Pronouns and Antecedents Agreement



Like subjects and verbs, pronouns and antecedents (the words to which they refer) must agree. A pronoun replaces a noun. To make sure that your writing is clear, always use the noun before using the pronoun. Follow these rules to make sure that your pronouns and antecedents get on well .


1. A pronoun agrees (or matches) its antecedent in number, person, and gender.


Number is amount: singular or plural.

Person refers to the first person, second person, or third person (the person speaking, the person spoken to, or the person spoken about).

Gender refers to masculine, feminine, or neuter references. He and him are masculine in gender, she and her are feminine, and it and its are neuter.

For example:

Sanjay gave her paycheck straight to the orthodontist.

Both the antecedent Sanjay and the pronoun her are singular, in the third person, and feminine in gender.

Errors often occur when there are incorrect shifts in person and gender.

For example:

Incorrect : Herman will screen the video teleconference, which you need to stay timely.
Correct: Herman will screen the video teleconference, which he needs to stay timely.


2. Use a singular personal pronoun with a singular indefinite pronoun.

If anyone questions the amount, refer him or her to payroll.

The singular pronouns him or her refer to the singular pronoun anyone.

Each police officer and firefighter has to watch his or her figure.

Use a singular pronoun if the nouns are preceded by each or every.




3. Use a plural pronoun when the antecedents are joined by and. This is true even if the antecedents are singular.

Toody and Muldoon maintain their svelte figures by eating bean sprouts rather than donuts.

Because the two singular antecedents Toody and Muldoon are joined by and, use the plural pronoun their.


4. Antecedents joined by or, nor, or correlative conjunctions such as either/or, neither/nor agree with the antecedent closer to the pronoun.

Neither Toody nor the other officers eat their jelly donuts on duty.

Use the plural pronoun their to agree with the plural antecedent officers.

Neither the other officers nor Toody eats his donuts on duty.

Use the singular pronoun his to agree with the singular antecedent Toody. Notice that the verb eats must also match.



5. Be sure that the pronoun refers directly to the noun. Confusion occurs when the pronoun can refer to more than one antecedent. If you end up with this mish-mash, rewrite the sentence.

Confusing: Raul saw an ad in last week's newspaper, but he can't seem to find it.
What is it that Raul can't find: the ad or the newspaper?
Correct: Raul can't find the ad he saw in last week's newspaper


6. Avoid sexist language. Traditionally, the pronouns he and his were used to refer to both men and women. Not any more. The current correct usage is he and she or she and he.

Error: An employee should turn in his timesheet every Friday.

Correct: An employee should turn in his or her timesheet every Friday.

If the pronoun pairing necessary to avoid sexist language is cumbersome (and you better believe that it will be), try these options:

Recast the sentence into third person, they or them. For example: Employees should turn in their timesheets every Friday.

Recast the sentence into the second person, you. For example: You should turn in your timesheet every Friday.

Try to eliminate the pronoun altogether. For example: Turn in timesheets every Friday.



7. Always use common sense. When the sentence doesn't seem to fit the rules and you can't figure out how to shoehorn it in, don't improvise, revise! Rewrite the sentence to avoid the problem entirely.

Confusing: The executive director along with the marketing vice president (was, were?) at odds over the new scheduling system.

Better: The executive director and the marketing vice president were at odds over the new scheduling system

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