Pronoun agreement refers to the grammatical consistency between pronouns and their antecedents in terms of number, gender, and person. It ensures that pronouns accurately match the nouns they replace or refer to within a sentence.

Here are some important points regarding pronoun agreement:

Number Agreement:

Singular pronouns (e.g., he, she, it) should be used with singular antecedents (e.g., dog, book, table).

Plural pronouns (e.g., they, we, you) should be used with plural antecedents (e.g., dogs, books, tables).

Example: “The dog (singular) wagged its (singular) tail.”

Gender Agreement:

Gender-neutral pronouns (e.g., they, them, their) can be used when the gender of the antecedent is unknown or when referring to a group of people.

Gender-specific pronouns (e.g., he, she, his, hers) should be used when referring to individuals of known gender.

Example: “Alex (gender-neutral) said they (gender-neutral) would join us.”

Person Agreement:

First-person pronouns (e.g., I, we) refer to the speaker(s).

Second-person pronouns (e.g., you) refer to the person(s) being spoken to.

Third-person pronouns (e.g., he, she, they) refer to someone or something being spoken about.

Example: “She (third-person) told him (third-person) to come in.”

It is crucial to ensure that pronouns agree with their antecedents to maintain clarity and avoid confusion within a sentence. Mismatched pronoun agreement can result in unclear or awkward constructions. When using pronouns, carefully consider the number, gender, and person of the antecedent to select the appropriate pronoun.

Example with pronoun agreement:

“The students (plural) handed in their (plural) assignments on time.”

Example with pronoun disagreement:

“The student (singular) handed in their (plural) assignment on time.” (disagreement in number)

Maintaining pronoun agreement is essential for upholding grammatical correctness and facilitating effective communication in both writing and speaking.