Prepared%20by%20Professors%20Rita%20Perkins%20and%20Paul%20Harris

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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Pronoun Reference and Agreement

• Prepared by Professors Rita Perkins and Paul
  Harris
• Camden County College

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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• Writers often use pronouns to take the place of
  nouns.
• If you do this, you must be certain that each
  pronoun agrees with the noun it refers to.
• Example
• The photographs meant a great deal to him because
  they belonged to his grandmother.
• Photographs is the antecedent of they, which is
  third person plural.

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Pronoun Reference

• If a pronoun does not refer to a specific word,
  it may be unclear.
• Example
• Mark told Todd that he needed to buy film.
• Did Mark or Todd need to buy film?

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Pronoun Reference

• If a pronoun does not refer to a specific word,
  it may be unclear.
• Example
• The editor told the staff members not to mail the
  photographs because they were too important.
• What does they refer too?

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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns and antecedents must agree in person and
number.
Revised If a person wants to become a
photographer, he must have the proper equipment
for lighting.
Error in Person If a person wants to become a
portrait photographer, you must have the proper
equipment for lighting.
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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns and antecedents must agree in person and
number.
Error in Number When a student videotapes a
sporting event, they often miss some of the
action.
RevisedWhen a student videotapes a sporting
event, he often misses some of the action.
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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• Avoid sexism
• Be consistent in use of gender.
• Avoid sexist pronouns.
• To avoid sexism, use alternatives to the generic
  he.
• -Use masculine and feminine pronouns together.
• -Revise the sentence by using the plural.
• -Reconstruct to eliminate the pronoun.

Examples 1. The person who planned this exhibit
knew what he or she was doing. 2. The people who
planned this exhibit knew what they were
doing. 3. The people who planned this exhibit did
an excellent job.
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Checkpoints
1. An indefinite pronoun such as everybody or
something is usually singular. Anyone who has
developed his own film must be familiar with dark
rooms.
Each of the photographers bought his or her
camera.
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Checkpoints
2. A collective noun which refers to a group as
one unit is usually singular. The group will have
its meeting this Friday.
The collection on display is in the gallery.
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Checkpoints
3. Compound antecedents require a plural
pronoun. The zoom lens and the wide-angle lens
require special situations for their use.
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Practice Review

• Anyone can be successful in school if they make
  the right choices.

• Revision
• Anyone can be successful in school if she makes
  the right choices.
• Or
• Students can be successful in school if they make
  the right choices.

Incorrect
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Practice Review

• When students do not understand what they read,
  they should note their questions and find answers.

Correct
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Practice Review

• Students should realize that education supports
  your long term goals.

• The pronoun your does not refer to students.
• Revision
• Students should realize that education supports
  their long term goals.

Incorrect
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Practice Review
Libraries are important for students because they
provide information.
Incorrect
Does THEY refer to students or libraries?
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Practice Review

• Incorrect
• The subject shifts to you when the subject was
  students.
• Revision
• Students should copy the material that the
  instructor writes on the board, and they should
  review these notes within 24 hours.

• Students should copy the material that the
  instructor writes on the board, and you should
  review these notes within 24 hours.

Incorrect
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Practice Review

• Incorrect
• Each is singular.
• Revision
• Each of us must take responsibility for the
  quality of her life.
• Or
• Individuals must take responsibility for the
  quality of their own lives.

• Each of us must take responsibility for the
  quality of their own life.

Incorrect
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Practice Review
When students join clubs and organizations, they
increase their chances of staying in school.
Correct
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Practice Review

• Incorrect
• Students is plural.
• Revision
• The most important thing that students can do is
  to organize their time.

• The most important thing a student can do is to
  organize your time.

Incorrect
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Practice Review

• Jamie dropped the heavy camera on her foot and
  broke it.

• Incorrect
• Did the camera break or did her foot?
• Revision
• The camera broke when Jamie dropped it on her
  foot.

Incorrect