![]() The set of VHS tapes has its own special box.One other thing to keep in mind is that an antecedent and its pronoun may be separated by a clause or phrase that’s a different number, but it should not change the agreement between the two. I could never get into dominoes because its rules are too difficult for me to understand.Īlthough dominoes sounds like a plural noun, it’s referring to the singular sport, so the pronoun, in this case the possessive pronoun case its, must be singular.Some subjects may sound plural but are singular in meaning, in which case you would use a singular pronoun. The pronoun should agree with the part of the antecedent that it’s closest to - in this case, her sisters, which is plural. In this example, the antecedent includes both a singular and plural noun. Either Sarah or one of her sisters will make sure they get on the bus on time.For example, use they when you don’t know the gender of the person you’re referring to or if that person identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Sometimes it’s necessary to use they, which can be singular or plural, to refer to a singular antecedent. Another friend will loan me their car for the weekend.In this case, the conjunction or is linking two singular nouns, meaning that only one person, not both, will be in charge of time management, so a singular pronoun should be used. Singular: Either Morgan or Sarah will wake up first, and she will make sure there’s enough time to pack before heading to the airport.The antecedents Morgan and Sarah are connected by the conjunction and, which means the pronoun has to be plural since it’s referring to both people. Plural: Morgan and Sarah woke up late, so they had little time to pack before heading to the airport.Oftentimes, the conjunction used in a sentence determines whether the pronoun should be singular or plural. ![]() This can get tricky when dealing with compound subjects, or two nouns linked by a conjunction (such as and or or ). Plural: The children thought they heard a ghost, so they ran outside and waited for an adult to come home.īecause we’re referring to multiple children, the pronoun, in this case, they, must be plural as well.Singular: Susan goes to multiple grocery stores so she can find the best deals on different products.īoth the antecedent, Susan, and the pronoun she are singular.This is known as pronoun-antecedent agreement. So if the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must also be singular, and if it’s plural, the pronoun must be, too. The rules for using antecedents are simple: The antecedent and the pronoun it refers to must agree in number. What are the rules for using antecedents? The word antecedent is pronounced an-tuh-see-dnt in both American and British English. Ronald is the antecedent of he, and cousins is the antecedent of they. Ronald likes burgers, but the other cousins like chicken sandwiches, so he went to Shake Shack, and they went to Popeye’s.There are also times when it might be necessary to have two antecedents in a sentence. The noun phrase favorite student refers to the antecedent, Adam. Adam is Professor Brady’s favorite student in the class.Certain nouns or noun phrases can also take the place of an antecedent. Pronouns are not the only thing that can replace an antecedent in a sentence. The antecedent, Barry, gives meaning to the pronoun, he, in the second sentence. I hope he doesn’t forget to make dessert. Barry is cooking a special dinner tonight.Īntecedents and their corresponding pronouns can be found in the same or separate sentences. These are, technically, known as postcedents-the prefix post- means after or behind. The antecedent, Jasmine, comes after the pronoun but still clarifies who her is referring to. For her final paper, Jasmine researched the relationship between powerlifting and anime culture.We say most of the time because, even though the prefix ante- means before or in front of in Latin, there are cases when the antecedent comes after the pronoun. In grammar, an antecedent is a noun or a noun phrase that gives meaning to a pronoun that, most of the time, comes after the antecedent and replaces it. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is an antecedent?
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