Pronoun antecedent agreement is an important aspect of grammar and can often be tricky. In short, this concept refers to when a pronoun refers back to its antecedent, or the noun that it replaces, and they agree in number and gender. When there is a lack of agreement, this can cause confusion for the reader and can even change the meaning of the sentence. In this article, we will provide some examples of correct pronoun antecedent agreement to help clarify this concept.
Example 1: The dog barked and wagged its tail.
In this example, “dog” is the antecedent and “its” is the pronoun that refers back to it. Both the antecedent and the pronoun are singular, and they agree in gender, which is why this sentence is correct.
Example 2: The students raised their hands and asked their questions.
In this example, “students” is the antecedent, and “their” is the pronoun that refers back to it. Both are plural, so they agree in number. Additionally, “their” is a gender-neutral pronoun, so it agrees with any gender.
Example 3: The athlete ran as fast as they could to cross the finish line.
In this example, “athlete” is the antecedent, and “they” is the pronoun that refers back to it. While “athlete” is singular, “they” is a gender-neutral pronoun that can refer to either a single person or multiple people. This is an example of a singular “they” usage, which is becoming more common in modern English.
Example 4: Everyone should bring their own lunch to the picnic.
In this example, “everyone” is the antecedent, and “their” is the pronoun that refers back to it. While “everyone” is singular, “their” is a gender-neutral pronoun that can refer to either a single person or multiple people. This is another example of a singular “they” usage.
Example 5: The company announced that it was moving its headquarters to a new city.
In this example, “company” is the antecedent, and “it” is the pronoun that refers back to it. Both are singular, and they agree in gender. While “company” can refer to a group of people, in this sentence, it is being used as a singular noun.
It`s important to note that there are also some instances where pronoun antecedent agreement can be more complex depending on the sentence structure and the specific nouns and pronouns used. However, by understanding these examples and practicing proper pronoun usage in your writing, you can avoid any confusion or misinterpretation and improve the overall clarity and effectiveness of your writing.