Transcript Pronoun -Antecedent Agreement

PronounAntecedent
Agreement
Writers Inc. (503506;528)
What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a substitute for a noun.
It refers to a person, place, thing,
feeling, or quality but does not refer
to it by its name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg9
MKQ1OYCg
Types of Pronouns
SIMPLE:
COMPOUND:

I

myself

you

someone

he or she

anybody

it

everything

we

itself

They

Whatsoever

Who
PHRASAL:

what

One another

Each other
Classes of Pronouns

Personal

Relative

Indefinite

Interrogative

Demonstrative
Personal Pronoun: takes
the place of a noun

Our coach made
her point without
raising her voice.

I like coffee.

John helped me.
List of personal
pronouns:

I, me, my, mine,
we, us, our, ours,
you, your, yours,
they, them, their,
theirs, he, him,
his, she, her, hers,
it, its
Types of Personal
Pronouns: Reflexive and
Intensive
Reflexive pronoun:
formed by adding –
self or selves

Miss Sally
Sunshine loves
herself.
Intensive pronoun: a
reflexive pronoun
that emphasizes or
“intensifies” the
noun or pronoun
that it refers to.

Leo himself taught
his children how to
read.
List of reflexive and
intensive pronouns:

Myself, yourself,
himself, herself,
itself, ourselves,
yourselves,
themselves
Relative Pronoun: relates an
adjective clause to the noun or
pronoun it modifies.

Students who study
regularly get the
best grades.
(the relative pronoun
who relates the
adjective clause to
students)

The dance, which
we had looked
forward to for
weeks, was
cancelled.
(which relates the
adjective clause to
dance.
List of relative
pronouns:

What, who, whose,
whom, which, that
Indefinite Pronouns: refers
to unnamed or unknown
people.

All are welcome to
attend the concert.
List of indefinite
pronouns:

Mary gave the book
to another.


I don't have any.

Does anybody have
a clue?

Anyone can play
that game.
All, another, any,
anybody, anyone,
anything, both,
each, each one,
either, everybody,
everyone,
everything, few,
many, most, much,
neither, nobody,
none, no one,
nothing, one, other,
several, some,
somebody,
someone,
something, such
Interrogative
Pronouns: asks a
question

What time is it?

Which person are
you talking about?

Who are you?

Whose purse is
this?

For whom will you
vote?
List of interrogative
pronouns:

Who, whose,
whom, which,
what
Demonstrative pronouns:
points out people, places, or
things without naming them.

This tastes
delicious.
List of demonstrative
pronouns:

I don't like this.


That will run for
an hour.
This, that, these,
those

Jim wrote that.

These look good.
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http://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=6e
1hZGDaqIw&featu
re=related
What is an antecedent?

EVERY pronoun has an antecedent.
An antecedent is the NOUN that the
pronoun refers to or replaces.
Pronoun Antecedent:
Agree in number
If the pronoun takes
the place of a
singular noun, you
have to use a
singular pronoun.


If a student parks
a car on campus,
he or she has to
buy a parking
sticker.
(NOT: If a student
parks a car on
campus, they have
to buy a parking
sticker.)
Remember: the words
each, either,
neither, one,
anyone, everyone,
everybody,
somebody, another,
nobody, etc. are
singular and take
singular pronouns.

Everybody ought to
do his or her best.
(NOT: their best)

Neither of the girls
brought her
umbrella. (NOT:
their umbrellas)
Pronouns must also agree in GENDER!
Cheat Sheet for
Common Problems

Collective Antecedents: Just as collective
nouns usually take singular verbs, they
also usually take singular pronouns when
they are used as antecedents:

The Baggins family was proud of its
heritage.
Cheat Sheet for
Common Problems

Compound antecedents joined by and
ordinarily require a plural pronoun:

Karl and Keith carried their skis to
the lift

Compound antecedents joined by and
preceded by Each or Every take
singular pronouns.

Every dog and cat should have its
own collar.
Cheat Sheet for
Common Problems
Compound Antecedents with or, nor Singular
antecedents joined with or or nor (either . . . or;
neither . . . nor) take singular pronouns.

Neither Osgood nor Mugwert could find his way out
of a paper bag.

It is either the Frog or the Prince that appeals to
Buttercup.
When plural antecedents are joined to singular
antecedents, the antecedent nearest the pronoun
determines its person, number, and gender.

Neither the scoutmaster nor the boy scouts know
they are walking into a surprise party.

Neither the scouts nor the scoutmaster knows he is
walking into a surprise party.