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    The Academic Success Center: Pronoun Antecedents

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    The Academic Success Center: Pronoun Antecedents

    Uploaded by

    magicchess2508
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    G-6

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    The Academic Success Center: Pronoun Antecedents

    Uploaded by

    magicchess2508

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    G-6

    THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

    A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun. Many pronouns have antecedents (a
    word, phrase, or clause that is replaced by a pronoun or other substitute in the same or
    surrounding sentences). An antecedent is merely the noun to which a pronoun is
    referring. A pronoun and its antecedent agree when they are both singular or both
    plural.

    The pronouns he, she, and it (and their possessive counterparts—his, her, and its) must
    agree in gender (masculine, feminine, or neutral) with their antecedents.

    Example: Jane lost a glove, and she can’t find it.

    In this sentence, Jane is the antecedent of she, and glove is the antecedent of it.

    Indefinite Pronouns Indefinite Pronouns


    Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. anybody neither
    Even though some of the following may seem to have anyone nobody
    plural meanings, treat them as singular in formal English anything none
    text. each no one
    either nothing
    Example: Everyone discusses his or her thoughts. everybody somebody
    When a plural pronoun mistakenly refers to a singular everyone someone
    indefinite pronoun, you can usually choose one of everything something
    three options for revision:
     Replace the plural pronoun with “he or she” (or “his or her”)
     Make the antecedent plural
     Rewrite the sentence so that no problem of agreement exists

    Collective Nouns
    Collective nouns like jury, committee, audience, crowd, class, troop, family, team, and
    couple name a class or group. Ordinarily, the group functions as a unit, so the noun
    should be treated as singular; however, if the members of the group function as
    individuals, the noun should be treated as plural.

    Unit: The committee granted its permission to build.


    Individuals: The committee put their signatures on the document.

    Last updated by JGS on 09/28/2015


    Compound Antecedents
    Treat most compound antecedents joined by and as plural.
    Example: Joanne and John moved to the mountains, where they built a log cabin.

    Compound antecedents joined by or and nor make the pronoun agree with the nearest
    antecedent.
    Example: Either Sheila or James should receive first prize for his sculpture.

    Example: Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their way through the maze.

    Common Errors
    Example: Don told Kate and I that he bought a new puppy.

    Example: Kate and me went to the store on Saturday with Don.

    At first glance, you may wonder what is wrong with these sentences. However, it is a
    common mistake to overcorrect oneself and say I and me where it is inappropriate.
    When confused, read the sentence using only the pronoun instead of the noun and
    pronoun phrase: Don told I and Me went to the store. If the sentences sound unnatural
    or choppy, you’ve likely misused a pronoun object for a pronoun subject or vice-versa.
    To correctly use pronouns in the examples above, insert me into the first sentence and I
    into the second sentence:
    Example: Don told Kate and me that he bought a new puppy.

    Example: Kate and I went to the store on Saturday with Don.

    Pronouns that function Pronouns that function


    as the subject: as the object:
    I you we they me you us them
    he she it him her it

    In the sentence, Don told Kate and me that he bought a new puppy,” Don is the noun
    subject of the sentence, and Kate and me are the noun and pronoun objects. In the
    sentence, “You gave me a present,” you is the pronoun subject (the person or thing
    performing the action), and me is the pronoun object (the person or thing
    receiving the action).

    Information on this handout borrowed from:


    The Longwood Guide to Writing (Second Edition) by Ronald F. Lunsford and Bill Bridges.

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