Using Pronouns Correctly:

Agreement and Reference

Review
 Remember: Nouns are the names of
persons, places, things, or ideas.
 Jack is a good friend.
 The band is from Orlando.
 Susie is full of compassion.
Pronouns
 A pronoun is a word that substitutes
for a noun (it stands in place of a
noun).
 He is a good friend.
 They are from Orlando.
 She is full of compassion.
Pronouns
 A pronoun’s antecedent is the word
or words the pronoun replaces.
 Jack is a good friend; he is very loyal.
 The band members are from Orlando;
they love the sunny weather.
 Susie is full of compassion; she loves to
do volunteer work.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 Let’s practice…Page 522, Exercise 1
Pronouns and Antecedents
 A pronoun must agree win number
with its antecedent; if the antecedent is
singular, the pronoun must be singular, and
if the antecedent is plural, the pronoun
must be plural
 Susan tried to arrive on time, but she got caught
in traffic.
 Susan and Ray tried to arrive on time, but they
got caught in traffic.
 The visitors tried to arrive on time, but they got
caught in traffic.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 Remember: Indefinite pronouns
(words that end with –one, -body,
-thing, or either, neither, each) are
always singular; therefore, if one
of these is an antecedent, the
pronoun that replaces it must be
singular.
 Each of the boy scouts received his merit
badge.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 When considering which pronoun to use with
an indefinite pronoun, be sure to avoid
sexism.
 Everybody in the math class brought _________
own calculator.
 If everyone in the class is male: Everybody in the
math class brought his own calculator.
 If everyone in the class is female: Everybody in the
math class brought her own calculator.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 BUT……if the class has members of
both sexes….

 Everybody in the math class brought his

or her own calculator.
OR
 The students in the math class brought
their own calculators.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 Let’s practice…Page 524, Exercise 2
Pronouns and Antecedents
 Remember: Collective nouns (nouns
that are singular but refer to more than
one person/thing—team, class,
committee, etc.) are always singular;
therefore, if one of these is an
antecedent, the pronoun that replaces it
must be singular.
 The team that was ahead in the playoffs lost
its home game.
Pronouns and Antecedents
 Let’s practice….Page 526, exercise 4
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 Be sure that a pronoun has one clear
antecedent.
 UNCLEAR: Jim told Leonard his bike had
been stolen?
 Who’s bike was stolen? Jim’s? Leonards?
 UNCLEAR: She put the cake on the
table, took off her apron, pulled up a
chair, and began to eat it.
 Eat what? The cake? The table? The
apron? The chair?
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 Be sure to rewrite these kinds of
sentences so the antecedent is clear!
 Jim told Leonard that Jim’s bike had
been stolen.
 Jim told Leonard, “My bike has been
stolen.”
 Jim told Leonard that Leonard’s bike had
been stolen.
 Jim told Leonard, “Your bike has been
stolen.”
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 Be very careful with the pronoun
which. If there is any chance that
which will confuse the reader, rewrite
the sentence and get rid of which.
 UNCLEAR: Bill decided to take a part-
time job, which worried his parents?
 What worried his parents? His decision to
work part time? The job itself?
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 CLEAR:
 Bill’s parents were worried about the
kind of part-time job that he chose.
 Bill’s decision to work part time worried
his parents.
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 Be very careful that every pronoun
has an antecedent!
 NO ANTECEDENT: When Bill got to the
train station, they said the train was
going to be late.
 Who said? The ticket agents? Strangers?
 ANTECEDENT: When Bill got toe the
train station and asked the ticket agents
about the schedule, they said the train
was going to be late.
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 HINT: To check for clear reference of
pronouns, underline any pronouns in
your writing. Then, try to draw a line
from each pronoun to its antecedent.
Be sure that each pronoun has
one clear antecedent!
Pronouns and Antecedents:
Being Clear
 Let’s practice….Page 530, Exercise 7