UWF WRITING LAB
RULES OF THUMB FOR
PRONOUN REFERENCE
AND ANTECEDENT
AGREEMENT
From
Real Good Grammar, Too
by Mamie Webb Hixon
PowerPoint Created by April
Turner Revised by Savanna
Richter (10/1/09) Revised by
Mamie Webb Hixon 6/30/10
1
Every man should help his wife with ___ housework.
CHOOSE ONE: her, his, their
2
Every man should help his wife with ___ housework.
her = the “sexist”/politically incorrect response
his = the not-so-popular response
their = the politically correct response
3
Every man should help his wife with ___ housework.
THIS CHOICE INVOLVES MAKING A DECISION ABOUT
PRONOUNS AND THEIR REFERENCES OR
ANTECEDENTS.
4
Writers must make these and other pronoun choices in
order to eliminate gender-bias pronouns and other
“problem pronouns” from their writing.
5
PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT
AGREEMENT

This terminology describes a writer’s
selection of a pronoun in reference to the
noun (or pronoun) it replaces.
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PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT
AGREEMENT
SINGULAR PRONOUNS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
NEUTER
he, his, him
she, shis, shim
it, its
she, her, hers


PLURAL PRONOUNS
they, their, theirs, them
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PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT
AGREEMENT

If a student is absent, can he or she make
it up?
The pronouns
“he or she” have an
antecedent. The
problem pronoun is “it.”
The pronoun “it” has no
reference point.
8
Every pronoun needs
an antecedent – a reference point.




HERE ARE TWO PROBLEM PRONOUNS:
If a student is absent, can he or she make
it up?
I was embarrassed about my grammatical
blunder, and it was all over my face.
Where is the antecedent for these
pronouns?
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What is an antecedent?

THE ANTECEDENT IS THE NOUN (OR
ANOTHER PRONOUN) TO WHICH THE
PRONOUN REFERS.
10
SOLVING YOUR
ANTECEDENT PROBLEMS

INCORRECT – NO ANTECEDENT
I was embarrassed about my grammatical
blunder, and it was all over my face.

REVISIONS – Remove the problem pronoun.
I was embarrassed about my grammatical
blunder, and the embarrassment was all over my
face.
My embarrassment about my grammatical blunder
showed all over my face.
11
SOLVING YOUR
ANTECEDENT PROBLEMS

INCORRECT – NO ANTECEDENT
If a student is absent, can he or she make it up?

REVISIONS – Remove the problem pronoun.
If a student is absent, can he or she make up the
assignment?
If a student is absent, can he or she make up the
absence?
12
“Every pronoun must agree with their antecedent.”
ONLY ONE PRONOUN BELOW AGREES WITH ITS ANTECEDENT.





Each of the young ladies has their own explanation for why the
team lost.
Every one of the girls brought her own lunch.
Neither the film nor the novel on which it is based has their
characters well defined.
The company built their reputation by regularly coming up with
innovations that kept them a step ahead of their competitors.
Although everybody has completed the test, no one has been
told what their score is.
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Every pronoun must agree with its antecedent.





Each of the young ladies has her own explanation for why the
team lost.
Every one of the girls brought her own lunch.
Neither the film nor the novel on which it is based has its
characters well defined.
The company built its reputation by regularly coming up with
innovations that kept it a step ahead of its competitors.
Although everybody has completed the test, no one has been
told what his or her score is.
14
Things to Know Before You
Begin
How to proofread and edit for Pronoun
Reference and Antecedent Agreement
Errors:
Locate all the pronouns.
Locate the antecedent for each pronoun.
Ensure that every pronoun agrees with its
antecedent.
15
Pronoun Reference

This terminology refers to the use of a
pronoun to refer to someone or something
explicitly rather than to an unknown or
implied reference.
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Pronoun Reference Scenario



Customer: I’d like to get a
new key made.
Sales Associate: It’s
broken.
Customer (looking at her
key): No, it’s not broken.
Obviously, the key
machine is broken, but the
pronoun “it” has no
reference point other than
“key.”
17
Common Pronoun Reference
Mistakes
Ambiguous – pronoun could refer to more than one noun
The partnership between Hogue and Stith dissolved when he retired.
Remote – the antecedent is too far from the pronoun, making the
relationship between the two unclear
The ultramodern condominiums are located in an area of town where
there are no streetlights. However, they are perfectly safe.
Implied – the pronoun refers to an antecedent not explicitly stated
Randi thinks flying is the best way to travel though she has never been
on one.
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Common Pronoun Reference Mistakes
Broad – use of “which,” “it,” “this,” or “that” to refer to an entire
sentence or idea
The cost of living went up another two percent, which caused a serious
problem for retired people on a fixed income.
Indefinite – pronoun (usually “it” or “they”) refers to a group or
entity not seen or known
When I read the actor’s autobiography, it made me realize what hard
work acting is.
Unexpressed – pronoun stands for noun that is not present
The library is a great place to work, but they have to stand up often.
Irregular use of “you” – unfairly referring to the reader
In Uruguay, you can be fined for not voting.
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Some Tips
to Keep in Mind
WHO and WHOM refer to PEOPLE
WHICH refers to PLACES and THINGS
WHERE refers to PLACES
THAT refers to any of the above and anonymous groups
The novels that are on my book club’s reading list are all bestsellers.
Ironically, the route that will get us there the fastest is straight through a mountain range.
WHOSE refers to PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS
The book whose pages are torn is an antique.
The cucumber plants, whose leaves were infested by moths and bugs, turned brown.
HISSELF, THEYSELF, THEIRSELF, and THEIRSELVES are NOT words!
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS DO NOT REQUIRE APOSTROPHES: his, hers,
its, ours, yours, theirs
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RULE #1

Every pronoun must have a clear and
conspicuous antecedent (word to
which it refers). The antecedent must
be a single noun, not an entire
sentence or idea. Therefore, do not
use the pronouns it, which, that, and
this to refer to an entire sentence.
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Watch for “it”!


INCORRECT
Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy. It doesn’t surprise me.
REVISED
Our contractor’s being skeptical about solar
energy doesn’t surprise me.
OR I am not surprised that our contractor is
skeptical about solar energy.
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Watch for “this”!



INCORRECT
Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy. This doesn’t surprise me.
REVISED
Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy. This attitude doesn’t surprise me.
OR His attitude doesn’t surprise me.
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Watch for “that”!



INCORRECT
Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy. That doesn’t surprise me.
REVISED
Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy. That attitude doesn’t surprise me.
OR His attitude doesn’t surprise me.
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Watch for “which”!



INCORRECT
Our contractor is skeptical about solar energy,
which doesn’t surprise me.
REVISED
Our contractor’s skepticism about solar energy
doesn’t surprise me.
OR Our contractor is skeptical about solar
energy, a fact which doesn’t surprise me.
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RULE #1 Examples


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UNCLEAR: It says in today’s paper that the weather
will be warmer.
CLEAR: Today’s paper says that the weather will be
warmer.
UNCLEAR: In the President’s speech, he said
Americans need better health care insurance.
CLEAR: In his speech, the President said Americans
need better health care insurance.
UNCLEAR: In my senior seminar, you have to write
three research papers.
CLEAR: In my senior seminar, students have to write
three research papers.
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RULE #1 Examples, cont.

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UNCLEAR: My husband wants me to become a teacher, but I’m not
interested in it.
CLEAR: My husband wants me to become a teacher, but I’m not
interested in teaching.
UNCLEAR: Hannah is not doing well in her physics class, which is
frustrating.
CLEAR: Hannah is not doing well in her physics class, a situation
which is frustrating.
UNCLEAR: Javier wrote to his brother when he was away at
college.
CLEAR: When Javier was away at college, he wrote to his brother.
UNCLEAR: At this university, they require students to pass a
writing test.
CLEAR: At this university, students are required to pass a writing
test.
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RULE #2

Every pronoun must agree with/match its
antecedent in number: If the antecedent is
singular, the pronoun must be singular too; if
the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be
plural too. And--every pronoun must agree
with/match its antecedent in gender: Use
masculine, feminine, or neuter pronouns (it or
its) to match the masculine, feminine, or neuter
antecedents.
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Dual gender/singular
antecedent


INCORRECT
Everyone has to complete a questionnaire
describing their job.
CORRECT
Everyone has to complete a questionnaire
describing his or her job.
29
Pronouns ending with body,
thing, etc. are singular.
Every, no , some, any
}
body, one, thing
Use singular pronouns with the above
antecedents. Use his or her since the gender
could be masculine or feminine.
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Singular Indefinite Pronouns
continued

INCORRECT
When someone has been drinking, they are more likely
to speed.


REVISIONS
When someone has been drinking, he or she is more
likely to speed.
When drivers have been drinking, they are more likely to
speed.
Someone who has been drinking is more likely to speed
than someone who has not.
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Generic/singular antecedents


INCORRECT
Every taxpayer must pay their taxes.
A student must study hard if they want to
succeed.
REVISED
Every taxpayer must pay his or her taxes.
A student must study hard if he or she wants
to succeed.
32
Genderless antecedents –
collective nouns


INCORRECT
The team has never won on their home
court.
The jury has reached their decision.
CORRECT
The team has never won on its home court.
The jury has reached its decision.
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Compound antecedents



Stewart and Rosemary moved to the
mountains, where they built a log cabin.
Either Jason or Rus should have received
first prize for his Flash Fiction essay
submission.
Neither Mrs. Moore nor her students found
their way to the conference room. (Match
the pronoun with the closer antecedent.)
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RULE #2 Examples


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The prosecuting attorney presented his case.
Each witness gave his or her testimony.
Judge Judy made her decision.
The jurors gave their verdict.
The court made its decision.
Every journalist wrote his or her story.
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Let’s Practice!!!

http://websites.pdesas.org/RMattiuz/2011/10/13
/337141/page.aspx
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Let’s Practice!!!


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Any student wishing to add a new course after
January 10 must file a petition with (his or her,
your, their) advisor.
 HIS or HER
The college plans a variety of entertainment and
instruction so that (its, it’s, their) graduates can
keep abreast of modern education.
 ITS
Carlos’s interest in horseback riding stems from
the fact that his grandparents raise them.
 …RAISE HORSES.
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Let’s Practice a Little More!!!




Mumps is an unpredictable disease; some of the
family contracted them, and others did not.
 …CONTRACTED IT…
Does either of the applicants for the job have
their degree in marketing?
 …HAVE HIS OR HER DEGREE…
The economists forecast a rise in production;
this was certainly encouraging to all of us
looking for jobs.
 THIS FORECAST WAS…
In this chapter, it states that an essay should
have a thesis statement.
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 …THE AUTHOR STATES…