When Ivy arrived in Ivy’s house, Ivy
immediately proceeded to Ivy’s room
and changed Ivy’s clothes before Ivy
joined Ivy’s mother in preparing the
meal.
When Ivy arrived in her house, she
immediately proceeded to her room and
changed her clothes before she joined
her mother in preparing the meal.
• An antecedent is the word or group
of words to which a pronoun refers or
that a pronoun replaces. All pronouns
must agree with their antecedents in
number, gender, and person.
• Referents are pronouns that refer
back to the noun.
Pronoun-antecedent rules:
1. A phrase or clause between the
subject and verb does not change the
number of the antecedent.
Ex. The can of lima beans sits
on its shelf.
2. Singular indefinite pronoun
antecedents take singular pronoun
referents.(each, either, neither, one,
no one, nobody, nothing, anyone,
anybody, anything, someone,
somebody, something, everyone,
everybody, everything)
Ex. Each of the clerks does a
good deal of work around
his or her office.
3. Plural indefinite pronoun
antecedents require plural
referents.(several, few, both, many)
Ex. Both do a good job in their
office.
4. Some indefinite pronouns that are
modified by a prepositional phrase
may be either singular or plural.
(some, any, none, all, most)
Ex. Some of the sugar fell out
of its bag.
Some of the marbles have
lost their glow.
5. Compound subjects joined by and
always take a plural referent.
Ex. Jones and Smith made
their presentation.
6. With compound subjects joined by
or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees
with the antecedent closer to the
pronoun.
Ex. Neither the director nor the
actors did their jobs.
Neither the actors nor the
director did his job.
7. Collective nouns may be singular
or plural, depending on meaning.
Ex. The jury read its verdict.
The jury members gave
their individual opinions.
8. The titles of single entities (books,
organizations, countries, etc.) take a
singular referent.
Ex. The Grapes of Wrath
made its characters seem
real.
9. Plural form subjects with a singular
meaning take a singular referent.
(news, measles, mumps, physics,
ec.)
Ex. The news has a lot of its
sting two days later.
10. Every or Mary a before a noun
or a series of nouns requires a
singular referent.
Ex. Every cow, pig and horse
had lost its life in the fire.
Mary a girl wishes she
could sing like Tina
Turner.
11. The number of vs. A number of
before a subject:
The number of is singular.
A number of is plural.
Ex. The number of volunteers
increases its rank daily.
Ex. A number of volunteers
are offering their help.
Underline the antecedent and encircle
the correct referent of the following
sentences.
1. Science, as well as other modern
languages, should have (its, their)
place in the curricula.
2. The committee has submitted
recommendations in (its, their) report.
3. Several members of the class
indicated (its, their) desire to attend
mass.
4. Each member of the committee must
submit (their, his) response in writing.
5. The girl who had (her, their) monthly
period.
Assignment
Create a story about your most
unforgettable vacation using
pronoun antecedents.