral → they/them/their
- The student forgot their notebook. 📓
🔹 Rule 3: Clear Reference
A pronoun should clearly refer to one specific antecedent to avoid confusion. ❌✅
- ❌ Wrong: When Sarah talked to Ana, she was happy. (Who is happy?)
- ✅ Correct: Sarah was happy when she talked to Ana.
🔹 Rule 4: Compound Antecedents
If two or more nouns are joined by and, use a plural pronoun:
- Tom and Jerry lost their toys. 🧸🧸
If joined by or/nor, the pronoun should agree with the nearest noun:
- Neither the teacher nor the students forgot their books. 📚
🔹 Rule 5: Indefinite Pronouns
Some pronouns are always singular: everyone, someone, nobody, each → use he/she/it or they if gender-neutral.
- Everyone must bring their notebook. 📓
- Each student should do his or her homework. ✏️
| Quick Tips ✅ |
- Always check the noun before picking a pronoun. 👀
- Watch out for singular vs. plural. 🔢
- Use they as a safe gender-neutral pronoun when unsure. 🌈
- Keep the sentence clear to avoid confusion. 💡
| Examples |
- The cat licked its paw. 🐱
- Maya and Raju finished their project. 👩👨📁
- Each boy brought his pencil. ✏️
- Someone left their bag in the classroom. 🎒
- Neither the dog nor the cats were in their kennel. 🐶🐱
Let’s practice!🖊️
