PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS

OBJECTIVE

I can select correct pronoun-antecedent agreement.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EOC Skills List page 12. Context Clues page 23. Methods of Characterization4. Historical and Cultural Cues5. Author’s Purpose6. Science Fiction7. Commas8. Fragments and Run-ons9. Relevant and Irrelevant Sentences10. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

REVIEWPronoun A word that substitutes for a noun Types:

Personal Pronouns (specific persons/things): I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it, we, us, you, them, they

Possessive Pronouns (show ownership): my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, his, its, our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs

Intensive/Reflexive (emphasize a particular noun): myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Relative/Interrogative (used in subordinate clauses): who, whom, whose, which, that

Demonstrative (identify and point to nouns): this, that, these, those

Indefinite (do not refer to specific person/thing): anything, everyone, everything, nobody, anyone, all, any, anybody, anything, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, neither, no one, nothing, one, several, some, somebody, someone, something

REVIEW

AntecedentNoun that the pronoun is replacing Examples

Wanda (noun)=she (pronoun) The students (noun)=They (pronoun) Driver (noun)=He/She (pronoun) Elephant (noun)=it (pronoun)

GENERAL RULE FOR PRONOUN ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Antecedent and pronoun must match in number, person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and gender.

Singular antecedent (noun)=singular pronoun

Plural antecedent (noun)=plural pronoun Examples

Alex (singular 3rd person)=he (singular 3rd person)

Marbles (plural 3rd person)=those (plural 3rd person)

Gender Male or female

NOTE ABOUT GENDER

If you aren’t sure of the gender of the antecedent, use “she or he,” “his/her,” “him/her” as the pronoun Example: The police officer always carries his/her

badge when on duty. Things and animals don’t have gender—use

“it,” “its” to refer to non-human objects/groups.

Example: The team won its game.

PERSON

What is it? Singular Plural

1st Person Refers to self I, me We

2nd Person Person/thing speaking to

You You

3rd Person Someone/Thing separate from you

He, She, It (or nouns referring to he, she, it

They (or nouns referring to they

STEPS FOR DETERMINING IF PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS AGREE

1. Find the pronouns in the sentence. Example: Sally went to her boyfriend’s house,

but he wasn’t home.

2. Decide what nouns the pronouns are referring to (i.e. find the antecedents)

Example: Sally went to her boyfriend’s house, but he wasn’t home.

3. Ask yourself “What person/number/gender is the antecedent?” “Does the pronoun match the antecedent in number and person?”

Example: Sally (3rd person, singular)=her (3rd person, singular) Boyfriend (3rd person, singular)=he (3rd person,

singular)

SPECIAL CASESTricky Pronoun-Antecedent Situations

1) INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Indefinite pronoun=pronoun that does not refer to specific people or things

For the most part indefinite pronouns are SINGULAR

EXCEPT

Both, few, some, several (PLURAL)

WAYS TO DEAL WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

To make an indefinite pronoun and a pronoun agree (in the same sentence): Use she/he or his/her with the SINGULAR

indefinite pronoun Example: In class everyone performs at his or her own

fitness level. Use they or their with the PLURAL indefinite

pronoun Example: Both of the boys perform at their own fitness

level.

WAYS TO DEAL WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

OR Make the antecedent a plural noun.

When someone has been drinking, they are likely to speed. WRONG

When drivers have been drinking, they are likely to speed. RIGHT

2) COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Collective noun=noun names a class or group (made up of several individuals)

They should be considered singular unless individuals are emphasized (then plural).

Examples of Collective Nouns:committee, class, crowd, family

PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT W/ COLLECTIVE NOUNS

As a unit: (singular)The committee granted its permission to build.Individuals emphasized: (plural)The committee put their signatures on the

document.

EVERY, EACH, ONE

When “every”, “each”, or “one” is the antecedent, the pronoun should be singular. Every student should complete his/her teacher’s

survey by the end of the week. Each piece of silverware is in its place in the

drawer. One of the girls snuck out of her house on Friday

night.

4) ANTECEDENTS JOINED BY AND

Treat as plural--Make pronoun plural Jill and John moved to Luray, where they built a

cabin. Mickey and Minnie live in Disneyland in their

special mouse castle.

5) ANTECEDENTS JOINED BY NOR OR OR OR BEGINNING WITH NEITHER, EITHER

Make the pronoun agree with the antecedent nearest to the pronoun Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize for

his poem. Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their

way through the maze.

ANTECEDENTS ENDING IN -S

Some antecedents ending in –s are not plural because they focus on just one item—Make the pronoun singular Mathematics, economics The College of Arts and Sciences

TITLES OF BOOKS, MOVIES, AND COMPANIES

Each of these are singular regardless of whether the item ends in –s or is joined by AND The Grapes of Wrath Romeo and Juliet Einstein Brothers Bagels