pronoun antecedent is a word that comes before a

pronoun to which the pronoun refers. Following are

definitions of antecedent as well as a review about
the types of pronoun, information about the
functions of an antecedent in a sentence, and
examples of how to use in a sentence.
Defining a
Pronoun Antecedent
The word antecedent means something that precedes something else. In language, it
is the word that a pronoun refers back to. Since the pronoun replaces the noun, it has
to agree in number. So, if the antecedent, or word that comes before, is singular, then
the pronoun that takes its place must also be singular.
It can be confusing if there are several words between the pronoun and its antecedent.
These words or clauses have no bearing on the words and they need to be ignored.
Following are some special situations with examples of the correct way to have pronoun
antecedent agreement.
Compound subjects can be a problem. If the subjects are joined by an and then
the pronoun needs to be plural, as in Bob and Paul took their books. If the
subjects are joined by or or nor, then have the pronoun agree with the subject
that is closer, or closest, to the pronoun. An example is Either the actor or the
singers messed up their performance.
If the pronoun is referring to one thing or a unit, like a team or a jury, then the
pronoun needs to be singular. An example is: The jury has reached its
verdict. Sometimes words sound plural and are not, like measles or the news.
These would need a singular pronoun, as in: Measles is not as widespread as it
once was. This makes sense if you replace the word measles with disease.
Indefinite Pronouns That Are Antecedents
There are several rules concerning the use of indefinite pronouns as antecedents and
the pronoun antecedent agreement. The following indefinite pronouns are singular and
need a singular pronoun: one, no one, some one, everyone, anyone, nobody, anybody,
somebody, everybody, nothing, anything, something, everything, each, either, neither.
An example is Everything here has its own box.
The plural indefinite pronouns: several, both, few, and many, need to have a plural
pronoun, like in this sentence: Several are there because of their looks.
Lastly, if there is an indefinite pronoun that is being modified by a prepositional phrase,
then the object of the phrase will determine the agreement between the pronoun and
its antecedent. These special indefinite pronouns are: some, most, all, any, or none.
Look at these two sentences: Most of the flour fell out of its canister and Many of the
gems have lost their shine. If the object, like flour is uncountable, then the pronoun
has to be singular (its). If the object is countable, like gems, then the pronoun needs
to be plural (their).
Pronoun Review
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun. Personal
pronouns substitute for a certain thing or person and are classified by subjective,
objective, and possessive:
Subjective personal pronouns are the subject of the sentence and are:
I, we, you, he, she, it, and they
Objective personal pronouns are the object of a preposition, verb, or infinitive
phrase. These are:
me, us, you, him, her, it, and them
Possessive personal pronouns show ownership. They are:
mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs
Demonstrative pronouns identify and point to the noun or pronoun. They are:
this, that, these, and those
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask a question. These are:
who, whom, what, which whoever, whomever, whatever, and whichever
Relative pronouns link clauses or phrases to the rest of the sentence. It could be:
who, whoever, whom, whomever, that, which, and whichever
Indefinite pronouns are not specific and refer to all, some, or none. There are many of
these, and a few are:
one, few, any, nobody, anything, and everything
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a clause or sentence. These are:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves
Intensive pronouns emphasize and intensify the word preceding it. They
are the same as the reflexive pronouns. An example is I myself could not
believe it.
Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun.
A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.
Example:

We do not talk or write this way. Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with a
pronoun. More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln. President Lincoln is
the ANTECEDENT for the pronoun his.
An antecedent is a word for which a pronoun stands. (ante = "before")
The pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.
Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a
plural noun.
Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:


Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules. These rules are related to the
rules found in subject-verb agreement.
1. A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number
of the antecedent.
Example:


2. Indefinite pronouns as antecedents
Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.


Example:


Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.
PLURAL: several, few, both, many
Example:

Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either
singular or plural.
EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: some, any, none, all, most

Examples:

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent
pronoun.


Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent
pronoun.


Examples:

Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent
pronoun.


Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent
pronoun.

3. Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent.
Example:


4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the
antecedent closer to the pronoun.
Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

Note: Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a
smoother sentence
than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."

5. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or
plural, depending on meaning.

In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent pronoun
is singular.


In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore,
the referent
pronoun is plural.


In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore,
the referent
pronoun is plural.


6. Titles of single entities. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a
singular referent.
EXAMPLES:




7. Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent. (news,
measles, mumps, physics, etc)
EXAMPLE:


8. Every or Many a before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent.
EXAMPLES:



9. The number of vs A number of before a subject:
The number of is singular.

A number of is plural.

PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number, gender,
and person. If the antecedent is singular, a singular pronoun is required. The plural antecedent
requires a plural pronoun. The following antecedents are referred to by singular pronouns:
anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, one, somebody, someone.
ex. Each of the boys has his own savings account. Anyone can achieve his or her goals. Singular
antecedents joined by or/nor are referred to by a singular pronoun. ex. John nor Dave could find
his jacket. A dog or a cat can find its way home. Collective nouns may take either a singular or
plural pronoun, depending on the meaning of the sentence. ex. The cast is having its picture
taken. (whole group as one) The cast quickly took their places on stage. (individuals)..