Pronoun agreement
54 flashcards covering Pronoun agreement for the SAT Reading & Writing section.
Pronoun agreement is a key grammar rule that ensures pronouns—words like "he," "she," or "they"—match the nouns they replace, known as antecedents, in terms of number, gender, and person. For example, if the antecedent is a singular noun like "student," you should use a singular pronoun such as "he" or "she" rather than "they," unless the context calls for it. This agreement keeps sentences clear and logical, preventing misunderstandings in writing.
On the SAT Reading and Writing section, pronoun agreement shows up in questions that ask you to identify or fix errors in sentences or passages, often within multiple-choice items. Common traps include mismatched numbers, like using "their" for a singular subject, or vague antecedents that make it hard to tell what the pronoun refers to. Focus on carefully reading the surrounding context to spot these issues and choose the option that maintains proper agreement.
Always identify the antecedent first before selecting a pronoun.
Terms (54)
- 01
Pronoun
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence, such as he, she, it, they, or we, to avoid repetition.
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Antecedent
An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to or replaces in a sentence, ensuring the pronoun clearly connects back to it.
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Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that a pronoun must match its antecedent in number, gender, and person to maintain clear and correct sentence structure.
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Agreement in number
Agreement in number requires a pronoun to be singular if its antecedent is singular and plural if the antecedent is plural, avoiding errors like using they for a single person.
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Agreement in gender
Agreement in gender means a pronoun must match the gender of its antecedent, such as using she for a female antecedent or he for a male one, though modern usage often prefers they for unknown gender.
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Agreement in person
Agreement in person ensures a pronoun matches the person of its antecedent, like using first-person I for a first-person antecedent, to prevent shifts between I, you, or they.
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Singular antecedent
A singular antecedent is a single noun or pronoun that requires a singular pronoun to agree with it, such as using it for a book instead of they.
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Plural antecedent
A plural antecedent is a noun representing more than one item, which requires a plural pronoun like they to agree with it, as in the dogs chased their tails.
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Indefinite pronoun
An indefinite pronoun refers to nonspecific people or things, such as everyone or something, and typically requires a singular pronoun for agreement in standard English.
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Everyone as antecedent
Everyone is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular, so it requires a singular pronoun like he or she, though they is increasingly accepted for everyone on the SAT.
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Somebody as antecedent
Somebody is a singular indefinite pronoun, so any pronoun referring to it must also be singular, such as he or she, to maintain agreement.
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Nobody as antecedent
Nobody is a singular indefinite pronoun, requiring a singular pronoun like he or she for agreement, as in nobody lost his or her keys.
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Each as antecedent
Each is a singular indefinite pronoun that needs a singular pronoun for agreement, such as each student raising his or her hand.
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Either as antecedent
Either is a singular indefinite pronoun, so a pronoun referring to it must be singular, like either option having its own merits.
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Neither as antecedent
Neither is a singular indefinite pronoun, requiring a singular pronoun for agreement, as in neither candidate presenting his or her platform.
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All as antecedent
All can be singular or plural depending on context, but when referring to a singular concept, it requires a singular pronoun, like all of the money being its focus.
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Collective noun as antecedent
A collective noun, such as team or family, is singular and requires a singular pronoun, like the team celebrating its victory, unless members are emphasized.
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Group as antecedent
Group is a collective noun treated as singular, so a pronoun agreeing with it must be singular, such as the group sharing its resources.
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Team as antecedent
Team is a singular collective noun, requiring a singular pronoun like it, as in the team won its game, to show the group as a unit.
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Vague pronoun reference
Vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun does not clearly point to a specific antecedent, leading to confusion, as in she left, without specifying who she is.
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Shift in pronoun person
A shift in pronoun person is an error where the person changes without reason, such as switching from you to we in the same sentence, disrupting agreement.
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First person pronoun
A first person pronoun, like I or we, refers to the speaker and must agree with a first person antecedent to avoid person shifts.
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Second person pronoun
A second person pronoun, such as you, addresses the listener and must match a second person antecedent for proper agreement.
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Third person pronoun
A third person pronoun, like he, she, or they, refers to someone or something else and must agree with a third person antecedent in number and gender.
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Relative pronoun
A relative pronoun, such as who, which, or that, introduces a clause and must agree with its antecedent in number and gender for clear sentence structure.
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Who as relative pronoun
Who is a relative pronoun used for people and must agree with its antecedent, such as the student who finished her work, matching number and gender.
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Which as relative pronoun
Which is a relative pronoun for things or animals and must agree in number with its antecedent, like the car which has its engine running.
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That as relative pronoun
That is a relative pronoun for people or things and requires agreement with its antecedent, such as the book that has its cover torn.
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Possessive pronoun
A possessive pronoun, like his, her, or their, shows ownership and must agree in number and gender with its antecedent, as in the cat and its toy.
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My as possessive pronoun
My is a first person possessive pronoun that agrees with a first person antecedent, indicating ownership like in my book.
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Strategy for checking number agreement
To check number agreement, identify the antecedent of each pronoun and ensure the pronoun matches whether the antecedent is singular or plural.
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Trap: Intervening phrases
Intervening phrases between a pronoun and its antecedent can mislead agreement, so always skip them to verify the pronoun matches the actual antecedent.
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Compound antecedent with 'and'
A compound antecedent joined by 'and' is usually plural, requiring a plural pronoun, like John and Mary bringing their lunch.
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Compound antecedent with 'or'
A compound antecedent joined by 'or' requires a pronoun that agrees with the closer antecedent, such as either the dog or the cats eating their food.
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Either...or construction
In an either...or construction, the pronoun agrees with the nearest antecedent, like either the boys or the girl bringing her toy.
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Example: Correct agreement with 'everyone'
In the sentence 'Everyone must bring his or her ID,' the singular pronoun his or her correctly agrees with the singular antecedent everyone.
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Example: Incorrect agreement with 'everyone'
In the sentence 'Everyone brought their books,' the plural pronoun their incorrectly agrees with the singular antecedent everyone on traditional tests.
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Correction for vague pronoun
To correct a vague pronoun, replace it with a specific noun or rephrase for clarity, such as changing 'She left it' to 'The teacher left the book'.
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Pronouns in comparisons
In comparisons, pronouns must agree with their antecedents, such as 'She is taller than he,' where he agrees with the implied subject.
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Reflexive pronoun
A reflexive pronoun, like himself or themselves, must agree with its antecedent and refer back to it, as in the child hurting himself.
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Demonstrative pronoun
A demonstrative pronoun, such as this or those, must agree in number with its antecedent, like this book versus those books.
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Interrogative pronoun
An interrogative pronoun, like who or what, must agree with the context of the question, such as who did it referring to a person.
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Pronoun with adjectives
When a pronoun follows an adjective, it must still agree with its antecedent, like the red car and its owner.
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Agreement in compound sentences
In compound sentences, each pronoun must agree with its own antecedent, avoiding confusion across clauses.
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Trap: Pronouns after 'one of'
After 'one of,' the pronoun should be plural if referring to the plural items, like one of the students losing their book.
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Neither...nor construction
In a neither...nor construction, the pronoun agrees with the nearest antecedent, such as neither the cat nor the dogs eating their food.
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Example: Agreement with collective nouns
In 'The jury gave its verdict,' the singular pronoun its correctly agrees with the collective noun jury as a unit.
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Example: Shift in person error
In 'If you study hard, one can succeed,' the shift from second person you to third person one creates an agreement error.
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Strategy: Read for clarity
To identify pronoun agreement errors, read the sentence aloud and ensure each pronoun clearly and correctly refers to its antecedent.
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Trap: Gender-neutral language
On the SAT, gender-neutral pronouns like they for singular antecedents may be accepted, but always check for traditional agreement in context.
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Pronouns in lists
In a list of antecedents, pronouns must agree with the overall structure, such as each item having its own description.
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Relative clauses and agreement
In relative clauses, the pronoun must agree with the antecedent of the clause, like the man who lost his wallet.
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Example: Correct possessive agreement
In 'The students submitted their essays,' the possessive pronoun their correctly agrees with the plural antecedent students.
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Possessive pronouns with gerunds
Possessive pronouns before gerunds must agree with the antecedent, like his singing being impressive.