Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Overview

Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that a pronoun must match the noun it replaces (called the antecedent) in number (singular or plural) and gender (male, female, or neutral).

Basic rule

• Singular noun → singular pronoun

• Plural noun → plural pronoun

Examples 

Singular Antecedent

• The student forgot his homework.

(“Student” is singular and male → “his”)

• The teacher closed her laptop.

(“Teacher” is singular and female → “her”)

• The dog wagged its tail.

(“Dog” is singular and an animal → “its”)

 Plural Antecedent

• The students finished their project.

(“Students” is plural → “their”)

 Be careful with these

 Two or More Antecedents

• Ben and Jake rode their bikes.

(Two people → plural → “their”)

 Either/Neither/Each/Everyone/Anybody = Singular

• Everyone should bring his or her notebook.

(“Everyone” is always singular → use “his or her”)

(Or use “their” in casual or gender-neutral writing)

 Helpful tip

 Ask: Who or what is the pronoun replacing? Then match it in number and gender.