Pronoun Agreement

Overview

Pronouns must match their antecedents in three critical ways: number, gender, and person. Mastering these agreements is essential for clear, grammatically correct writing.

Number Agreement

Basic Rules

• Singular antecedents take singular pronouns

  • “Each student brought his lunch”
  • “The cat licked its paw”
  • “Maria finished her homework”

• Plural antecedents take plural pronouns

  • “The students brought their lunches”
  • “The cats licked their paws”
  • “Maria and her friends finished their homework”

Tricky Indefinite Pronouns

Technically Singular (but evolving):

• Everyone, someone, anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody
• Traditional: “Everyone should bring his ID”
• Modern accepted: “Everyone should bring their ID”

Always Singular:

• Each, either, neither, one, another
• “Each of the players has his own strategy”
• “Neither of the options meets its requirements”

Always Plural:

• Both, few, many, several
• “Both of the teams brought their equipment”
• “Many of the students submitted their projects early”

Context-Dependent:

• All, any, most, none, some
• Singular: “All of the cake has lost its flavor”
• Plural: “All of the students brought their books”

Compound Subjects

Connected by “and”

Always plural:

• “Tom and Jerry brought their skateboards”
• “The teacher and her students completed their project”
• “Coffee and tea have their own unique flavors”

Connected by “or” or “nor”

Agree with the closer noun:

• “Neither the teacher nor the students brought their books” (plural - agrees with “students”)
• “Neither the students nor the teacher brought her materials” (singular - agrees with “teacher”)
• “Either Sarah or her friends will share their notes”

Collective Nouns

Acting as One Unit (Singular)

• “The team won its game”
• “The committee made its decision”
• “The jury reached its verdict”
• “The company announced its new policy”

Acting as Individuals (Plural)

• “The team grabbed their equipment and headed home”
• “The committee members voiced their individual opinions”
• “The jury were divided in their opinions”
• “The staff collected their personal belongings”

Gender Agreement

Traditional Approach

• Use “he/his” for masculine antecedents
• Use “she/her” for feminine antecedents
• Use “it/its” for neuter antecedents

Modern Inclusive Approach

• Use “they/their” for unknown or non-binary individuals
• Use “they/their” with indefinite pronouns
• Be respectful of stated pronouns

Person Agreement

First Person

• “I forgot my keys”
• “We brought our lunch”

Second Person

• “You should bring your ID”
• “You all need to submit your papers”

Third Person

• “She completed her assignment”
• “They finished their work”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Pronoun shift: Don’t change person mid-sentence

   • Wrong: “When you exercise regularly, one feels better”
   • Right: “When you exercise regularly, you feel better”

2. Ignoring compound subjects

   • Wrong: “Tom and Jerry brought his skateboard”
   • Right: “Tom and Jerry brought their skateboards”

3. Mishandling collective nouns

   • Consider the context: unity vs. individuality

4. Overusing “his or her”

   • Acceptable: “Each student should bring his or her laptop”
   • Better: “Each student should bring their laptop”
   • Best: “Students should bring their laptops”

Practice Examples

Correct the following:

1. Each player must bring his own equipment.
2. The band tuned its instruments before the show.
3. Either the manager or the employees will present his ideas.
4. Everyone forgot his lunch today.

Answers:

1. Each player must bring their own equipment. (modern usage)
2. Correct as written (band acting as unit)
3. Either the manager or the employees will present their ideas.
4. Everyone forgot their lunch today. (modern usage)

Key Takeaways

• Match pronouns to antecedents in number, gender, and person
• “They/their” is increasingly accepted with singular indefinite pronouns
• Compound subjects joined by “and” are plural
• With “or/nor,” match the closer noun
• Collective nouns depend on context (unity vs. individuality)
• Stay consistent in person throughout your writing