Pronouns and Antecedents

What’s a pronoun?

• There are 4 common types: subject, object, possessive, and indefinite

Subject and Object pronouns

• Subject: “I” and “we” are pronouns that appear in the subject position

• “We wrote a hit song.” • Object: “me,” “him,” “her,” “you,” “us,”

“them,” and “it” must be in the object position.

• “The batter hit the ball to me.”

Possessive and Indefinite Pronouns

• Possessive: “mine” and “hers”• Indefinite: “anyone” and

“somebody”

What’s an Antecedent?

• The noun a pronoun replaces • Example: I like bananas

because they are healthy and delicious.

More examples

• “The driver totaled his car.”• “The driver totaled the

driver’s car.”

Problem #1: missing or faraway antecedents

• “Here at work they expect us to show initiative.”• “it” and “they” are especially

tempting to use without an antecedent. • Our bosses expect us to show

initiative.

Problem #1 continued

• “Breathe in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, then breathe out through your mouth.”• * hold your breath for a few

seconds

Problem #2: Anticipatory Reference

• Referring to something that is yet to be mentioned OR putting the pronoun before the antecedent.

• “If it’s available, be sure to order the champagne.”

• Just switch the noun and the pronoun• “If champagne’s available, be sure to

order it.”

Problem #3: Ambiguous Antecedents

• Multiple antecedents = confusing pronouns• “The room contained a chair, a desk, and a

lone light bulb. It was twenty-six feet long by seventeen feet wide.”

• “It” could refer to “room,” “chair,” “desk,” or “light bulb.”

• How can we fix this sentence?

Solution(s)

• “The room contained a chair, a desk, and a lone light bulb. The room was twenty-six feet long by seventeen feet wide.• The room, twenty-six feet long by

seventeen feet wide, contained a chair, a desk, and a long light bulb.

Funny disagreement

• “The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind, and they can be seen in the church basement Friday afternoon.”

Problem #4: agree in number

• If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.

• If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker.

• Everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone, a person are singular and take singular pronouns

Problem #5: agree in person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd)

• When a person comes to class, you should always have your homework ready.

• When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.

• When students come to class, they should have their homework ready.