Sentence correction pronoun agreement
56 flashcards covering Sentence correction pronoun agreement for the GMAT Verbal section.
Pronoun agreement is a fundamental grammar rule that ensures pronouns—words like "he," "she," "it," or "they"—correctly match their antecedents, which are the nouns they refer to. For example, if the antecedent is singular, like "dog," the pronoun should also be singular, such as "it," rather than "they." This agreement must align in number (singular or plural), gender (he or she), and person (first, second, or third). Mastering this helps create clear, logical sentences and avoids confusion in writing, which is essential for effective communication in business and academic contexts.
On the GMAT Verbal section, pronoun agreement appears in sentence correction questions, where you're tasked with identifying and fixing errors in provided sentences. Common traps include ambiguous references, where it's unclear what a pronoun points to, or mismatches in number, such as using "their" for a singular subject. Focus on scanning for pronouns and their antecedents, paying attention to collective nouns or compound subjects that can trick you. These questions test your ability to enhance sentence clarity and precision, which is crucial for scoring well in the Verbal portion.
Always double-check if a pronoun's number and gender align with its antecedent.
Terms (56)
- 01
Pronoun agreement
Pronoun agreement means that a pronoun must match its antecedent in number, gender, and person to ensure clear and grammatically correct sentences.
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Antecedent of a pronoun
The antecedent is the noun that a pronoun replaces or refers to, and the pronoun must agree with it in number, gender, and person.
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Agreement in number
A pronoun must be singular if its antecedent is singular and plural if its antecedent is plural to avoid errors in sentence correction.
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Agreement in gender
A pronoun must match the gender of its antecedent, such as using 'he' for a male noun or 'she' for a female noun in standard English usage.
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Agreement in person
A pronoun must match the person of its antecedent, like using 'I' for first person, 'you' for second person, or 'he' for third person.
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Singular indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns like everyone, someone, and anybody are singular, so they require singular pronouns or verbs for agreement.
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Plural indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns like both and few are plural, requiring plural pronouns or verbs to maintain agreement in sentences.
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Each as a singular pronoun
The word 'each' is always singular, so any pronoun referring to it must also be singular to ensure proper agreement.
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Everyone as a singular pronoun
The pronoun 'everyone' is singular and requires singular pronouns like 'he or she' in its references, though modern usage may vary.
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Neither...nor and pronoun agreement
In a neither...nor construction, the pronoun agrees with the nearest antecedent, which must be checked for number to avoid errors.
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Either...or and pronoun agreement
In an either...or construction, the pronoun must agree with the nearest antecedent in number for the sentence to be correct.
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Collective nouns and singular pronouns
Collective nouns like team or family are typically singular, so they take singular pronouns unless the context implies multiple members.
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Collective nouns and plural pronouns
A collective noun takes a plural pronoun if the sentence emphasizes individual members, such as 'The jury gave their verdicts'.
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The team is vs. the team are
In American English, 'team' is usually singular and takes 'is', but if focusing on individuals, 'are' with a plural pronoun may be needed.
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Relative pronoun who
The relative pronoun 'who' refers to people and must agree with its antecedent in person and number for correct sentence structure.
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Relative pronoun which
The relative pronoun 'which' refers to animals or things and must agree in number with its antecedent to maintain clarity.
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Relative pronoun that
The relative pronoun 'that' can refer to people, animals, or things and must agree in number with its antecedent.
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Who vs. whom
Use 'who' as a subject and 'whom' as an object; the pronoun must also agree with its antecedent in number and gender.
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Subjective case pronouns
Subjective case pronouns like I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are used as subjects and must agree with their antecedents.
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Objective case pronouns
Objective case pronouns like me, you, him, her, it, us, and them are used as objects and must still agree with their antecedents.
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Possessive case pronouns
Possessive pronouns like my, your, his, her, its, our, and their show ownership and must match their antecedents in number and gender.
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It's vs. its
'It's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has', while 'its' is a possessive pronoun, and both must align with antecedent agreement.
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Their vs. there vs. they're
'Their' is possessive and must agree with a plural antecedent, while 'there' is an adverb and 'they're' means 'they are'.
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Ambiguous pronoun reference
Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs when it's unclear which noun a pronoun refers to, violating agreement rules and causing confusion.
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Clear antecedent requirement
Every pronoun must have a clear, specific antecedent nearby to ensure agreement and avoid errors in sentence correction.
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Pronoun consistency in writing
Pronouns in a sentence must remain consistent in person and number to prevent shifts that disrupt the flow and agreement.
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Avoiding pronoun shifts
Shifts in pronoun person, like from 'I' to 'you', must be avoided to maintain agreement throughout the sentence.
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Pronouns in compound subjects
In compound subjects joined by 'and', the pronoun typically agrees with the plural form, but check for exceptions like 'either...or'.
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Pronouns with and/or
When using 'and' or 'or', the pronoun must agree with the part of the compound that it logically refers to in number.
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Pronouns in appositive phrases
In appositive phrases, pronouns must agree with the noun they rename, ensuring the sentence remains grammatically sound.
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Example of correct pronoun agreement
A correct example is 'The manager checked his schedule,' where 'his' agrees with the singular male antecedent 'manager'.
The manager checked his schedule.
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Example of incorrect pronoun agreement
An incorrect example is 'The company lost their profits,' if 'company' is treated as singular, making 'their' disagree in number.
The company lost their profits.
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Fixing a pronoun error
To fix a pronoun error, identify the antecedent and adjust the pronoun to match in number, gender, and person for clarity.
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Strategy for identifying pronoun errors
To identify pronoun errors, locate each pronoun and trace it back to its antecedent, checking for matches in number, gender, and person.
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Common trap: using they for singular
A common trap is using 'they' for a singular antecedent like 'someone', which can create disagreement in formal writing.
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Pronouns after than or as in comparisons
In comparisons with 'than' or 'as', pronouns must agree with their antecedents, often requiring the subjective or objective case as needed.
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Pronouns in infinitive phrases
Pronouns within infinitive phrases must agree with their antecedents outside the phrase to maintain overall sentence agreement.
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Pronouns with gerunds as subjects
When a gerund is the subject, any pronoun referring to it must be in the possessive case and agree with the gerund's implied noun.
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Idiomatic use of pronouns
Certain idioms require specific pronouns, like 'between you and me', where 'me' agrees as the object in the prepositional phrase.
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Pronoun agreement in lists
In lists, pronouns must agree with the collective items; for example, a list of singular items needs singular pronouns.
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Parallel structure with pronouns
Pronouns in parallel structures must match in case and number to keep the sentence balanced and error-free.
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Relative clauses and agreement
In relative clauses, the pronoun must agree with its antecedent, and the clause must not introduce disagreement elsewhere.
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Non-essential clauses and pronouns
Pronouns in non-essential clauses must still agree with their antecedents, even when set off by commas.
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Essential clauses and pronouns
In essential clauses, pronouns must precisely agree with antecedents to define the noun without ambiguity.
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Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns like this, that, these, and those must agree in number with the nouns they replace or point to.
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Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns like who, what, which, and whose must agree with the expected answer's number and gender.
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Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns like himself or herself must refer back to a specific antecedent and agree with it in person and number.
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Intensive pronouns
Intensive pronouns like myself or themselves emphasize a noun and must agree with that noun in number and person.
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Pronoun case in elliptical constructions
In elliptical constructions, where words are omitted, pronouns must still maintain correct case and agreement with their antecedents.
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Strategy: Check for nearest noun as antecedent
One strategy is to always verify that a pronoun agrees with the nearest logical noun to prevent common agreement mistakes.
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Trap: Dangling pronouns
A dangling pronoun lacks a clear antecedent, leading to agreement issues that can make sentences unclear or incorrect.
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Pronouns in passive voice
In passive voice sentences, pronouns must still agree with their antecedents, even when the subject is not the doer.
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Agreement with quantified nouns
Quantified nouns like 'all' or 'some' can be singular or plural, so pronouns referring to them must match the context.
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Pronouns with fractions or percentages
Fractions or percentages are singular if referring to a singular whole and plural otherwise, affecting pronoun agreement.
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When a pronoun refers to a compound antecedent
If a pronoun refers to a compound antecedent, it must agree with the overall number, such as plural for 'John and Mary'.
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Advanced: Pronoun agreement in complex sentences
In complex sentences, pronouns must maintain agreement across clauses, carefully linking to the correct antecedent.