What is Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement?
An antecedent is a word derived from Latin. In Latin “ante” means before. An antecedent is a noun or pronoun to which another noun or pronoun refers. In clear writing, the antecedent usually goes before the pronoun.
- Because John wants a promotion, he always volunteers to do extra work.
In the above sentence, “John” is the antecedent and “he” is the pronoun referring to “John”.
- Our supplier is holding a sale on printer paper, so let’s buy lots of it.
In the above sentence, “paper” is the antecedent and “it” is the pronoun referring to “paper”.
Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number (either singular or plural) and in person (first, second, or third person).
Incorrect Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
| Incorrect | When computers crash, it needs to be fixed immediately because people rely on it. | Because the committee members disagreed about which policies to update, we had to reread all of it. |
|---|---|---|
| Corrected | When computers crash, they need to be fixed immediately because people rely on them. | Because the committee members disagreed about which policies to update, we had to reread all of them. |
Using Pronouns in a Changing Social Environment
As previously discussed, languages change over time in order to meet the needs of their users. Pronoun reference in English is undergoing such change. In English, pronouns such as he, him, his, she, her and hers are marked for gender. Growing recognition of gender identity and respect for gender expression has resulted in changes in pronoun usage.
In the previous activities, the traditional rules for pronouns were explained. Below are some strategies on how to avoid gender pronouns.
Reframe Sentences
| Ineffective | Any employee wanting to enhance his or her pension contributions must complete the attached form. | Each manager will present his/her report. |
|---|---|---|
| Better | Employees wanting to increase their pension contribution must complete the attached form. | All managers will present their reports. |
| Best | Please complete the attached form if you’d like to increase your pension contributions. |
Additional Suggestions
Referring to people whose gender is unknown
In its 7th Edition, the American Psychological Association suggests that writers use “they” when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant.
Updating your email signature
Several people now include the pronouns by which they like to be referred as part of their e-mail signatures.
Chris Gallati, Manager
(She/her pronouns)
Acme Productions
123 Main Street, ON M6G T3P
Tel: 416-000-0000 ext. 2011
Email: cgal@acmepro.ca.
Corporations and Pronoun Reference
In a strict grammatical sense, corporations are single entities. For example—The Gap, Google, Tim Hortons, Nike, TD Bank—are all single entities even though thousands of people work for these organizations.
Therefore, the following sentences are grammatically correct.
- Tim Hortons is launching its Pumpkin Spiced Latte to celebrate the beginning of autumn.
- Nike asserts that all its products are manufactured in factories that comply with fair labour practices.
- TD Bank offers its first-time home buyers competitive mortgage rates.
- Google denies that its company breaches any privacy laws.
- To stay competitive, The Gap needs to re-structure its brick-and-mortar stores.
However, in casual conversation, you will hear people use they when referring to corporations.
Exercises
Click on these self-check quizzes to test your knowledge on pronoun/antecedent agreement.
- Peck’s English Pointers Pronouns: Form is Everything (https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/pecks-english-pointers/pep-quiz/grammar-1-pronouns-quiz)
- Hypergrammar-2: Review-pronoun reference (https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/hypergrammar-2/review-pronoun-reference)
Part 2
Rewrite the sentences to correct the pronoun/antecedent agreement errors.
- Recently, our team of mechanics demonstrated theirs skills at a province-wide skills competition.
- This is not the pens I ordered. Here is a sample of the one I wanted.
- Although our franchises are small, customers still like to visit it.
- Is this cup of coffee mine or your?
- The meeting has become volatile, so nobody are listening to me.
- Can you help me with this problem? I can’t seem to figure them out by myself.
- Who’s laptop is this?
- On your vehicle purchase, you can include two of this upgrades free of charge.
- Employees which have not updated their passes will not be able to enter the building.
- Packing boxes are in short supply, so please take only as many of they that you need.