CommonCore Language

Progressive Skills

L.6.1c

Students will learn to recognize inappropriate shifts in pronoun

number and person.

Antecedent

• Antecedent – a person, place, thing, or idea that the pronoun is replacing

• Example:• Mr. Yadao read his parts in the play with some extra enthusiasm.

> His = pronoun

> Mr. Yadao = antecedent of his

Make pronouns and antecedents agree.

• Singular: Dr. Ava Berto finished her rounds.

• Singular: The city is proud of its parks.

• Plural: The hospital interns finished their rounds.

• Plural: The women in the League expressed their opinions forcefully.

Indefinite pronouns take singular verbs in English; therefore, they also take a

singular antecedent.

Indefinite Pronouns

anyone, anybody, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither,

nobody, no one, nothing, somebody, someone, something

Examples

• Everyone performs at his or her [not their] own fitness level.

• When someone travels outside the United States for the first time, he or she [not they] needs to apply for a passport.

• Neither of the girls had brought her skis with her.

With compound antecedents joined with or or nor (or with either…or or neither…nor), make the pronoun agree with the nearer antecedent.

EX: Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize for his poem.

EX: Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their way through the maze.

EX: Neither the Department of Agriculture nor the farmers were sure of their position.

First, identify the antecedent. Then, choose the correct pronoun.

1. Ms. Jameson did (his, her, its) best.2. One of the girls injured (their, her, his) ankle.3. I recognized one of the girls, but I did not speak to (her, them)4. Every runner must train rigorously if (they, he or she) want(s) to win races.5. A medical student must study hard if (they, he or she) wants to succeed.6. Old Faithful and Giant are geysers known for (its, their) height.7. Each of the geysers (has, have) (their, its) own personality.8. Each person who visits (has, have) (their, his or her) own memories.

ANSWERS

1. Ms. Jameson did (his, her, its) best.2. One of the girls injured (their, her, his) ankle.3. I recognized one of the girls, but I did not speak to (her, them)4. Every runner must train rigorously if (they, he or she) want(s) to win races.5. A medical student must study hard if (they, he or she) wants to succeed.6. Old Faithful and Giant are geysers known for (its, their) height.7. Each of the geysers (has, have) (their, its) own personality.8. Each person who visits (has, have) (their, his or her) own memories.

Collective Nouns

• Collective nouns such as jury, committee, audience, crowd, class, troop, family, team, and couple name a group.

• Ordinarily, the group functions as a unit, so the noun should be treated as singular.

• Sometimes, the members of the group function as individuals and then the noun should be treated as plural.

Examples

• AS A UNIT The committee granted its permission to build.

• AS INDIVIDUALS The committee put their signatures on the letter.

• Defense attorney Clarence Darrow urged the jury to find his client John Scopes, guilty so that he could appeal the case to a higher court. The jury complied, returning its verdict in nine minutes.

Compound Antecedents

Treat most compound antecedents joined with and as plural.

EX: In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit where they signed the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

EX: Lynn and Bess sat with their coats on.

One day, the circus came to town and he set up a big tent at the fairgrounds. Many performers set up equipment so they could practice their acts. Each person wanted to be sure their act was perfect for the big night. Before the circus started, Mary and Sharon went to see her favorite animal the tiger.

A. NO CHANGEB. itC. sheD. the manager

F. NO CHANGEG. he or sheH ItJ. their

A. NO CHANGEB. his or herC. itsD. your

F. NO CHANGEG. hisH. itsJ. their

ACT PRACTICE

One day, the circus came to town and he set up a big tent at the fairgrounds. Many performers set up equipment so they could practice their acts. Each person wanted to be sure their act was perfect for the big night. Before the circus started, Mary and Sharon went to see her favorite animal the tiger.

A. NO CHANGEB. itC. sheD. the manager

F. NO CHANGEG. he or sheH ItJ. their

A. NO CHANGEB. his or herC. itsD. your

F. NO CHANGEG. hisH. itsJ. their

ACT PRACTICE ANSWERS

Most of the time ambiguous use of pronouns is seen as poor writing, but Modernist writer, William Faulkner, used pronouns in an ambiguous way for style to utilize the rhetorical device “stream of consciousness” in his characters in As I Lay Dying. Here is an example from the text. These are the first few lines of a chapter narrated by a woman named Cora. There aren’t any omitted words or sentences. How does his use of pronouns affect meaning here?It was the sweetest thing I ever saw. It was like he knew he would never see her again, that Anse Bundren was driving him from his mother’s death bed, never to see her in this world again. I always said Darl was different from those others. I always said he was the only one of them that had his mother’s nature, had any natural affection. Not that Jewel, the one she labored so to bear and coddled and petted so and him flinging into tantrums or sulking spells, inventing devilment to devil her until I would have frailed him tine and time. Not him to come and to her goodbye.

EXTENDED LEARNING OPTION(Teacher Discretion)