Pronouns
Master pronoun agreement and subject-verb agreement rules.
10Pronoun Agreement
Rule:
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender. Use who/whom correctly.
Key Points:
- Singular antecedents take singular pronouns
- Use "who" for subjects, "whom" for objects
- Use "which" for things, "who" for people
- Collective nouns are usually singular
Correct: Each student must bring his or her own lunch.
Correct: To whom did you give the assignment?
Incorrect: Each student must bring their own lunch. (number disagreement)
Correct: To whom did you give the assignment?
Incorrect: Each student must bring their own lunch. (number disagreement)
Practice Questions
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11Collective Nouns
Rule:
Treat collective nouns (team, committee, family) as singular—unless the sentence emphasizes individual members, in which case use a plural verb.
Key Points:
- Standard: The team is winning.
- Emphasizing members: The team are arguing among themselves.
Correct: The committee decides today. (singular)
Correct: The committee are divided in their opinions. (emphasizing members)
Incorrect: The committee decide today. (should be "decides")
Correct: The committee are divided in their opinions. (emphasizing members)
Incorrect: The committee decide today. (should be "decides")
Practice Questions
Score: 0 / 5