Exercises in Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

Exercises in Pronoun Antecedent Agreement: A Guide for Writers

Pronoun antecedent agreement is a crucial aspect of writing that should never be taken lightly. It refers to the agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent—the word to which the pronoun refers. The agreement must be in terms of gender, number, and person. Proper pronoun antecedent agreement makes a sentence clear and easy to understand. On the other hand, poor agreement can lead to confusion and ambiguity.

To help you perfect your pronoun antecedent agreement, we’ve put together a few exercises that will help you identify and fix common mistakes.

Exercise 1: Identify the Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Errors

In this exercise, we will provide sentences with errors in pronoun antecedent agreement. Your goal is to identify the erroneous pronoun-antecedent pairing and correct it accordingly.

Example: The doctor told his patient that he needed to take his medication every day.

Error: Pronouns `doctor` and `his patient` do not match in terms of gender.

Correction: The doctor told his patient that he or she needed to take medication every day.

1. The teacher said that they would return the students’ papers on Monday.

2. The family went to the park with its dog and played Frisbee.

3. The athletes put on their uniforms before they went out on the field.

4. The committee met and decided that they would support the proposed bill.

5. The mother reminded her children that they should brush his teeth after breakfast.

Exercise 2: Rewrite Sentences to Correct Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Errors

In this exercise, you will be given sentences with errors in pronoun antecedent agreement, and your job is to rewrite the sentences to fix the errors.

Example: When the boys went to the mall, he spent all his money on video games.

Error: The pronoun `he` refers to the antecedent `boys,` which is plural, while the pronoun `his` refers to a singular subject.

Correction: When the boys went to the mall, they spent all their money on video games.

1. The manager called the employee to inform him that he had received a promotion.

2. The teacher told the student that they needed to study harder to improve his grades.

3. The company announced that they would be going through a merger, which would affect its employees.

4. The committee decided that they would allocate funds to repair the bridge in their community.

5. The nurse reminded the patient to take his medication at the same time every day.

Exercise 3: Create Sentences with Proper Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

In this exercise, your goal is to create sentences that have proper pronoun antecedent agreement.

Example: After the doctor examined the patient, she prescribed medication for her illness.

1. The journalist interviewed the politician, and he answered all her questions.

2. The manager congratulated the employees, and they thanked him for the recognition.

3. The coach met with her team, and they discussed the game plan for the upcoming match.

4. The artist showcased his paintings at the gallery, and he received praise for his talent.

5. The teacher graded the exams, and she returned them to her students the following day.

In conclusion, pronoun antecedent agreement is essential for clear and effective writing. These exercises can help you identify and correct common mistakes and improve your writing skills. With practice, you can master pronoun antecedent agreement and create polished pieces that are easy to read and understand.