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Pronoun Agreement and Reference Examples

As a copy editor, one of the most common mistakes I come across is incorrect pronoun agreement and reference. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns, such as he, she, it, they, and we. Pronoun agreement means that the pronoun matches the noun it is replacing in gender and number. Pronoun reference means that the pronoun refers clearly to its antecedent, or the noun it replaces.

Here are some examples of correct and incorrect pronoun agreement and reference:

Correct:

– Sarah went to the store, and she bought groceries for the week.

– The cat licked its paw and then curled up for a nap.

– The students turned in their homework on time.

Incorrect:

– Sarah went to the store, and they bought groceries for the week. (Incorrect pronoun agreement)

– The cat licked its paw and then curled up for a nap, so he was clearly tired. (Incorrect pronoun reference)

– The students turned in their homework on time, and he got an A. (Incorrect pronoun reference)

In the first example, “she” matches the gender of “Sarah,” and the singular pronoun matches the singular noun. In the second example, “its” matches the gender of “cat,” and the possessive pronoun matches the possessive noun. In the third example, “their” matches the plural noun “students.”

In the incorrect examples, the pronouns do not match the gender or number of their antecedents. In the second incorrect example, “he” refers to the cat, which is a gender mismatch. In the third incorrect example, “he” refers to an unsupported noun, which is a reference error.

Correct pronoun agreement and reference are essential for clear and effective communication, especially in academic writing. Here are some tips to help you ensure that your writing is free from pronoun errors:

1. Identify the antecedent. Before you use a pronoun, make sure you know exactly what noun it will replace.

2. Match the gender and number. Choose a pronoun that matches the gender and number of the noun it replaces.

3. Avoid ambiguity. Make sure that your pronouns are referring clearly to their antecedents.

4. Revise and edit. Go back over your writing and double-check your pronoun usage. Make any necessary changes to ensure that your writing is clear and error-free.

By following these tips, you can avoid common pronoun agreement and reference mistakes and produce clear, effective writing.