English Plus:

Intensive English

Christine Diane Galvan, CSPE, LPT

Instructress
PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT

AGREEMENT
 A pronoun must agree with its
antecedent in number, person, or gender.
 Number
• A pronoun must agree with its antecedent
in number.

• If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun

referring to it must be singular; if the
antecedent is plural, the pronoun referring
to it must be plural.
• Use singular pronouns to refer to the singular
indefinite pronoun: each, either, neither, one,
everyone, everybody, no one, anyone, anybody,
someone, somebody.

Ex.
• Each of the girls came armed with their own ideas.
(incorrect)
• Each of the girls came armed with her own ideas.
(correct)
• Use plural pronouns to refer to the plural
indefinite pronouns: both, few, several,
and many.

Ex.
• A few filled their nets with fish.
• The indefinite pronouns some, any, none, all,
and most may be referred to by either singular
or plural pronouns, depending on the sense of
the sentence.

Ex.
• Most of the trees have lost their leaves.
(plural)
• Most of the castle retains its splendor.
• Pronouns that refer to compound
antecedent joined by and are usually
plural.

Ex.
Isaiah and Adrianne visited their
grandparents during the holiday.
• Pronouns that refer to compound antecedents
joined by or or nor usually agree with the
nearer antecedent.

Ex.
• Neither Mark nor his brothers have received
their passports.
• Neither Tom nor Mark has received his
passport.
 Person
• A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in
person.

Ex.
• We can bring our reports by tomorrow. (1st
person)
• Will you ask your professor for the research
format? (2nd person)
• Evelyn will give her speech first. (3rd person)
 Gender
• A pronoun must agree with its antecedent
in gender.

• Antecedents of masculine gender are

referred to by he, him or his.
Ex.
• Mr. Salazar put some papers into his
briefcase.
• Antecedents of feminine gender are referred to by
she, her, or hers.
Ex.
• The bride tossed her bouquet toward the waiting
crowd.

• Antecedents of neuter gender (no sex) are referred to

by it, its, they, theirs, or them.
Ex.
• The tree lost all its leaves.
• Antecedents of common gender (sex unknown)
should use gender-neutral pronouns. Former
grammar rules called for the use of the masculine
pronoun for antecedents of unknown gender.
Today, however, the use of sex-fair pronouns is
encouraged and is considered politically correct.

Ex.
• Each student should bring his notebook to class
every day. (Gender unequal)
Alternatives for gender equal sentences:

• All students should bring their notebooks to

class every day. (Recast to plural)
• Each student should bring his/her notebook to
class every day. (Use both)
• As a student, one should bring one’s notebook
to class every day. (neutralized)
• Antecedents that are names of animals are
generally referred to by neutral pronouns.
When the gender of the animal is indicated,
the corresponding pronoun is used.

Ex.
• The tiger paced back and forth in its cage.
• A tigress teaches her cubs how to kill for food.
 Activity
1. One of the girls gave (their, her, hers) history report
about Stonehenge in class today.
Ans. HER
2. Each had (his, her, their, his/her) opinion regarding the
prehistoric ritual monument north of Salisbury, England.
Ans. HIS/HER
3. Several of the boys insisted that (his, their) viewpoints
about England’s most celebrated megalithic
monuments be heard.
Ans. THEIR
4. The monument consists of four concentric ranges of
stones, and (this, these) comprise the entire structure.
Ans. THESE
5. Many of these stones have (it’s, their) unique
characteristics that differ from the others within the
structure.
Ans. THEIR
6. Neither the historians nor the scientists can fully attest to
(his, its, their) theories regarding the purpose of
Stonehenge.
Ans. THEIR
7. Undoubtedly, it was built by a people who
established (its, there, theirs) principal settlements
in the area between 1600 and 130 BC.
Ans. ITS

8. Although the function of Stonehenge is

unknown, it has not lost (its, their) charm to mystify
people.
Ans. ITS
9. In 1964, American astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins
reported that the Stonehenge complex and (his, its, their)
stones could have been used to predict the solstices, the
equinoxes, and eclipses with remarkable accuracy.
Ans. ITS

10. Hawkins concluded that Stonehenge functioned as a

means of predicting the seasons; (he, she, they) said that
perhaps it was also used for a function as simple as a daily
calendar.
Ans. HE