Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent

key notes :

Definition of Antecedent:

• The antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to in a sentence. For example, in the sentence “Sarah lost her book,” “Sarah” is the antecedent, and “her” is the pronoun.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement:

• A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular/plural), gender (male, female, or neutral), and person (first, second, or third).

Singular and Plural Agreement:

• Use a singular pronoun for a singular antecedent (e.g., The boy lost his shoes).
• Use a plural pronoun for a plural antecedent (e.g., The girls found their toys).

Gender Agreement:

• If the antecedent is masculine, use a masculine pronoun (e.g., John left his jacket).
• If the antecedent is feminine, use a feminine pronoun (e.g., Lisa forgot her bag).
• If the antecedent is neutral or a non-person, use “it” (e.g., The dog wagged its tail).

Ambiguous Antecedents:

• Ensure the antecedent is clear. Avoid vague references where it is unclear which noun the pronoun refers to (e.g., When Sam met James, he was happy — unclear who “he” refers to).

Indefinite Pronouns:

• Some indefinite pronouns (e.g., everyone, someone, anybody) are singular and should be paired with singular pronouns (e.g., Everyone should bring his or her lunch).

Collective Nouns:

• Collective nouns like team, family, and class are singular when referring to the group as a unit (e.g., The team won its game) and plural when referring to individual members (e.g., The team put on their uniforms).

Consistency in Person:

• Keep pronouns consistent in person throughout a sentence or paragraph (e.g., If one works hard, one will succeed, not If one works hard, you will succeed).