Identify pronouns and their antecedents
key notes :
Definition of Pronouns:
- Pronouns are words used in place of nouns to avoid repetition. Examples include he, she, it, they, and we.
Definition of Antecedents:
- Antecedents are the nouns that pronouns refer to or replace in a sentence. For example, in the sentence “Sarah went to the store. She bought apples,” “Sarah” is the antecedent of the pronoun “She.”
Types of Pronouns:
- Personal Pronouns: Refer to specific people or things (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
- Possessive Pronouns: Indicate ownership (e.g., mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
- Demonstrative Pronouns: Point to specific things (e.g., this, that, these, those).
- Relative Pronouns: Introduce relative clauses (e.g., who, whom, whose, which, that).
Matching Pronouns with Antecedents:
- A pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) and gender (male, female, or neutral) with its antecedent. For example, “The cat lost its toy.” Here, “its” refers to “the cat.”
Identifying Pronouns and Antecedents:
- Find the Pronoun: Look for words in the sentence that stand in for nouns.
- Locate the Antecedent: Identify the noun that the pronoun refers to. The antecedent is usually mentioned earlier in the text.
Correct Usage:
- Ensure that each pronoun clearly refers to its antecedent to avoid confusion. Ambiguous pronoun references can make sentences unclear.
Examples:
- Example 1: “Maria said she would call me later.” (Pronoun: she; Antecedent: Maria)
- Example 2: “The students finished their homework early.” (Pronoun: their; Antecedent: The students)
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