Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun.
A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.
Example:

We do not talk or write this way. Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with a
pronoun. More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln. President Lincoln is the ANTECEDENT for the
pronoun his.
An antecedent is a word for which a pronoun stands. (ante = "before")
The pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.
Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a plural
noun.
Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules. These rules are related to the rules found
in subject-verb agreement.
1. A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number of the
antecedent.
Example:

2. Indefinite pronouns as antecedents

Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.

Example:

Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.

PLURAL: several, few, both, many
Example:

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Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either singular or
plural.
EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: some, any, none, all, most

Examples:

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

Examples:

Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

3. Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent.

Example:

4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent
closer to the pronoun.
Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

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 Note: Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a smoother
sentence
than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."

5. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on
meaning.

In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent pronoun is singular.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
pronoun is plural.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the
referent
pronoun is plural.

6. Titles of single entities. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a singular referent.
EXAMPLES:

7. Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent. (news, measles, mumps,
physics, etc)
EXAMPLE:

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8. Every or Many a before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent.
EXAMPLES:

9. The number of vs A number of before a subject:

The number of is singular.

A number of is plural.

Diagnostic Assessment for Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
a) Everyone should bring their own lunch.
b) Everyone should bring his or her own lunch.
c) Everyone should bring it's own lunch.
d) Everyone should bring their own lunches.
2. Choose the correct pronoun to complete the sentence:
Maria and _____ went to the park.
a) she
b) her
c) they
d) them
3. Select the sentence that shows correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) The teacher said that he or she would help the students with their projects.
b) The teacher said that they would help the students with their projects.
c) The teacher said that it would help the students with their projects.
d) The teacher said that he or she would help the students with his or her projects.
4. Identify the correct pronoun-antecedent agreement in the sentence:
Every student must complete ______ homework before class.
a) their
b) his or her
c) he or she
d) them

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5. Which pronoun agrees correctly with its antecedent in the sentence?
The dog wagged _______ tail happily.
a) it's
b) its'
c) its
d) it
6. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Each of the boys finished his homework.
b) Each of the boys finished their homework.
c) Each of the boys finished it's homework.
d) Each of the boys finished they's homework.
7. Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence:
The book belongs to ______.
a) him
b) his
c) he
d) he's
8. Identify the sentence with correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Somebody left their umbrella in the classroom.
b) Somebody left his or her umbrella in the classroom.
c) Somebody left it's umbrella in the classroom.
d) Somebody left their's umbrella in the classroom.
9. Which pronoun agrees correctly with its antecedent in the sentence?
Each student must bring _______ textbook to class.
a) his
b) her
c) their
d) they
10. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) The team celebrated their victory.
b) The team celebrated its victory.
c) The team celebrated it's victory.
d) The team celebrated their's victory.
11. Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence:
The gift is for _______.
a) me
b) my
c) I
d) mine
12. Identify the sentence with correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Neither of the girls brought her backpack.
b) Neither of the girls brought their backpacks.
c) Neither of the girls brought it's backpack.
d) Neither of the girls brought they's backpacks.
13. Which pronoun agrees correctly with its antecedent in the sentence?
Each bird built _______ nest in the tree.
a) it's
b) its'
c) its
d) it
14. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Somebody forgot their keys on the table.
b) Somebody forgot his or her keys on the table.
c) Somebody forgot it's keys on the table.
d) Somebody forgot their's keys on the table.

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15. Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence:
The car belongs to _______.
a) him
b) his
c) he
d) he's
16. Identify the sentence with correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Every student should complete their homework.
b) Every student should complete his or her homework.
c) Every student should complete it's homework.
d) Every student should complete their's homework.
17. Which pronoun agrees correctly with its antecedent in the sentence?
Each child must bring _______ lunch to school.
a) his
b) her
c) their
d) they
18. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) The company announced their new product.
b) The company announced its new product.
c) The company announced it's new product.
d) The company announced their's new product.
19. Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence:
The award goes to _______.
a) me
b) my
c) I
d) mine
20. Identify the sentence with correct pronoun-antecedent agreement:
a) Neither of the boys brought their backpacks.
b) Neither of the boys brought his backpack.
c) Neither of the boys brought it's backpack.
d) Neither of the boys brought they's backpacks.

Do, Does, Did

The Verb to do: do, does and did
The words do, does and did often cause confusion in the English language. They are all forms of
the verb to do. The verb to do can be used as an action verb and also as an auxiliary verb.
to do as an Action Verb
In some cases, to do is used as a verb that expresses an action (just like the verb to walk).
Subject/Verb Agreement Using to do as an Action Verb

Subjec Forms of to do in each Tense Rest of

t Sentence
Presen Pas Perfect Continuous
t t Form Form

I / You do did have/ha am/are/wer a good

/ We / d + done e + doing job
They

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 Subjec Forms of to do in each Tense Rest of
t Sentence
Presen Pas Perfect Continuous
t t Form Form

He / does did has/had is/was + homewor

She / It + done doing k

Spelling Tip
In Present Simple 3rd person (he, she, it), add an es to a verb that ends in 'o': do > does / go>
goes

Examples
Pete always does his taxes on time.
Volunteers do a lot of work around the town.
Gil did a great job on his history report for school.
You have done nothing all morning!
I am doing the best I can!

The verb to do as an auxiliary verb

It is also common to use do, does and did as auxiliary verbs (or helping verbs) together with
another verb in its base form. This is used to create negative sentences, questions, or for adding
emphasis.

Negative sentences with do not, does not and did not

When creating negative sentences, we usually use shortened
forms: don't, doesn't and didn't together with the base form of the verb. Note: Save the long forms
(do not, does not and did not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, you would
put an accent on the 'not'.

Subject Auxillery Verb to do Present or Verb in Rest of

Past Base Form Sentence

I / You / We don't (do didn't Sleep late

/ They not) (did not)

He / She / It doesn't didn't sit out in the

(does not) (did not) sun

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe (') does not > doesn't

Examples
Your client doesn't understand the contract.
You don't need to worry about me.
Your friends didn't get the e-mail.

Yes/No Questions with Do, Does and Did

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To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do, Does or
Did, (Doesn’t, Don’t, Didn’t) for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that
does the action) followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of the
sentence.

Auxiliary Verb 'To Do' subject verb in base rest of

form sentence
Present Past

Do Did I / you / we / drink enough water

they

Does Did he / she / it eat meat

Don't Didn't I / you / we / write to them

they

Punctuation Tip
Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter: He always does good
work. Do you like me? What did they bring you?

Examples:
Do you want to go to the party?
Does your dog live outside or in the house?
Does your sister always talk so much on the phone?
Did you catch the bus this morning?
Don't you ever visit your parents?
Didn't Mr. Albertson call you?

Note: Time Expressions:

You may add a one-word time expression, such as always, usually, or often between the subject
and the verb.
You may use a negative question with a time expression such as 'ever'.
Wh-questions with do, does and did
Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words are
what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much. To create a wh-question, start with
the wh-word, then add do, does or did, then the subject (a person or thing that does the action),
followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- Auxiliary Verb 'To Subject Verb in Rest of

Word Do' Base Sentence
Form
Present Past

Where Do Did I / you / get the maps

we / they

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 Wh- Auxiliary Verb 'To Subject Verb in Rest of
Word Do' Base Sentence
Form
Present Past

Why Does Did he / she / sit out in the

it sun

Examples
Where do you want to send the package?
Why does she always scream like that?
How much do these earrings cost?
Why don't you ever clean up your mess?
When did they arrive home?

Exercises for the Verb To Do

1. Fill in the correct form of the verbs as in the examples:
2. ________ John often _____ together with his friends on the weekends? (get)
3. Sivan ____________the post every day. (not collect)
4. _______ the computer ____________ again yesterday? (break down)
5. ____________ work __________ he _______ every month? (how much/do/do)
6. _________ you ________ your laundry now? (do)
7. In general, the dogs ____________ on the beds in his house. (not sleep) They _____ last night
though. (do)
8. How many copies of the document_______ you _________? (need)
9. I ________ ever___________ the street on a red light! (not cross)
10. ________ Adam always _________ the lights off when he leaves the office? (turn)
11. _________ she ________ her homework yet? (do) It's due tomorrow.

HAS HAD, HAVE HAD, and HAD HAD

Have is one of the verbs that can be used as an auxiliary verb as well as a main verb. In this lesson,
we learn how to use has had, have had, and had had.
HAVE as an auxiliary verb
As an auxiliary verb, we use have in the Present Perfect tense and the Present Perfect Continuous
tense.

Look at the examples below:

1. I have studied English a lot.
2. My friends have helped me a lot.
3. They have been doing it for a long time.
4. I have been teaching English for more than half a decade.
In these examples, have is working as an auxiliary verb (helping verb).

HAVE as a main verb

As a main verb, have gives the following meanings: eat, take, drink, possess, experience, etc. It
can be used in any tense as a main verb.

Look at the following examples:

1. I have a beautiful puppy.
2. They have my number.

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 3. You can have this sandwich?
4. I can’t have chicken today.
5. Let’s have some drinks.
6. I have fun doing this.
In the above examples, have is used as a main verb meaning take, drink, eat, or possess.
The past and the past participle form of have is had.

Look at the following examples:

1. I had breakfast already. (past tense)
2. She had a lot of drinks last night. (past tense)
3. I have had a lot of bad experiences. (past participle)
4. They had had the food before we reached there. (past participle)
So, when has had, have had, and had had are used together, the first verb is the auxiliary verb,
and the second one is the main verb.

Subjects used with has had, have had, and had had
HAS HAD He, she, it & all singular noun names (singular subject)

HAVE HAD I, you, we & they & all plural noun names (Plural subject)

HAD HAD Both singular and plural subjects

Examples of has had, have had, and had had

Has had, have had, and had had are verb phrases that are used in different tenses. Let’s
understand when to use these expressions one by one. Let’s start with ”has had first.
‘Has had‘

We use has had in the Present Perfect tense where ‘has‘ is the auxiliary verb and ‘had‘ is the main
verb (the past participle of ‘have’). The subject used with it is always singular.

Has had examples:

1. She isn’t coming for lunch. She has had lunch already.
2. Ron has had enough alcohol. Take him to his place.
3. Tony hasn’t had any sleep since yesterday. Let him rest for some time.
4. He‘s had great experiences working as a trainer here.
5. He‘s had enough of your excuses.
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Contractions:
1. He has had = he’d had
2. She has had = she’d had
3. Jon has had = Jon’s had
4. ‘Have had‘
Have had is used with the Present Perfect tense with plural subjects. This is no different from the
verb phrase ‘has had’ and does the same thing.

Have had examples:

1. I have had enough rest. Let’s get back to work now.
2. Jon and I have had amazing success recently.
3. You have had many trips this year.
4. I‘ve had these pancakes many times.
5. They’ve had terrible experiences with the company.
6. Have you had anything yet?
7. I have had such tasty food in a long time.
Contractions:
1. I have had = I’ve had
2. We have had = we’ve had
3. They have had = they’ve had
4. You have had = you’ve had

‘Had had‘
We use had had in the Past Perfect tense where the first ‘had‘ is an auxiliary verb, and the
second ‘had‘ is the main verb (the past participle of ‘have’).

Had had examples:

1. They had had the food before we reached.
2. She‘d had enough before we could stop her.
3. Had he had the car fixed before it got dark?
4. Before the canteen opened, we’d had lunch at a Chinese restaurant.
Contractions:
1. I had had = I’d had
2. He had had = he’d had
3. She had had = she’d had
4. We had had = we’d had
5. They had had = they’d had
6. You had had = you’d had

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We can also use adverbs between has had, have had, and had had
1. I’ve just had the drink that you sent.
2. He has recently had a life-changing encounter with a beggar.
3. Before she turned 25, she‘d never had a man in her life.
4. You‘ve just had a bottle down your throat; you can’t have it anymore.
5. I have always had a good time with you.

Exercise 1 – Use ‘Has’ or ‘Have’

Fill in the blanks with ‘has’ or ‘have’.
1. Rima ___ a function to attend.
2. Draco ___ a dog named Max.
3. The girl ___ curly brown hair.
4. The child ___ a beautiful bicycle.
5. Rita ___ your bag.
6. Do you ___ Sam’s contact number?
7. I ___ a little box of jewellery.
8. They __ a little house by the beach.
9. The house ___ no extra rooms.
10. The children ___ their own dresses.
11. Rio and Ira ___ watched Avengers Endgame.
12. The boys ___ a big basketball.
13. I ___ a brother and sister.
14. Tina ___ a superhero toy.
15. The girls ___ arranged this party.
16. The dog ___ been serving the police for years.
17. The tree ___ grown very big.
18. They ___ gone to the amusement park.
19. He ___ not slept the whole night.
20. I ___ completed my homework.

Exercise 2 – Use ‘Has’ and ‘Had’

Fill in the blanks with either ‘has’ or ‘had’.
1. The boys ___ a fight yesterday.
2. The baby ___ a blanket.
3. The dog __ an injury, but now he’s fine.
4. I ___ rabbits when I was young.
5. Tia ___ an ear infection.
6. India ___ many states.
7. My uncle ___ a white coat which he used to wear.
8. The tiger ___ sharp claws.
9. The girl __ broken her leg a few months ago.
10. Natasha ___ a sweet smile.
11. The children ___ a lot of fun last night.
12. His grandparents ___ passed away a long time ago.
13. William Shakespeare ___ written many plays before his death.
14. ___ the baby fallen asleep?
15. The girl ___ a purple dress that she wears every Monday.

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