Pronoun Agreement

The Basic Rule

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the word it refers to) in:

• Number (singular/plural)
• Gender
• Person

Simple Agreement

Singular antecedent → Singular pronoun

• The student forgot his book.
• Mary brought her lunch.
• The dog wagged its tail.

Plural antecedent → Plural pronoun

• The students forgot their books.
• Tom and Mary brought their lunches.
• The dogs wagged their tails.

Indefinite Pronouns

Traditionally Singular

• Everyone should bring his or her own lunch.
• Somebody left his or her bag.
• Each student has his or her assignment.

Using Singular “They” (Modern)

Singular “they” is now widely accepted:

• Everyone should bring their own lunch.
• Somebody left their bag.
• Each student has their assignment.

This is especially useful when gender is unknown or not specified.

Compound Antecedents

With “And” → Plural

• Tom and Sarah brought their books.
• The teacher and the students shared their ideas.

With “Or/Nor” → Match the Nearer

• Either Tom or his sisters will bring their car.
• Either the sisters or Tom will bring his car.

Collective Nouns

Depends on meaning:

As a Unit (Singular)

• The team won its game.
• The company changed its policy.

As Individuals (Plural)

• The team put on their uniforms.
• The jury gave their opinions.

Common Mistakes

Avoiding Awkwardness

Awkward

• If a student has a problem, he or she should ask his or her teacher.

Better Options

1. Use singular “they”:

   • If a student has a problem, they should ask their teacher.

2. Make it plural:

   • If students have problems, they should ask their teachers.

3. Rewrite:

   • Students with problems should ask their teachers.

The Singular “They”

The singular “they” is:

• ✓ Grammatically accepted
• ✓ Used by major style guides
• ✓ Natural in speech
• ✓ Inclusive of all genders

Examples:

• Someone called, but they didn’t leave a message.
• Ask the customer what they prefer.
• Everyone brought their own lunch.

Quiz