Vague Pronouns and Agreement Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is a pronoun?

A word used to take the place of a noun.

What is an antecedent?

A word for which a pronoun stands.

What are the top three pronoun rules?

Must agree in number 2. Must agree in person 3. Refer clearly to specific noun

What is pronoun agreement?

The correspondence of a pronoun with its antecedent in number and gender of person. Signup and view all the answers

What are vague pronouns?

A reference might include words such as it, that, this, and which. Signup and view all the answers

What are subjective pronouns?

Pronouns that act as the subject of a sentence. Signup and view all the answers

What are objective pronouns?

Pronouns that act as the object of a sentence. Signup and view all the answers

What are possessive pronouns?

Pronouns that tell who owns something. Signup and view all the answers

What are demonstrative pronouns?

Pronouns that point out nouns. Signup and view all the answers

What are interrogative pronouns?

Pronouns used in a question. Signup and view all the answers

What are indefinite pronouns?

Pronouns that refer to indefinite nouns. Signup and view all the answers

What are relative pronouns?

Pronouns that introduce part of a sentence that describes a noun. Signup and view all the answers

What are reflexive pronouns?

Pronouns that refer back to the subject of a sentence. Signup and view all the answers

What are intensive pronouns?

Pronouns that emphasize their antecedent. Signup and view all the answers

What are singular pronouns?

Pronouns that refer to only one thing. Signup and view all the answers

What are plural pronouns?

Pronouns that refer to more than one thing. Signup and view all the answers

When are subject pronouns used?

When the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. Signup and view all the answers

When can subject pronouns rename the subject?

When they follow to be verbs such as is, are, was, were. Signup and view all the answers

What verb agrees with 'who' when it refers to personal pronouns?

It takes the verb that agrees with that pronoun. Signup and view all the answers

How do the pronouns 'who', 'that', and 'which' behave in terms of verb agreement?

They become singular or plural depending on the subject. Signup and view all the answers

What do singular pronouns require?

Singular verbs. Signup and view all the answers

How do you decide to use subject or object pronouns after 'than' or 'as'?

Mentally complete the sentence. Signup and view all the answers

Apostrophes are only used in ______.

contractions and never in possessive pronouns. Signup and view all the answers

A ______ noun shouldn't be the antecedent for a pronoun.

possessive. Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of vague pronouns to avoid?

It, they. Signup and view all the answers

What is antecedent ambiguity?

Pronouns should clearly point to a single antecedent. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of singular agreement?

Each of the clerks does a good deal of work around his or her office. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plural agreement?

Both do a good job in their office. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of singular pronoun agreement?

Some of this footwear smells because Tina wears it to the barn. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plural pronoun agreement?

Some of these shoes smell because Tina wears them to the barn. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Pronouns and Their Usage

A pronoun replaces a noun in a sentence for clarity and conciseness.
The antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to, essential for understanding meanings.

Pronoun Agreement Rules

Pronouns must match their antecedents in terms of number (singular or plural).
Pronouns should agree in person (first, second, or third).
Pronouns must refer specifically to a particular noun to avoid confusion.

Types of Pronouns

Subjective Pronouns: Act as the subject and perform the action (e.g., he, she, they).
Objective Pronouns: Serve as the object of a sentence receiving the action (e.g., him, her, them).
Possessive Pronouns: Indicate ownership (e.g., hers, mine, theirs).
Demonstrative Pronouns: Point out specific nouns (e.g., this, that).
Interrogative Pronouns: Used to ask questions (e.g., who, what).
Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to non-specific nouns (e.g., everyone, both).
Relative Pronouns: Introduce clauses that describe nouns (e.g., who, which).
Reflexive Pronouns: Refer back to the subject (e.g., myself, themselves).
Intensive Pronouns: Emphasize their antecedents (e.g., yourself, ourselves).

Singular and Plural Pronouns

Singular Pronouns refer to one entity (e.g., I, he, she).
Plural Pronouns refer to more than one entity (e.g., we, they).

Special Pronoun Usage

Subject pronouns can rename the subject and follow linking verbs.
Verbs must agree with the pronoun in number; singular antecedents require singular verbs.
Antecedents that are possessive nouns should not be used.

Avoiding Vague Pronoun References

Vague pronouns like "it" or "they" can create confusion; strive for specificity.
Ensure pronouns clearly reference a single antecedent to prevent ambiguity.

Agreement Examples

Singular Agreement: "Each of the clerks does a good deal of work around his office."
Plural Agreement: "Both do a good job in their office."
Always use singular verbs with singular antecedents (e.g., "Neither of them is available.").

Apostrophes and Possession

Apostrophes indicate contractions but should not be used with possessive pronouns.

Tips for Clarity

When using comparisons (than/as), complete the thought mentally to choose the correct pronoun.

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Description

Enhance your understanding of pronouns and their agreement rules with this engaging flashcard quiz. Explore key terms like pronoun, antecedent, and the essential pronoun rules. Perfect for students looking to master the use of pronouns in grammar.