Grammar and reading terms · SAT Reading and Writing, ACT English, ACT Reading
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement: The rule that a pronoun must match the noun it refers to in number and be clear about which noun that is.
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What it means
A singular antecedent needs a singular pronoun, and a plural antecedent needs a plural pronoun. Pronouns must also refer clearly to a specific noun; an ambiguous pronoun should be replaced with the noun.
Watch for its versus their with collective nouns such as company or team, which are usually treated as singular on standardized tests.
Example
Incorrect: 'The company announced their new policy.' Test-preferred: 'The company announced its new policy.'
On the exam
Pronoun questions appear in SAT Form, Structure, and Sense and ACT pronoun reference questions.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- Subject-verb agreementThe rule that a verb must match its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Apostrophes and possessionApostrophes show possession (the dog's bowl) or contraction (it's = it is); possessive pronouns such as its and their never take apostrophes.