This presentation is brought chomp! to you by Grammar Bytes!, chomp! 2012 by Robin L. Simmons.

This presentation is brought chomp! to you by Grammar Bytes!, chomp! 2012 by Robin L. Simmons.

Pronoun Agreement Everyone should know their pronouns? Or his or her pronouns?

This presentation covers maintaining agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent.

A pronoun agreement item on an objective test might look like this...

Sample Item Spendthrifts are quickly parted from their Spendthrifts are quickly parted from their A money. So a person who wants to to start saving B should not spend all of their his time at at at the the mall. C A. his or her A. his or her The Is the second first their, B. someone does a person, not agree or with the B. someone C. his a person, second their an error a C. his that choice problem? C fixes. D. No change is necessary. D. No change is necessary.

Agreement in a Nutshell The kangaroo carries its joey in a pouch. kangaroo = singular antecedent its = singular pronoun The kangaroos carry their joeys in pouches. kangaroos = plural antecedent their = plural pronoun

Know your pronouns. Singular he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its himself, herself, itself Singular! Plural they them their, theirs themselves Plural!

Two [or more] singular things joined by and make a plural antecedent. The new puppy and kitten have destroyed their owner s sofa.

When each or every precedes two [or more] singular things joined by and, you have a singular antecedent. Each Every new puppy and kitten destroys its owner s sofa.

In this situation, no matter how many singular nouns you join with and, the antecedent is still singular. Each new puppy, kitten, rabbit, tarantula, python, parrot, turtle, and ferret destroys its owner s sofa.

Use caution with these three conjunctions: either or, neither nor, and not only but also. Not only the Louise Smiths but also but also the Louise Smiths fixed their fixed her famous their famous squid eyeball squid eyeball stew for stew the picnic. for the picnic. If you You ll want have to use two their, you antecedents will need to flip the the Smiths and Louise so but only that the Smiths closer one are closer counts! to the pronoun.

These indefinite pronouns are always singular [even when they seem plural]. Each, either, neither Anyone, anybody, anything Everyone, everybody, everything No one, nobody, nothing Someone, somebody, something

Everyone on Earth = more than one person billions of people, in fact. The word everyone, however, is still singular.

Beware interrupting phrases. Neither of of my my two two brothers shows much much sense when they dates women. This Of sentence my two might brothers sound = prepositional right, but is phrase; neither completely = singular wrong! antecedent.

Wow, what a babe! Wow, what a fat wallet Wow, what a loser!

Company, organization, department, and school names are singular. One urban legend is that Tito s Taco Palace makes their its burritos with kangaroo meat. We did not! Did you know that?

Quick Test Directions: In the items that follow, choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose No change is necessary. Show me what you know.

Item 1 Not only my brothers but also Mom loves to drench their omelets in ketchup. A. his B. her C. his and her D. No change is necessary.

Item 2 The students and their professor sweated in the The students and their professor sweated in the A hot classroom. Each one of them wondered why B they she had decided to commit to summer school. C A. his or her A. his or her B. Every B. Every C. she C. she D. No change is necessary. D. No change is necessary.

Item 3 Robert and Sue Ellen concentrated on the dead worm on the dissection tray. They used tweezers to pick through innards looking for the heart. A. He B. She C. He or she D. No change is necessary.

Item 4 The The students students have have decided decided to to eat eat at at Tito s Tito s Taco Taco Palace, Palace, where where they they can can order order the the special. special. Their Their Its A BB discount burrito and soda will satisfy hunger, and its C cheap cheap prices prices will will help help wallets! wallets! A. A. he he or or she she B. B. Its Its C. C. their their D. D. No No change change is is necessary. necessary.

Item 5 Either of these thick books by respected authors will have the answer to your research question in their many pages. A. his B. his or her C. its D. No change is necessary.

Item 6 If If everyone everyone people stopped stopped to to smell to smell smell the the the roses, roses, roses, they they they might might might A B B get stung by bees and have their allergies kick in to C overdrive! overdrive! A. A. people people B. B. he he or or she she C. C. his his or or her her D. D. No No change change is is necessary. necessary.

Item 7 Weaver Hill High has strange school colors. Their hot pink and bright yellow combination really stands out on the field. A. Its B. His C. His and her D. No change is necessary.

Item 8 Sam Sam is is starving, starving, and and his his buddies buddies have have just just ordered ordered their their upsized upsized meals. meals. Despite Despite Sam s Sam s drooling, drooling, A neither of them will part with their his French fries. B C A. A. his his B. B. him him C. C. his his D. D. No No change change is is necessary. necessary.

Item 9 Clyde refuses to return to the weight room because its staff always pokes fun of his skinny arms and legs. A. their B. his C. her D. No change is necessary.

Item 10 Everyone Everyone The students should should should memorize memorize a Shakespeare a Shakespeare AA monologue for Mrs. Smith because the extra credit points will help them improve their averages at at B C the the end end of of the the semester. semester. A. A. The The students students B. B. him him or or her her C. C. his his or or her her D. D. No No change change is is necessary. necessary.

Grammar Bytes! chomp! provides additional handouts chomp! and exercises on pronoun agreement. Go to chompchomp.com!

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