Grammar Worksheet: Agreement of Pronoun with Antecedent
Pronouns are an essential part of any language, including English. They are used to substitute for nouns, making writing and speech more concise and efficient. However, using pronouns correctly can be tricky, particularly when it comes to agreement with their antecedents. Here`s a grammar worksheet to test your knowledge of pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Instructions:
Read the following sentences and underline the pronoun and its antecedent. Determine if the pronoun agrees in number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, or neutral) with its antecedent. If there is an error, correct the pronoun to agree with its antecedent.
Example: John lost his backpack. He couldn`t find it anywhere.
Pronoun: He
Antecedent: John
Agreement: correct
1. The students did their homework, and they submitted it on time.
Pronoun: they
Antecedent: students
Agreement: correct
2. The teacher gave each student their graded paper.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: student
Agreement: incorrect
Corrected: The teacher gave each student his or her graded paper.
3. The cat licked its paws and settled down for a nap.
Pronoun: its
Antecedent: cat
Agreement: correct
4. The company released a statement about its financial performance, but they did not address the issue of employee morale.
Pronoun: they
Antecedent: company
Agreement: incorrect
Corrected: The company released a statement about its financial performance, but it did not address the issue of employee morale.
5. The group of tourists took their cameras out to snap pictures of the waterfall.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: group
Agreement: incorrect
Corrected: The group of tourists took its cameras out to snap pictures of the waterfall.
6. Both the mother and daughter were wearing their favorite dresses.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: mother and daughter
Agreement: correct
7. Each of the students received their report card in the mail.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: each student
Agreement: incorrect
Corrected: Each of the students received his or her report card in the mail.
8. The committee members discussed their plans for the fundraising event.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: committee members
Agreement: correct
9. The dog wagged its tail excitedly when its owner came home.
Pronoun: its
Antecedent: dog
Agreement: correct
10. The company hired an outside firm to improve their marketing strategy.
Pronoun: their
Antecedent: company
Agreement: incorrect
Corrected: The company hired an outside firm to improve its marketing strategy.
Conclusion:
Pronoun-antecedent agreement is crucial to clear communication, and using this grammar worksheet is an excellent way to improve your understanding of it. Remember that pronouns must agree in number and gender with their antecedents to avoid confusion and promote clarity. By practicing with this worksheet, you can improve your grammar and become a more effective communicator.