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Activity 2.4
Lesson: Pronouns and Antecedents Learning Targets
• Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
• Recognize and correct vague pronouns (such as ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).
Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns or other pronouns and refer to people, places, things, and ideas. The words they take the place of or refer to are called the pronouns’ antecedents. Pronouns should agree with (have the same gender and number as) their antecedents. Pronouns can be masculine (and refer to male persons or animals), feminine (and refer to female persons or animals), or neuter (and refer to things or to people or animals of unspecified gender).
Every boy should have his backpack. [The pronoun his refers to the antecedent boy. Both the pronoun and its antecedent are singular and masculine, so they agree.]
Every girl should have her backpack. [The pronoun her refers to the antecedent girl. Both the pronoun and its antecedent are singular and feminine, so they agree.]
All students should have their backpacks. [The pronoun their refers to the antecedent students. Both the pronoun and its antecedent are plural and neuter, so they agree.]
Clear Reference
Make sure that it is clear whom or what a pronoun refers to. Sometimes you will need to rewrite a sentence to make the sentence clear.
Unclear: Before Enrique checked with Oliver, he didn’t know about the schedule. [Who didn’t know?] Clear: Oliver didn’t know about the schedule before Enrique checked with him.
Clear: Enrique didn’t know about the schedule before he checked with Oliver.
Unclear: We spent an hour at the library, but we didn’t check out any. [What does any refer to?] Clear: We spent an hour at the library, but we didn’t check out any books or movies.
Grammar Activities • Unit 2 3
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