6.2 Pronoun Agreement, Antecedent Clarity, and Pronoun Case
Key Takeaways
- Pronouns must agree in number (singular or plural) and gender with their antecedents (the nouns they replace).
- A pronoun must have a clear, unambiguous antecedent. If a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, or if the antecedent is entirely missing, the sentence must be rewritten.
- Subjective case pronouns (I, he, she, they, who) are used for subjects; objective case pronouns (me, him, her, them, whom) are used for objects.
- When dealing with compound subjects or objects (e.g., 'the manager and me/I'), mentally remove the other person to test which pronoun case sounds correct.
Understanding Pronoun Conventions
Pronouns are words that replace nouns (e.g., it, they, he, she, this, that). The noun a pronoun replaces is called its antecedent. On the ACCUPLACER Writing test, pronoun errors are extremely common and fall into three main categories: Agreement, Clarity (or Ambiguity), and Case.
To spot these errors, you must actively hunt for pronouns. Whenever you see a pronoun underlined in a test question, immediately ask yourself three questions:
- What noun is this replacing?
- Does it agree with that noun in number?
- Is it functioning as a subject or an object?
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Just as subjects and verbs must agree, a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural). A singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun, and a plural antecedent requires a plural pronoun.
- Incorrect: The company recently announced that they will be expanding into international markets.
- Correct: The company recently announced that it will be expanding into international markets.
In the incorrect sentence, "company" is a singular entity (a collective noun), but "they" is a plural pronoun. The correct pronoun is the singular "it."
Indefinite Pronouns as Antecedents
Remember the rule from subject-verb agreement: indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, each, neither, and either are singular.
- Incorrect: Everyone must bring their own supplies to the workshop.
- Correct: Everyone must bring his or her own supplies to the workshop.
(Note: While "their" is increasingly accepted as a singular pronoun in casual speech, formal written English tested on exams like the ACCUPLACER often still prefers "his or her" or rewriting the sentence, though standards are slowly evolving. Look for the most formally correct option).
Pronoun Clarity and Ambiguity
A pronoun is only useful if the reader knows exactly what it refers to. If a sentence contains a pronoun that could refer to more than one noun, or if the antecedent is merely implied rather than explicitly stated, the pronoun is ambiguous and the sentence is flawed.
Ambiguous Pronouns (Multiple Potential Antecedents)
If there are two singular nouns in a sentence, and a singular pronoun follows, it must be perfectly clear which noun the pronoun replaces.
- Ambiguous: After the manager spoke with the employee, he submitted the resignation letter.
Who submitted the letter, the manager or the employee? Because "he" could refer to either male, the sentence is ambiguous.
- Clear Revision: After speaking with the manager, the employee submitted his resignation letter.
Missing or Implied Antecedents
A pronoun cannot refer to a verb, an adjective, or a concept that is only implied. The antecedent must be a specific, stated noun.
- Incorrect: She loves baking and wants to make it her full-time career.
Here, "it" seems to refer to "baking," but "baking" is functioning as a gerund/activity in the first clause. While understandable, it's grammatically imprecise. It's better to provide a clear noun.
- Clear Revision: She loves baking and wants to make the culinary arts her full-time career.
The Pronouns "This," "That," and "Which"
A common ACCUPLACER error involves using "this," "that," or "which" to refer to the entire preceding clause or idea, rather than a specific noun.
- Incorrect: The researchers discovered a new chemical compound, which led to a Nobel Prize.
The pronoun "which" technically refers to the nearest preceding noun, "compound." But the compound itself didn't lead to the prize; the discovery of the compound did.
- Clear Revision: The researchers discovered a new chemical compound, an achievement that led to a Nobel Prize.
Pronoun Case
Pronoun case refers to the form a pronoun takes depending on its role in the sentence: subject, object, or possessive.
Subjective Case
Use subjective pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who) when the pronoun is the subject of the verb.
- Example: She and I are attending the conference.
Objective Case
Use objective pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom) when the pronoun is the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
- Example: The committee awarded the grant to her.
- Example: The secret remains between you and me. (Never "between you and I").
The Compound Subject/Object Trap
The most frequent test of pronoun case involves compound subjects or objects (e.g., "John and [pronoun]"). When faced with this, mentally remove the other noun and the conjunction to hear which pronoun is correct.
- Sentence: The director invited my colleagues and (I / me) to the presentation.
- Test: Drop "my colleagues and": The director invited (I / me) to the presentation.
- Result: "The director invited me" is clearly correct, so the full sentence should be: The director invited my colleagues and me to the presentation.
Who vs. Whom
This is a classic pronoun case issue.
- Who is a subjective pronoun (like he or she).
- Whom is an objective pronoun (like him or her).
To decide between them, use the "he/him" trick. Substitute "he" and "him" into the clause where the pronoun lives. If "he" works, use "who." If "him" works, use "whom."
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Example: The candidate (who/whom) the board selects will start next month.
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Test: Look at the clause "(who/whom) the board selects." Rearrange it: The board selects him.
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Result: Since "him" works, use whom: The candidate whom the board selects...
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Example: The artist (who/whom) painted the mural is famous.
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Test: Look at the clause: "(who/whom) painted the mural." Replace: He painted the mural.
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Result: Since "he" works, use who: The artist who painted the mural...
Strategy Summary for Pronouns
- Locate: Find the pronoun.
- Identify: Find the specific noun it replaces (the antecedent). If you can't find one, or if there are two possibilities, the sentence has a clarity error.
- Match Number: If the antecedent is singular, ensure the pronoun is singular (e.g., company -> it). If plural, ensure plural (e.g., employees -> they).
- Check Function: Determine if the pronoun is performing the action (subjective) or receiving the action/following a preposition (objective).
Choose the option that maintains standard English conventions for pronoun usage: The community garden initiative was highly successful, as it provided fresh produce to the neighborhood and fostered a sense of unity among residents. ______, the city council decided to increase its funding for the upcoming fiscal year.
Choose the option that maintains standard English conventions for pronoun usage: When evaluating the performance of the new software system, the IT department noted that ______ processed data significantly faster than the legacy application.
Choose the option that maintains standard English conventions for pronoun usage: The scholarship committee had a difficult time choosing between the two finalists, but ultimately, the award was given to the student ______ the panel believed had demonstrated the greatest commitment to public service.