How to Make Pronouns and Antecedents Agree

A pronoun takes the place of a noun that comes before it. An antecedent is the noun that comes before the pronoun. For example, "When Billy left for college, he forgot his wallet." Here "he" is the pronoun and "Billy" is the antecedent. Many writers make common grammar mistakes in concern to pronoun/antecedent agreement. However, by following a few simple rules, these errors can easily be eliminated.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Make both pronoun and antecedent plural or singular. In the above sentence, both "Billy" and "he" are singular. Therefore, the sentence is correct. An example of plural agreement is: "When my parents work late, they eat dinner at the office."
2. Know how to handle indefinite pronouns. Some of these include: everybody, everyone, anyone, anything, either, neither and each. Infinite pronouns are always singular. Incorrect sentence: "Everyone needs to take their car for a yearly vehicle inspection." Correct sentence: "Everyone needs to take his car for a yearly vehicle inspection."
3. Rewrite sentences in plural if you are worried about using masculine pronouns. In the above sentence, many grammar experts would not use the masculine "his" to agree with the gender neutral "everyone." However, the use of his/her sounds awkward. One way to fix the above sentence is by making both antecedent and pronoun plural by replacing "everyone" with "people." Correct sentence: "People need to take their car for a yearly vehicle inspection."

Tips & Warnings

• Say the sentence out loud. If it sounds correct, it probably is.