Digital SAT Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Examples: Types of Questions
- Simple pronoun antecedent agreement examples include gender, person, singular or plural number agreement.
- More difficult questions can use a mixture of number and person, or, use a higher level of grammar, vocabulary and/or sentence structure.
Digital SAT Question Types: Pronoun Antecedent Agreement
Type 1. When you become an adult, one must assume many responsibilities such as money management, food preparation, and housekeeping. Choose 1 answer:
- A NO CHANGE
- B they
- C you
- D he
Type 2. Although all-terrain vehicles are best suited for rugged environments such as forests or sand dunes, it can also be used in small towns where the streets are too narrow for cars. Choose 1 answer:
- A NO CHANGE
- B they
- C you
- D he
Type 3. Aside from humans, only higher primates, dolphins, killer whales, and elephants are able to recognize them in a mirror. Choose 1 answer:
- A NO CHANGE
- B itself
- C himself
- D themselves
Type 4. The Pulitzer Prize honors the best works of journalism each year. They rank among the most prestigious writing awards in the world. Choose 1 answer:
- A NO CHANGE
- B they
- C you
- D he
Type 5. An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role describe Constantin Stanislavski’s system of acting. Either is among the most read books on the craft. Choose 1 answer:
- A NO CHANGE
- B It is
- C They are
- D Ours are
The 5 types of questions include:
- simple single agreement in number
- simple plural agreement in number
- plural and person agreement (first)
- number and (third) person agreement
- more advanced agreement (third-person plural)
LESSON 2
Digital SAT Grammar
9 steps to go from beginner to understanding the digital SAT questions, improving your knowledge, skills and ability to do your best in the SAT text.
The first lesson focused on the SAT reading area of textual and quantitative evidence. The second lesson introduces our lessons on SAT grammar with subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Explanations
1
- (Choice A, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The third-person pronoun “one” disagrees with the sentence’s earlier reference to the second-person pronoun “you”.
- (Choice B, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The plural pronoun “they” disagrees with the sentence’s earlier singular reference to “you”.
- (Choice C, Checked, Correct)
- This choice maintains consistency throughout the sentence with the use of the second-person pronoun “you”.
- (Choice D, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The third-person pronoun “he” disagrees with the sentence’s earlier reference to the second-person pronoun “you”.
2
- (Choice A, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The singular indefinite pronoun “it” is inconsistent with the sentence’s earlier plural, named reference to “all-terrain vehicles”.
- (Choice B, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The second-person pronoun “you” is inconsistent with the sentence’s earlier third-person reference to “all-terrain vehicles”.
- (Choice C, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The first-person pronoun “we” is inconsistent with the sentence’s earlier third-person reference to “all-terrain vehicles”.
- (Choice D, Checked, Correct)
- This is the best choice. The plural pronoun “they” is consistent with the plural noun “all-terrain vehicles”.
3
- (Choice A, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. We need a pronoun that indicates these animals are able to recognize their own images.
- (Choice B, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The singular pronoun “itself” disagrees with its plural antecedent “higher primates, dolphins, killer whales, and elephants”.
- (Choice C, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The singular pronoun “himself” disagrees with the plural antecedent: “higher primates, dolphins, killer whales, and elephants”.
- (Choice D, Checked, Correct)
- This choice correctly maintains agreement between the plural pronoun “themselves” and its plural antecedent: “higher primates, dolphins, killer whales, and elephants”.
4
- (Choice A, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The plural pronoun “they” disagrees with the first sentence’s reference to the singular subject noun, “Pulitzer Prize”.
- (Choice B, Checked, Correct)
- This choice maintains consistency throughout the sentence. The singular, third-person noun “it” matches the singular subject noun, “Pulitzer Prize”.
- (Choice C, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The plural pronoun “those” is inconsistent with the earlier sentence’s reference to the singular subject noun, “Pulitzer Prize”.
- (Choice D, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. It uses the plural possessive pronoun “theirs”, which disagrees with the singular subject noun “Pulitzer Prize” in the first sentence.
5
- (Choice A, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The singular pronoun “either”, which means one or the other of two people or things, disagrees with the passage’s earlier reference to three texts (“An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role”).
- (Choice B, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The singular pronoun “it” disagrees with the passage’s earlier reference to the plural subject (“An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role“).
- (Choice C, Checked, Correct)
- The third-person plural subject (“An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role“) is consistent with the third-person plural pronoun “they.”
- (Choice D, Incorrect)
- This choice creates a pronoun agreement error. The first-person pronoun “ours” is inconsistent with the sentence’s earlier reference to the third-person subject (“An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role”).
END OF THE LESSON
Related Articles
What is pronoun antecedent agreement, digital SAT tips, explanations and examples before different levels of practice questions, with a complete section on practice questions for pronoun antecedent agreement.
FAQ: Digital SAT Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Examples
What is a pronoun-antecedent agreement and example?
A pronoun-antecedent agreement means that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender. For example, in the sentence “The student forgot her book,” the antecedent is “student” (singular), and the pronoun “her” correctly agrees with it.
What is an example of an antecedent arrangement?
An example of an antecedent arrangement is: “Each of the boys brought his lunch.” Here, “Each” is the antecedent, and the pronoun “his” is singular to match it. This type of sentence shows how the pronoun takes the correct form depending on the antecedent.
Which of the following is an example of pronoun-antecedent agreement?
A correct example is: “The dog wagged its tail.” The pronoun “its” agrees in number and gender with the singular noun “dog.” A common mistake is using “their” instead of “its.”
What is Rule 6 of pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Rule 6 often refers to the guideline that indefinite pronouns as antecedents must agree in number with their pronouns. For example, “Everyone should bring his or her own lunch,” not “their lunch.” This is because “everyone” is always singular, even though it refers to a group.
What happens when the gender of the antecedent is unknown?
When the antecedent’s gender is unknown, use a gender-neutral singular pronoun such as “they.” For example: “Someone left their phone.” Although “someone” is singular, using “they” is now widely accepted in both speech and formal writing.
How do pronouns and their antecedents agree in compound sentences?
When antecedents are joined by and, use a plural pronoun: “Liam and Noah brought their books.” When joined by or or nor, the pronoun should agree with the closer antecedent: “Neither Sarah nor the boys brought their books.”
Why must a pronoun match its antecedent in number?
A pronoun replaces a noun (the antecedent) and must agree in number (singular or plural) to maintain clarity. For example, “The teacher explained her rules” (singular) vs. “The teachers explained their rules” (plural).
What are common mistakes with pronoun-antecedent agreement?
One common mistake is using “they” for a singular antecedent like “each” or “everyone”. Another is mismatching collective nouns: “The team lost their game” should be “its game” if treated as a single unit.
Further Information: SAT Rules for Pronouns and Their Antecedents
Understanding how a pronoun refers to a noun in SAT grammar questions is crucial for scoring well. In every sentence, the referent pronoun must clearly point to its antecedent and must also agree in number and person.
Key SAT Grammar Rules for Pronoun Agreement
The pronoun must agree in number
Singular antecedent: “The cat licked its paw.”
Plural antecedent: “The cats licked their paws.”
The pronoun should agree in person
A third-person antecedent should not be followed by a second-person pronoun.
❌ “The manager told you to complete the task.”
✅ “The manager told him to complete the task.”
Indefinite pronouns like ‘anybody’, ‘each’, ‘everyone’ are always singular
Even if they refer to many people:
✅ “Everyone has his or her ticket.”
✅ “Everyone has their ticket.” (modern usage)
Pronoun matches its referent even if the antecedent comes after
“When she arrived, the manager greeted the team.”
Collective nouns like ‘team’ or ‘class’ are singular unless the meaning is plural
✅ “The jury gave its verdict.”
✅ “The jury took their seats.” (if acting as individuals)
Digital SAT Grammar Vocabulary
- Antecedent: the noun the pronoun replaces
- Referent: the word a pronoun refers to
- Compound antecedents: two or more nouns joined together
- Correct pronoun: one that matches in gender, number, and person
- Personal pronoun: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- Singular or plural depending on context: words like none, all, or some
- Pronoun takes the place of a noun: so clarity and agreement matter