Organising principles of

noun pronoun agreement

Singular Nouns and Singular Pronouns
• A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun.
• Example: Lisa lost her book. (The singular pronoun "her" agrees with
the singular noun "Lisa.")
Plural Nouns and Plural Pronouns:
• A plural pronoun must replace a plural noun.
• Example: The students submitted their assignments. (The plural
pronoun "their" agrees with the plural noun "students.")
Gender Agreement:
• Match the gender of the pronoun with the gender of the antecedent.
• Example: John likes his new bike. (The masculine pronoun "his"
agrees with the masculine antecedent "John.")
Person Agreement:
• Maintain consistent person (first, second, or third) between the noun
and pronoun.
• Example: She likes her job. (The third-person pronoun "She" agrees
with the third-person antecedent "She.")
Ambiguous or Indefinite Antecedents:
• When the antecedent is unclear, revise the sentence to provide clarity.
• Example: Each student should bring their textbook. (Revised: Each
student should bring his or her textbook.)
Compound Antecedents:
• For compound antecedents joined by "and," use plural pronouns.
• Example: Sarah and Alex finished their projects. (The plural pronoun
"their" agrees with the compound antecedent "Sarah and Alex.")
Collective Nouns as Antecedents:
• Collective nouns can take singular or plural pronouns based on
context.
• Example: The team celebrated its victory. (Singular pronoun "its" for
the collective noun "team.")
• Example: The team members celebrated their victory. (Plural pronoun
"their" for the individual members.)
Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns:
• Reflexive pronouns (ending in "-self") refer back to the subject of the
sentence.
• Example: She washed herself. (The reflexive pronoun "herself" refers
to the subject "She.")
Avoiding Pronoun Shifts:
• Maintain consistent pronoun usage within a sentence and between
sentences.
• Example: Mary likes reading, and she also enjoys writing. (Consistent
use of "Mary" and "she.")
Agreement in Gender-Neutral Writing:
• Use gender-neutral pronouns (e.g., they, them) for inclusivity.
• Example: Taylor is bringing their laptop. (Gender-neutral "their" for
the gender-neutral antecedent "Taylor.")
Conclusion
• Remember, proper noun-pronoun agreement is essential for clear and
effective communication, enhancing the readability and coherence of
your writing.