Explanation
Subject Pronoun Agreement A pronoun replaces a noun and must agree with its antecedent in Number (singular/plural) and Clarity (clear reference). I. Indefinite Pronouns 1. Always Singular: everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, everything, something, anything, nothing, each, either, neither, much, little, less. They take singular pronouns (his, her, its) and singular verbs. 2. Always Plural: both, few, many, several. They take plural verbs and plural pronouns (their). 3. Variable (Singular or Plural): all, any, some, most, none. Rule: Look at the noun after "of" to decide. (e.g., Some of the water lost its purity. / Some of the students forgot their books). Exceptions/Notes for "None": Formal usage treats none as singular ("not one"). Modern usage can be plural ("not any"). On the SAT, match with the noun after "of". 4. Other Indefinite Pronouns: one, ones, another, others, the other, the others. Must match clearly with what they refer to. II. Tricky Pronouns WHAT: for things only. (The proposal is what concerns investors). WHERE: place only. WHEN: time only. WHY: reason only. WHO: people only. HOW: method/explanation. III. Avoid Ambiguous Pronouns A pronoun must clearly refer to one specific noun. If it refers to more than one noun, it is ambiguous and incorrect. Incorrect: The manager informed the employee that he would be transferred. (Who is "he"?)