Glossary
"And" Rule (Compound Subjects)
When two or more singular nouns are joined by 'and' to form a compound subject, they typically take a plural pronoun.
Example:
John and Mary finished their project. The "And" Rule dictates the plural pronoun 'their'.
"Or/Nor" Rule (Compound Subjects)
When two or more nouns are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the pronoun agrees in number with the noun closest to it.
Example:
Neither the students nor the teacher brought her own supplies. The "Or/Nor" Rule makes 'her' agree with 'teacher'.
Ambiguous Reference
A pronoun error where the pronoun could logically refer to more than one possible antecedent, leading to confusion about its meaning.
Example:
When the dog chased the cat, it ran quickly. The ambiguous reference makes it unclear if 'it' refers to the dog or the cat.
Antecedent
The noun, phrase, or clause that a pronoun replaces or refers to. It's the original subject that the pronoun stands in for.
Example:
When Sarah finished her homework, she felt relieved. Here, 'Sarah' is the antecedent for 'she'.
Collective Noun
A noun that refers to a group of individuals (e.g., team, committee, family). It can take a singular pronoun when acting as a single unit or a plural pronoun when emphasizing individual members.
Example:
The orchestra played its best performance. Here, 'orchestra' is a collective noun acting as a unit.
Indefinite Pronoun
A pronoun that does not refer to a specific person, place, or thing (e.g., everyone, nobody, several, some). Some are always singular, some always plural, and some depend on context.
Example:
Everyone should bring his or her own book. 'Everyone' is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular.
Number Agreement
Ensuring that a pronoun is singular if its antecedent is singular, and plural if its antecedent is plural. This is a fundamental rule of pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Example:
Each student brought his or her own laptop. This shows correct number agreement as 'Each student' (singular) matches 'his or her' (singular).
Person Agreement
Ensuring that a pronoun matches its antecedent in person (first person: I, we; second person: you; third person: he, she, it, they). Consistency in perspective is key.
Example:
If a person wants to succeed, they must work hard. (Incorrect: should be 'he or she' for person agreement).
Pronoun
A word that replaces a noun or noun phrase to avoid repetition. Common examples include he, she, it, they, who, whom, which, and that.
Example:
The students submitted their essays. 'Their' is the pronoun replacing 'the students'.
Pronoun Shift
An error that occurs when the point of view or number of pronouns changes inconsistently within a sentence or paragraph, disrupting clarity and flow.
Example:
One should always do their best. This is a pronoun shift; 'one' (singular) should be followed by 'one's' (singular possessive).
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
The principle that a pronoun must match its antecedent in number (singular/plural) and person (first, second, third). This ensures clarity and grammatical correctness.
Example:
The team celebrated its victory. This sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement because 'team' (singular unit) matches 'its' (singular pronoun).
Vague Reference
A pronoun error where the pronoun has no clear or stated antecedent at all, leaving the reader to guess what it refers to.
Example:
They say it's going to rain tomorrow. The vague reference 'they' has no specific antecedent.