Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Definition


Pronouns Must Agree with Their Antecedents in Gender.

• Pronouns which rename specifically masculine nouns must be masculine: he, him, his.
• Pronouns which rename specifically feminine nouns must be feminine: she, her, hers.
• Pronouns which refer to non-gendered nouns are usually neuter: it, its, they, theirs.

Examples:

Masculine

Carlos flew to Chicago for his family reunion.

Feminine

Andrea had the best game of her career last night.

Neuter

The coffee table only looks antique; actually, it is a reproduction.


HINT: Generally, you should use the neuter pronouns to refer to unnamed animals. Use masculine or feminine pronouns for named animals.

The horse lost its shoe during the final leg of the race.

Carlton refuses to eat his cat food, insisting instead on table scraps.

Disney's Lady can't help herself: she's attracted to The Tramp.