Pronouns
Student: I keep getting the phrase “pronoun agreement” marked on my papers. What does this mean?
Professor: One of the most common errors students make related to pronouns is using pronouns that do not agree in number with the nouns they are replacing. The biggest problem occurs when students use a singular noun but mean that noun to represent a group of people in general. Then, when they need a pronoun, they use a plural pronoun. Even though students use a singular noun, they have something plural in mind, and the problems begin.
Student: That sounds familiar. Can you give me an example?
Professor: Here is an example:
The next time a student has to buy their books in the bookstore, they should ask for a discount.
In this instance, “a student” is singular, but “their” and “they” are plural pronouns.
Student: Yeah, I think I do that a lot. I talk that way and just forget to pay close attention when I am writing. What can I do to correct this issue?
Professor: There are options on how this problem can be corrected, but the simplest correction is to use “students” instead of “a student.”
Your pronouns and nouns must agree in number, so you have to remember to pay close attention to them when you edit.
This presentation was brought to you by the Excelsior Online Writing Lab.