Check for Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun must agree with (match) the noun or pronoun it refers to in number. It must be either singular (one) or plural (more than one).
If a pronoun is singular, it must also match the noun or pronoun it refers to in gender (he, she, or it).
| CONSISTENT | Magda sold her old television set. [Her agrees with Magda because both are singular and feminine.] |
Watch out for singular, general nouns. If a noun is singular, the pronoun that refers to it must be singular as well.
| INCONSISTENT |
[Student is singular, so the plural pronoun their must be replaced with the singular pronouns his and her.] |
To avoid using the awkward phrase his or her, make the subject plural when you can.
| CONSISTENT | Most students can tell you what their least favorite course is. |
Two types of words often cause errors in pronoun agreement: indefinite pronouns and collective nouns.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
An indefinite pronoun does not refer to a specific person, place, or thing: It is general. Indefinite pronouns often take singular verbs. Whenever a pronoun refers to an indefinite pronoun, check for agreement.
Indefinite Pronouns
| ALWAYS SINGULAR (USE THE IS FORM OF BE) | ||
|---|---|---|
| anybody | everyone | nothing |
| anyone | everything | one (of) |
| anything | much | somebody |
| each (of) | neither (of) | someone |
| either (of) | nobody | something |
| everybody | no one | |
| ALWAYS PLURAL (USE THE ARE FORM OF BE) | ||
| both | many | |
| few | several | |
| MAY BE SINGULAR OR PLURAL (USE THE IS OR ARE FORM OF BE) | ||
| all | most | some |
| any | none | |
NOTE: Although grammatically correct, using the pronoun he to refer to an indefinite pronoun such as everyone is considered sexist. Here are two ways to avoid this problem:
- Use his or her.
- Change the sentence so that the pronoun refers to a plural noun or pronoun.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun names a group that acts as a single unit. Some common collective nouns are class, committee, company, family, government, group, and society.
Collective nouns are usually singular, so when you use a pronoun to refer to a collective noun, it is also usually singular.
If the people in a group are acting as individuals, however, the noun is plural and should be used with a plural pronoun.
