Pronouns

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Pronouns
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Pronoun
Reference Problems
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Pronoun

• Definition a word used in place of a noun or
  another pronoun
• Personal pronouns I, me, you, he, she, it, we,
  us, they, them
• Possessive pronouns my, mine, ours, your, yours,
  his, her, its, their, theirs
• Ex Playing hopscotch as youngsters may have
  helped us learn our numbers.

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Antecedent

• Definition the noun or pronoun that a pronoun
  refers to or replaces
• Ex The athlete extended a hand to his opponent.
• The pronoun must agree with the antecedent in
  number and gender
• Ex both athlete and his are singular and
  masculine

antecedent
pronoun
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Problem Sentences

• Sometimes, the antecedent is also a pronoun. The
  pronoun must still agree with the antecedent in
  number and gender!
• Each of the boys on the island is responsible for
  his own behavior.
• Everyone has experienced the need to impress his
  peers.

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Pronoun Reference Problems

• Indefinite reference- pronoun does not refer to a
  specific antecedent (it, you, they)
• General reference- pronoun is used to refer to a
  general idea (it, this, that, which, or such)-
  not specific
• Ambiguous reference- pronoun could refer to two
  or more antecedents
• Writing that features these problems is not
  clear.

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Practice

• GUM Workbook pgs. 142-145
• Examples from LOTF essays