English Grammar Lesson: Pronouns and Antecedents

1. What are Pronouns?

Definition: Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns in a sentence. They are used to avoid repetition and to make sentences clearer.

2. Types of Pronouns

Here are the main types of pronouns:

2.1 Personal Pronouns

Definition: Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things and vary based on case (subject, object, possessive).

Examples:

• Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
• Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
• Possessive Pronouns: my, your, his, her, its, our, their

2.2 Demonstrative Pronouns

Definition: Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things or people and include “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.”

Examples:

• This is my book.
• Those are her shoes.

2.3 Relative Pronouns

Definition: Relative pronouns connect clauses or phrases to nouns and include “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that.”

Examples:

• The student who studies hard will succeed.
• The book that I borrowed is on the table.

2.4 Indefinite Pronouns

Definition: Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific things or people and include “everyone,” “someone,” “anyone,” “no one,” “anything,” “nothing,” and “everything.”

Examples:

• Everyone enjoyed the party.
• I have something to tell you.

3. What are Antecedents?

Definition: An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to or replaces in a sentence.

Examples:

• Sarah lost her keys. (Antecedent: Sarah, Pronoun: her)
• The team won its game. (Antecedent: The team, Pronoun: its)

4. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Rules: Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number (singular or plural), gender, and person.

4.1 Number Agreement

Rule: A singular pronoun must refer to a singular antecedent, and a plural pronoun must refer to a plural antecedent.

Examples:

• The dog wagged its tail. (Singular antecedent: dog, Singular pronoun: its)
• The dogs wagged their tails. (Plural antecedent: dogs, Plural pronoun: their)

4.2 Gender Agreement

Rule: A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in gender. Use “he” or “his” for masculine, “she” or “her” for feminine, and “it” for neutral.

Examples:

• Maria said she would call us. (Antecedent: Maria, Pronoun: she)
• The book was on the table; it was very interesting. (Antecedent: The book, Pronoun: it)

4.3 Person Agreement

Rule: Pronouns should match the person of their antecedents (first person, second person, third person).

Examples:

• I finished my homework. (Antecedent: I, Pronoun: my)
• You should bring your notes. (Antecedent: You, Pronoun: your)

5. Common Errors

Here are some common errors to avoid:

• Incorrect: Each student must bring their own lunch. (Use “his or her” for singular antecedent)
• Correct: Each student must bring his or her own lunch.
• Incorrect: The committee made their decision. (Use “its” for a singular collective noun)
• Correct: The committee made its decision.