Agreement

Today, we're going to discuss pronoun agreement. Can anyone tell me what pronoun agreement means?

I think it has to do with pronouns matching the nouns they replace, right?

Exactly! A pronoun needs to match its antecedent in both number and gender. For instance, if the noun is singular and female, the pronoun should be 'she'.

What happens if the antecedent is gender-neutral?

Good question! We often use 'they' as a singular pronoun for gender neutrality. For example, 'Someone left their book here.'

So, if I say, 'Every student must hand in their homework,' that's correct?

Exactly! This usage is common when referring to groups and individuals without specifying gender. Great job!

Now, let’s look at the types of pronouns. Can anyone name a few?

I know 'he', 'she', 'it', and 'they' are some of them.

Exactly! Those are personal pronouns. How about possessive pronouns?

Like 'my', 'his', 'her', and 'their'?

Exactly right! Possessive pronouns also need to agree with the nouns they modify. For example, 'Each student has their own book.'

What if I want to use 'hers' for a specific female student?

You would say, 'This book is hers.' That's perfectly correct. Consistency in your pronouns ensures clarity.

Now, let’s discuss common mistakes. Can anyone share an example of incorrect pronoun agreement?

I often see people say 'Everyone should do their best,' and I thought that was wrong.

That’s a common misconception. In modern English, 'everyone' is treated as singular, but we still use 'their' for gender neutrality. What about a sentence like, 'The team are winning their match?'

I think it should be 'The team is winning its match' since 'team' is singular?

Correct! Since 'team' functions as a single unit here, we use 'its.' Great observation!