{"id":964,"date":"2017-07-24T15:29:10","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T15:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/?post_type=chapter&p=964"},"modified":"2017-07-24T15:29:10","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T15:29:10","slug":"pronoun-antecedents-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/chapter\/pronoun-antecedents-2\/","title":{"raw":"Pronoun Antecedents","rendered":"Pronoun Antecedents"},"content":{"raw":"

Antecedent Clarity<\/h2>\r\n\"IconWe've already defined an antecedent<\/strong> as the noun (or phrase) that a pronoun is replacing. The phrase \"antecedent clarity\" simply means that is should be clear who or what the pronoun is referring to. In other words, readers should be able to understand the sentence the first time they read it\u2014not the third, forth, or tenth.\u00a0In this page, we'll look at\u00a0some examples of common mistakes that can cause confusion, as well as ways to fix each\u00a0sentence.\r\n\r\nLet's take a look at our first sentence:\r\n\r\nRafael told Matt to stop eating his cereal.\r\n\r\nWhen you first read this sentence, is it clear if the cereal Rafael's\u00a0or Matt's? Is it clear when you read the sentence again? Not really, no. Since both Rafael and Matt are singular, third person, and masculine, it's\u00a0impossible to tell whose cereal is being eaten (at least from this sentence).\r\n

Antecedent Agreement<\/h2>\r\n\"IconAs you write, make sure that you are using the correct pronouns. When\u00a0a pronoun matches the person\u00a0and\u00a0number of its antecedent, we say that it\u00a0agrees<\/strong> with it antecedent. Let's look at a couple of examples:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • I hate it when Zacharias tells me what to do. He<\/strong>'s so full of himself<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • The Finnegans\u00a0are shouting\u00a0again. I swear you could hear them<\/strong> from across\u00a0town!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn the first sentence, Zacharias<\/em>\u00a0is singular, third person, and masculine. The pronouns\u00a0he<\/em> and\u00a0himself<\/em> are also singular, third person, and masculine, so they agree. In the second sentence,\u00a0the Finnegans<\/em>\u00a0is plural and third person. The pronoun\u00a0them<\/em> is also plural and third person.\r\n\r\nWhen you select your pronoun, you also need to ensure you use the correct case of pronoun. Remember we learned about three cases: subject, object, and possessive. The case of your pronoun should match its role in the sentence. For example, if your pronoun is doing an action, it should be a subject:\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • He<\/strong>\u00a0runs every morning.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • I<\/strong> hate it when she<\/strong> does this.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, when something is being done to your pronoun, it should be an object:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Birds have always hated me<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • My boss wanted to talk to him<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Give\u00a0her<\/strong>\u00a0the phone and walk away.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, things aren't always this straightforward. Let's take a look at some examples where things are a little more confusing.\r\n

        Person and Number<\/h2>\r\nSome of the trickiest\u00a0agreements are with\u00a0indefinite pronouns:\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • Every student should do his\u00a0or\u00a0her best on this assignment.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • If nobody lost his or her scarf, then where did this come from?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAs we learned earlier in this outcome, words like every<\/em> and\u00a0nobody<\/em> are\u00a0singular, and demand singular pronouns.\u00a0Here are some of the words that fall into this category:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
          anybody<\/td>\r\nanyone<\/td>\r\nanything<\/td>\r\neach<\/td>\r\neither<\/td>\r\nevery<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          everybody<\/td>\r\neveryone<\/td>\r\neverything<\/td>\r\nneither<\/td>\r\nno one<\/td>\r\nnobody<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          nothing<\/td>\r\none<\/td>\r\nsomebody<\/td>\r\nsomeone<\/td>\r\nsomething<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nSome of these may feel \"more singular\" than others, but they all are technically singular. Thus, using \"he or she\" is correct (while\u00a0they<\/em> is incorrect).\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Anyone going on this hike\u00a0should plan on being in the canyon\u00a0for at least seven hours; he or she should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • I know somebody has been\u00a0throwing his or her trash away in my dumpster, and I want him or her to stop.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, as you may have noticed, the phrase \"he or she\" (and its other forms) can often make your sentences clunky. When this happens, it may be best to\u00a0revise your sentences to have plural antecedents. Because \"he or she\" is clunky, you'll often see issues like this:\r\n\r\nThe way each individual\u00a0speaks can tell us so much about him or her. It tells us what groups they associate themselves with, both ethnically and socially.\r\n\r\nAs you can see, in the first sentence,\u00a0him\u00a0<\/em>or her<\/em> agrees with the indefinite pronoun\u00a0each<\/em>. However, in the second sentence, the writer has shifted to the plural\u00a0they<\/em>, even though the writer is talking about the same group of people. When you write, make sure your agreement is correct and\u00a0consistent<\/strong>.\r\n

            Case<\/h2>\r\n

            You and I<\/em> versus\u00a0You and Me<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSome\u00a0of the most common pronoun mistakes\u00a0occur with the decision between \"you and I\" and\u00a0\"you and me.\" \u00a0People will often say things like \"You and me should go out for drinks.\"\u00a0Or\u2014thinking back on the rule that it should be \"you and I\"\u2014they will say \"Susan assigned the task to both you and I.\" However, both of these sentences are wrong.\u00a0Remember that every time you use a pronoun you need to make sure that you're using the correct case.\r\n\r\nLet's take a look at the first sentence: \"You and me should go out for drinks.\" Both pronouns are the subject of the sentence, so they should be in subject case: \"You and I should go out for drinks.\"\r\n\r\nIn the second sentence (Susan\u00a0assigned the task to both you and I), both pronouns are the object of the sentence, so they should be in object case: \"Susan\u00a0assigned the task to both you and me.\"","rendered":"

            Antecedent Clarity<\/h2>\n

            \"IconWe’ve already defined an antecedent<\/strong> as the noun (or phrase) that a pronoun is replacing. The phrase “antecedent clarity” simply means that is should be clear who or what the pronoun is referring to. In other words, readers should be able to understand the sentence the first time they read it\u2014not the third, forth, or tenth.\u00a0In this page, we’ll look at\u00a0some examples of common mistakes that can cause confusion, as well as ways to fix each\u00a0sentence.<\/p>\n

            Let’s take a look at our first sentence:<\/p>\n

            Rafael told Matt to stop eating his cereal.<\/p>\n

            When you first read this sentence, is it clear if the cereal Rafael’s\u00a0or Matt’s? Is it clear when you read the sentence again? Not really, no. Since both Rafael and Matt are singular, third person, and masculine, it’s\u00a0impossible to tell whose cereal is being eaten (at least from this sentence).<\/p>\n

            Antecedent Agreement<\/h2>\n

            \"IconAs you write, make sure that you are using the correct pronouns. When\u00a0a pronoun matches the person\u00a0and\u00a0number of its antecedent, we say that it\u00a0agrees<\/strong> with it antecedent. Let’s look at a couple of examples:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • I hate it when Zacharias tells me what to do. He<\/strong>‘s so full of himself<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
            • The Finnegans\u00a0are shouting\u00a0again. I swear you could hear them<\/strong> from across\u00a0town!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              In the first sentence, Zacharias<\/em>\u00a0is singular, third person, and masculine. The pronouns\u00a0he<\/em> and\u00a0himself<\/em> are also singular, third person, and masculine, so they agree. In the second sentence,\u00a0the Finnegans<\/em>\u00a0is plural and third person. The pronoun\u00a0them<\/em> is also plural and third person.<\/p>\n

              When you select your pronoun, you also need to ensure you use the correct case of pronoun. Remember we learned about three cases: subject, object, and possessive. The case of your pronoun should match its role in the sentence. For example, if your pronoun is doing an action, it should be a subject:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • He<\/strong>\u00a0runs every morning.<\/li>\n
              • I<\/strong> hate it when she<\/strong> does this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                However, when something is being done to your pronoun, it should be an object:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • Birds have always hated me<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                • My boss wanted to talk to him<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                • Give\u00a0her<\/strong>\u00a0the phone and walk away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  However, things aren’t always this straightforward. Let’s take a look at some examples where things are a little more confusing.<\/p>\n

                  Person and Number<\/h2>\n

                  Some of the trickiest\u00a0agreements are with\u00a0indefinite pronouns:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • Every student should do his\u00a0or\u00a0her best on this assignment.<\/li>\n
                  • If nobody lost his or her scarf, then where did this come from?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    As we learned earlier in this outcome, words like every<\/em> and\u00a0nobody<\/em> are\u00a0singular, and demand singular pronouns.\u00a0Here are some of the words that fall into this category:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                    anybody<\/td>\nanyone<\/td>\nanything<\/td>\neach<\/td>\neither<\/td>\nevery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    everybody<\/td>\neveryone<\/td>\neverything<\/td>\nneither<\/td>\nno one<\/td>\nnobody<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    nothing<\/td>\none<\/td>\nsomebody<\/td>\nsomeone<\/td>\nsomething<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                    Some of these may feel “more singular” than others, but they all are technically singular. Thus, using “he or she” is correct (while\u00a0they<\/em> is incorrect).<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Anyone going on this hike\u00a0should plan on being in the canyon\u00a0for at least seven hours; he or she should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\n
                    • I know somebody has been\u00a0throwing his or her trash away in my dumpster, and I want him or her to stop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      However, as you may have noticed, the phrase “he or she” (and its other forms) can often make your sentences clunky. When this happens, it may be best to\u00a0revise your sentences to have plural antecedents. Because “he or she” is clunky, you’ll often see issues like this:<\/p>\n

                      The way each individual\u00a0speaks can tell us so much about him or her. It tells us what groups they associate themselves with, both ethnically and socially.<\/p>\n

                      As you can see, in the first sentence,\u00a0him\u00a0<\/em>or her<\/em> agrees with the indefinite pronoun\u00a0each<\/em>. However, in the second sentence, the writer has shifted to the plural\u00a0they<\/em>, even though the writer is talking about the same group of people. When you write, make sure your agreement is correct and\u00a0consistent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                      Case<\/h2>\n

                      You and I<\/em> versus\u00a0You and Me<\/em><\/h3>\n

                      Some\u00a0of the most common pronoun mistakes\u00a0occur with the decision between “you and I” and\u00a0“you and me.” \u00a0People will often say things like “You and me should go out for drinks.”\u00a0Or\u2014thinking back on the rule that it should be “you and I”\u2014they will say “Susan assigned the task to both you and I.” However, both of these sentences are wrong.\u00a0Remember that every time you use a pronoun you need to make sure that you’re using the correct case.<\/p>\n

                      Let’s take a look at the first sentence: “You and me should go out for drinks.” Both pronouns are the subject of the sentence, so they should be in subject case: “You and I should go out for drinks.”<\/p>\n

                      In the second sentence (Susan\u00a0assigned the task to both you and I), both pronouns are the object of the sentence, so they should be in object case: “Susan\u00a0assigned the task to both you and me.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6525,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-964","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":240,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6525"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":966,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/964\/revisions\/966"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/240"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/964\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=964"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=964"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}