Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun.

A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.

        Example:

We do not talk or write this way.  Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with a pronoun.  More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln.  President Lincoln is the ANTECEDENT for the pronoun his. 

An antecedent is a word for which a pronoun stands.  (ante = "before")

The pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.

Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a plural noun.

Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules.  These rules are related to the rules found in subject-verb agreement.

1.  A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number of the antecedent.

            Example:

2.  Indefinite pronouns as antecedents

• Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.   

            Example:

• Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.

                PLURAL:  several, few, both, many

            Example:

• Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either singular or plural. 

          EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL:  some, any, none, all, most

               Examples:

                        Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

                        Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

                Examples:

                        Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

                        Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

3.  Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent.

                    Example:

4.  With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent closer to the pronoun.

                    Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

                    Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

    Note:  Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a smoother sentence
               than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."  

5.  Collective Nouns  (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.    

                In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent pronoun is singular.

                In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
                 pronoun is plural.

                  In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
                  pronoun is plural.

6.  Titles of single entities. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a singular referent.

        EXAMPLES:

7.  Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent.  (news, measles, mumps, physics, etc)

        EXAMPLE:  

8.  Every or Many a  before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent.

            EXAMPLES:

9.  The number of   vs  A number of  before a subject:

• The number of is singular.  

• A number of is plural.