English Language Arts
Grade 11
15 min
Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person
Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify inappropriate shifts in pronoun number (singular/plural) within complex sentences.
Identify inappropriate shifts in pronoun person (first/second/third) within a paragraph.
Analyze sentences to ensure every pronoun correctly agrees with its antecedent in both number and person.
Correct sentences containing pronoun shifts to improve clarity and formal tone.
Revise their own analytical and synthesis essays to maintain consistent and logical pronoun usage.
Apply pronoun agreement rules to sophisticated grammatical structures, including those with indefinite pronouns and collective nouns.
Ever read a sentence in an essay and suddenly feel like the author is talking to a different person? 🤔 That jarring 'wait, who?' moment is often caused by...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
PronounA word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase.In 'Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter; he was a master of symbolism,' the pronoun 'he' replaces the noun 'Hawthorne'.
AntecedentThe specific noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to or replaces.In the sentence 'The student submitted her essay,' the antecedent of 'her' is 'student'.
Pronoun NumberRefers to whether a pronoun is singular (referring to one) or plural (referring to more than one).Singular: he, she, it, my, her. Plural: they, we, our, their.
Pronoun PersonIndicates the point of view: the one speaking (first person), the one spoken to (second person), or the one spoken about (third person).First Person: I, we. Second Person: you. Thir...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Number Agreement Rule
A pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) with its antecedent.
If the antecedent is singular (e.g., 'the author'), the pronoun must be singular ('he' or 'she'). If the antecedent is plural ('the authors'), the pronoun must be plural ('they'). Pay close attention to singular indefinite pronouns like 'each,' 'everyone,' and 'anybody,' which require singular pronouns ('his or her').
The Person Agreement Rule
Maintain a consistent pronoun person (point of view) throughout a piece of writing unless there is a clear and deliberate reason to shift.
In formal academic writing, the third person (he, she, it, they, the reader) is standard. Avoid shifting from t...
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Challenging
A synthesis essay argues: 'Each source, whether a political cartoon or a scholarly article, offers their own perspective on the American Dream.' Which revision offers the most precise and stylistically appropriate correction?
A.Each source, whether a political cartoon or a scholarly article, offers its own perspective on the American Dream.
B.All sources, whether political cartoons or scholarly articles, offer their own perspectives on the American Dream.
C.Each source, whether a political cartoon or a scholarly article, offers his or her own perspective on the American Dream.
D.Each source, whether a political cartoon or a scholarly article, offers your own perspective on the American Dream.
Challenging
Analyze the sentence: 'The value of the novels of Toni Morrison, which explore themes of identity and community, lies in its ability to challenge a reader's preconceptions.' Identify the specific pronoun-antecedent pair that is mismatched.
A.The pronoun 'which' is mismatched with its antecedent 'Toni Morrison.'
B.The pronoun 'its' is mismatched with its antecedent 'value.'
C.The pronoun 'its' is mismatched with its antecedent 'novels.'
D.There is no mismatched pair in the sentence.
Challenging
Of the following sentences written for an analysis of *The Great Gatsby*, which is the only one that maintains perfect pronoun-antecedent agreement in both number and person?
A.Neither Gatsby nor Daisy seem to get what they truly want from their lives.
B.The high society of the Roaring Twenties, with all their lavish parties, reveals its moral emptiness.
C.Every character in the novel chases a dream, but you often find it to be an illusion.
D.When a reader finishes the novel, he or she is left with a profound sense of loss.
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