Pronoun Agreement & Noun Agreement


Pronoun agreement and Noun agreement questions are some of the easiest grammar questions in the SAT and the ACT. However, remember that to hit the perfect score, we have to be flawless.


Pronoun Agreement


A pronoun must agree in number with the word it is replacing.


People must show his/her tickets when they enter the concert. (x)


The owners of the ticket are "people." Since the word "people" is plural, the pronoun must also be plural. “His/her” is a singular pronoun.


People must show their tickets when they enter the concert.




*Notice how we use ‘they/their’ for both people and things.





Noun Agreement


Nouns must also agree in numbers.


Dan and Mike wanted to be a doctor. (x)


Dan and Mike cannot become one doctor. The correct answer is plural "doctors."


Dan and Mike wanted to be doctors.





While most students don't have problems with these two types, there are two pronouns that confuses many students: the pronoun "ONE" and "ITS".



ONE


"one" has many uses, but in terms of pronoun agreement questions, 

"one" is used to refer to people in general.


if one wants to be successful, one must think.


ITS


Many students are confused about Its and It's, which are two completely different pronouns.


"It's" is short for "It is," or sometimes "it has."



"Its" is a possessive pronoun, showing possession like 'his" and “her."

"Its" is used to show possession by animals or things.


The tiger was powerful. The tiger's claws were deadly.

The tiger was powerful. Its claws were deadly.





Try the exercises below:



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