Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Problems
Jared Aragona
Pronoun-antecedent agreement problems: Pronouns work by agreeing with/matching their antecedent nouns in terms of number, person, and gender. Pronoun agreement errors occur when the pronoun and the antecedent do not match.
One of the students must give their oral report tomorrow. (Incorrect)
One of the students must give his or her oral report tomorrow. (Correct)
Antecedent pronoun
My student hopes to have their lottery number picked. (Incorrect)
My student hopes to have his lottery number picked. (Correct)
Antecedent pronoun
A doctor must have a good relationship with their patients. (Incorrect)
Antecedent pronoun
A doctor must have a good relationship with his or her patients. (Correct)
Antecedent pronoun
Doctors must have a good relationship with their patients. (Correct)
Antecedent pronoun
The students know they can pass their classes. (Correct)
Antecedent pronoun pronoun
The MLCKRB (Master List Code Key and Rule Book): An English Grammar & Style Handbook by Jared Aragona, CC BY 4.0