Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

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Worksheet 1 explains what constitutes agreement of a pronoun with its antecedent, some common problems, and ways to correct pronoun-antecedent errors. It includes 8 exercises. Worksheet 2 has 18 exercises.

Worksheet 1, Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement, 8 Exercises

Worksheet 2, Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement, 18 Exercises

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A Pronoun Must Agree in Number With Its Antecedent

In order to earn good marks (grades) in written compostions and to be perceived as a competent, if not proficient, writer at work, you must adhere to the rules of standard written English and the conventions of proper punctuation.

The Problem

A common error in standard written or spoken English is the misuse of a pronoun when it refers to another noun or pronoun in the same sentence. In common usage, the following sentence may seem perfectly acceptable, but look closely; it is not.

Lack of Agreement: Every camper must bring their lunchbox to the bus.

So what is the problem? The word "their" is a pronoun in the possessive case; it describes the word "lunchbox," but it refers to the word "camper" (the antecedent). In this case, the pronoun "their" is plural (more than one) and does not agree in number with its antecedent, "camper," which is singular.

Some Terminology

Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun. For example, in the example, the pronoun "their" takes the place of "camper," although it does it incorrectly.
Number: In English grammar, the term "number" means either singular (only one) or plural (more than one).
Antecedent: The word in the sentence that comes before the pronoun. Note the Latin rood "ante," meaning before.

A correct form of the example is given below.

Proper Agreement: Every camper must bring her lunchbox to the bus.

Sexist Language

People use the word "their" to refer a singular antecedent as an attempt to avoid the obvious sexist (but grammatically correct) form of "he" or "she." Many writers use the form "he or she," but this approach weighs the sentence down.

The Solution

Recast the sentence to make the singular antecedent plural.
Solution: Campers must bring their lunchbox to the bus.
Omit the possessive pronoun if you can.
Solution: Every camper must bring a lunchbox to the bus.

These two solutions should work for many instances where we have a lack of agreement of a pronoun with its antecedent.

Careful: These Pronouns Are Always Singular

Some pronouns in English are always singular, although they are commonly used with plural intents. The pronouns

anyone
anyone
anybody
everyone
everybody
someone
somebody
no one
nobody

are always singular.

So, for example, we would not write, "After the storm, everyone became better acquainted with their neighbors," but rather a correct form (omitting the possessive pronoun): "After the storm, everyone became better acquainted with neighbors."

Controversy

I would be less than honest if I did not mention the controversy concerning the use of "they," "their" and other constructions to refer to singular pronouns. Gabe Doyle, a linguistics student from the University of California, San Diego, makes a compelling argument for the use of "they" and "their" as a singular. Take a look.

Singular "they" and the many reasons why it's correct

He argues, correctly, that it has been used since Chaucer, that it is accepted by authority, and that good writers use it. All true.

He makes an excellent point. English composition teachers, and I am one, tend to be conservative in language use. We owe it to our students. And while I might describe myself as a "descriptivist" (correctness in language is determined by popular usage), I owe it to students to help them function in a largely prescriptivist (correctness in language is dictated by authority) world.

The worksheet, with its exercises, is prescriptivist. But please be aware that the issue discussed here is not black and white.