Page 75 Communication Skills

Pronoun Agreement

Rule 1: A personal pronoun (I, we, you, he, she, it, their, etc.) agrees in person (first, second, or third) with the noun or other pronoun it represents.

We can win the game if we all give each play our best effort.(1st person)
You may practice dancing only after you finish all your homework.
(2nd person)

Andrea said that she will drive her car to the antique mall.(3rd person)
Those who saw the exhibit said that (he, she, they) were impressed.
After you run for a few days, (my, your) muscles are less sore.
Before I take the test, I want to review (our, my) class notes.

Rule 2: A personal pronoun agrees in gender (feminine, masculine, or neuter) with the noun or other pronoun it represents.

Miss Kimoto will give her talk after the art exhibit.(feminine)
The small boat lost its way in the dense fog.(neuter)
Each winner will get a corsage as she recieves (her, its) award.
The ball circled the rim before ( he, it) dropped through the hoop.

Rule 3: A personal pronoun agrees in number (singular or plural) with the noun or other pronoun it represents.

Celine drove her new car to Del Rico, Texas, last week.(singular)
The club officers made careful plans for their next meeting.(plural)
All workers must submit (his, their) vacation requests.
The sloop lost (its, their) headsail in the windstorm.

Rule 4: A personal pronoun that represents a collective noun (team, committee, family, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on the meaning of the collective noun.

Our men's soccer team played its fifth game today.( acting as a unit)
The drill team took their positions on the field.(acting individdually)
The jury will render (its, their) verdict at 1:30 today.
The Social Committee had presented (its, their) written reports.