| A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. The noun to which the pronoun refers is the antecedent. |
| Unnecessary Pronoun Shifts |
| An unnecessary pronoun shift occurs when a writer uses one kind of pronoun to refer to someone or something and then shifts to another kind of pronoun for no apparent reason. (The most common shift is from one to you or they.) |
| Incorrect: When one reads Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, you should examine the destructiveness of Captain Ahab's quest for the whale. |
Correct:
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| Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement Errors |
| A pronoun and its antecedent agree when they are either both plural or both singular. |
| Incorrect: The teachers took her students to the park. |
| Correct: The teachers took their students to the park. |
| Indefinite Pronouns |
| indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. Most indefinite pronouns are singular; however, a few are plural. |
| Incorrect: Everyone at the meeting agreed to finish their project. |
| Correct: Everyone at the meeting agreed to finish his or her project. |
| Incorrect: Please tell the others to complete his or her project. |
| Correct: Please tell the others to complete their projects. |
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| anybody | neither | both | all |
| anyone | nobody | few | any |
| anything | no one | many | enough |
| each | one | others | more |
| either | somebody | several | most |
| everybody | someone | none | |
| everyone | something | some | |
| Collective Nouns |
| Collective nouns name a class or a group. If the group functions as a whole, treat the noun as singular and use a singular pronoun. If the members of a group function individually, treat the noun as plural and use a plural pronoun. |
| Incorrect: The committee reached their decision. |
| Correct: The committee reached its decision. |
| audience | company | government | society |
| board | couple | group | team |
| class | crowd | jury | tribe |
| college | family | panel | troop |
| committee | flock | school |
| Compound Antecedents |
| Compound antecedents are two or more antecedents that accompany each other. |
| Antecedents Joined by AND |
| Treat compound antecedents that are joined by and as plural. |
| Incorrect: Jim and Jerry finished his project last week. |
| Correct: Jim and Jerry finished their project last week. |
| Antecedents Joined by Either Or or Nor |
| When antecedents are joined by either or or nor, make the pronoun agree with the antecedent that is closest to the pronoun. |
| Incorrect: Neither Mary nor Catherine went to their high school prom. |
| Correct: Neither Mary nor Catherine went to her high school prom. |
| Pronoun Quiz |