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Activity 1.12
Lesson: Pronouns and Antecedents Learning Target
• Ensure that pronouns agree with and clearly refer to their antecedents.
Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns are words that refer to persons, places, ideas, and things. They take the place of nouns or other pronouns or 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 pencil and notebook. [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 pencil and notebook. [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 pencils and notebooks. [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: After Lorna talked with Ms. Garza, she became worried. [Who became worried?] Clear: Ms. Garza became worried after Lorna talked to her.
Unclear: They haven’t finished painting the house or pouring the cement. Will the rain ruin it?
Clear: They haven’t finished painting the house or pouring the cement slab. Will the rain ruin the paint or the slab?
Grammar Activities • Unit 1 5
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