Check for Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun must agree with (match) the noun or pronoun it refers to in number: It must be singular (one) or plural (more than one). If it is singular, it must also match its noun or pronoun in gender (he, she, or it).
| CONSISTENT | Sherry talked to her aunt. [Her agrees with Sherry because both are singular and feminine.] |
| CONSISTENT | The Romanos sold their restaurant. [Their agrees with Romanos because both are plural.] |
Watch out for singular nouns that are not specific. If a noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular as well.
| INCONSISTENT | An athlete can tell you about their commitment to practice. [Athlete is singular, but the pronoun their is plural.] |
| CONSISTENT | An athlete can tell you about his or her commitment to practice. [Athlete is singular, and so are the pronouns his and her.] |
As an alternative to using the phrase his or her, make the subject plural if you can. (For more on this, see the note below.)
| CONSISTENT | All athletes can tell you about their commitment to practice. |
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 person, place, or thing, check for agreement.
TIP Focus on the “significant seven” indefinite pronouns: any, each, either, neither, and words ending in -one, -thing, or -body.
NOTE: Although it is grammatically correct, using a masculine pronoun (he, his, or him) alone to refer to a singular indefinite pronoun such as everyone is now 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.
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 | |
| MAY BE SINGULAR OR PLURAL (USE THE IS OR ARE FORM OF BE) | ||
| all | none | |
| any | some | |
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun names a group that acts as a single unit. Some common collective nouns are audience, class, company, crowd, family, government, group, and society.
Collective nouns are usually singular, so when you use a pronoun to refer to a collective noun, it too must usually be singular.
If the people in a group are acting as individuals, however, the noun is plural and should be used with a plural pronoun.
The audience took their seats.
The drenched crowd huddled under their umbrellas.