Pronoun agreement is a crucial aspect of grammar that is often overlooked or misunderstood. It refers to the harmony between pronouns and their antecedents in terms of number, gender, and person. When pronouns are not in agreement with their antecedents, it can cause confusion, ambiguity, and even grammatical errors. In this article, we will explore some examples of pronoun agreement to help you understand this concept better.
Example #1: “Each of the students brings their own lunch to school.”
This sentence contains a pronoun agreement error. The pronoun “their” is plural, while the antecedent “each” is singular. To make the sentence correct, we could use the singular pronoun “his or her” instead of “their.” Alternatively, we could rephrase the sentence to avoid pronoun agreement issues, such as “Each student brings his or her own lunch to school.”
Example #2: “Neither John nor Jane wants to do their chores.”
In this sentence, the pronoun “their” is plural, while the antecedent “neither” is singular. We can correct this error by using the singular pronoun “his or her” instead of “their.” Alternatively, we could rewrite the sentence to avoid the pronoun altogether, such as “John doesn`t want to do his chores, and Jane doesn`t want to do hers.”
Example #3: “The doctor advised the patient to take their medicine regularly.”
This sentence contains a pronoun agreement error. The pronoun “their” is plural, while the antecedent “patient” is singular. To make the sentence correct, we could use the singular pronoun “his or her” instead of “their” or rephrase it to avoid the pronoun agreement issue, such as “The doctor advised the patient to take medicine regularly.”
Example #4: “Everyone should bring their own snacks to the party.”
This sentence contains a pronoun agreement error. The pronoun “their” is plural, while the antecedent “everyone” is singular. To make the sentence correct, we could use the singular pronoun “his or her” instead of “their” or rephrase it to avoid the pronoun agreement issue, such as “Each person should bring his or her own snacks to the party.”
In conclusion, pronoun agreement is an essential aspect of grammar. It helps to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency in your writing. By understanding and applying the rules of pronoun agreement, you can improve your writing and avoid common grammatical errors. Always remember to double-check your pronoun usage and ensure that it matches its antecedent in terms of number, gender, and person.
