LEO: Literacy Education Online Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun

A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality but does not refer to it by its name. The pronoun in the following sample sentence is bolded.

The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.

Antecedent

An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, understood by the context. The antecedent in the following sample sentence is bolded.

The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.

While the pronouns I and you can be replaced by nouns, the context of a sentence does not always require the nouns to make clear to which persons I and you refer. However, the third person pronouns (he, she, it, they) almost always derive their meaning from their antecedents or the words for which they stand. Remember that pronouns in the third person communicate nothing unless the reader knows what they mean:

It is the best source available. What source is that?

Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in three ways:

• Person refers to the quality of being.

• Number is the quality that distinguishes between singular (one entity) and plural (numerous entities).

• Gender is the quality that distinguishes the entities as masculine or feminine.

Person

Incorrect Sentence

If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the rules of the game.

Explanation

Solution

Although the antecedent and the pronoun agree in number, they do not agree in person. This problem can be remedied in two ways.

Solution	Example
Change the second person singular, you, to a third person singular pronoun.	If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.
Change the third person singular antecedent, a person, to a second person singular antecedent.	If you want to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the rules of the game.

Incorrect Sentence

If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.

Explanation

Solution

Although the antecedent and pronoun agree in person, they do not agree in number. This problem can be remedied in two ways.

Solution	Example
Make the antecedent plural.	If people want to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.
Make the pronoun singular.	If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.

Incorrect Sentence

If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he has to know the rules of the game.

Explanation

Solution

Even though there is person and number agreement between the antecedent, a person, and the pronoun, he, there is no gender agreement; in other words, the language appears to favor one sex over the other. This problem can be remedied in two ways.

Solution	Example
Replace the pronoun he with he or she.	If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.
Make the entire sentence plural.	If people want to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.