Verbs agree with subjects. Pronouns agree too. A pronoun stands for a noun, and that noun is its antecedent (from Latin for “going before,” since it usually comes first). You already know the number rules from Indefinite Pronouns and Collective Nouns.
A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number (one or more than one) and in person (first: I, we; second: you; third: he, she, it, they, one).
| Antecedent | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| the girls | they, their |
| my uncle | he, his |
| the bike | it, its |
| you | you, your |
| one | one, one’s |
Key idea
A pronoun matches the noun it stands for: one thing takes it or its, more than one takes they or their. Keep the same person all the way through.
Why it works
A pronoun is a pointer. When its number or person doesn’t match, it points at nothing, or at the wrong thing, and the reader has to stop and search.
Worked example: Number
The bikes lost (its / their) shine in the rain.
- The antecedent is bikes, plural.
- A plural antecedent takes their.
Answer: The bikes lost their shine in the rain.
Worked example: Person
When students study early, you remember more.
- Students is third person. You is second person: the sentence shifts.
- Use a third-person pronoun for students: they.
Answer: When students study early, they remember more.
Common mistake
Shifting partway through: “If a person practices daily, you will improve.” Pick one and keep it: “If you practice daily, you will improve,” or “People who practice daily improve.” (For a single person whose gender you don’t know, see Singular They and Generic Pronouns.)