Shifts

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun Reference & Case

ENG100

Eliminate distracting shifts

These distract or confuse readers

Point of view

Verb tense

Mood or voice

Indirect to direct questions/quotations

Make the POV consistent in person

& number

First person emphasizes writer

Good for informal letters and writing based on

personal experience

Second person emphasizes reader

Good for giving advice or explaining how to do

something

Third person emphasizes subject

Best for formal academic and professional writing

Make the POV consistent in person

& number

Our class practiced rescuing a victim trapped in a wrecked

car. We learned to dismantle the car with the essential

tools. You were graded on your speed and your skill in

freeing the victim.

Our class practiced rescuing a victim trapped in a wrecked

car. We learned to dismantle the car with the essential

tools. You were graded on your speed and your skill in

freeing the victim.

Maintain consistent verb tenses

Consistent verb tenses clearly establish time of the

actions being described

A. There was no way I could fight the current and win. Just

as I was losing hope, a stranger jumps off a passing boat

and swims toward me.

B. There was no way I could fight the current and win. Just

as I was losing hope, a stranger jumped off a passing boat

and swam toward me.

B. There was no way I could fight the current and win. Just

as I was losing hope, a stranger jumped off a passing boat

and swam toward me.

Maintain consistent verb tenses

When writing about literature or current research, use

present tense

The scarlet letter is a punishment sternly placed on

Hester’s breast by the community, and yet it was a

fanciful and imaginative product of Hester’s own

needlework.

The scarlet letter is a punishment sternly placed on

Hester’s breast by the community, and yet it is a fanciful

and imaginative product of Hester’s own needlework.

Make verbs consistent in mood &

voice

Three moods in English

Indicative is used for facts, opinions, questions

Imperative is used for orders or advice

Subjunctive is used to express wishes or conditions

contrary to fact

The counselor advised us to spread out our core

requirements over two or three semester. Also, pay

attention to pre-requisites for elective courses.

The counselor advised us to spread out our core

requirements over two or three semester. She also

suggested that we pay attention to pre-requisites for

elective courses.

Make verbs consistent in mood &

voice

Each student completes a self-assessment. The self-

assessment is then given to the teacher and a copy is

exchanged with a classmate.

Each student completes a self-assessment, gives it to the

teacher, and exchanges a copy with a classmate.

Avoid sudden shifts from indirect or

direct questions or quotations

Indirect question: We asked whether we could visit

Miriam

Direct question: Can we visit Miriam?

A. I wonder whether Karla knew of the theft and, if so,

whether she reported it to the police.

B. I wonder whether Karla knew of the theft and, if so, did

she report it to the police?

A. I wonder whether Karla knew of the theft and, if so,

whether she reported it to the police.

Avoid sudden shifts from indirect or

direct questions or quotations

A. The patient said she had been experiencing heart

palpitations and please run as many tests as possible to

find out what’s wrong.

B. The patient said she had been experiencing heart

palpitations and asked me to run as many tests as

possible to find out what was wrong.

B. The patient said she had been experiencing heart

palpitations and asked me to run as many tests as

possible to find out what was wrong.

Exercies 8.1

1. West African villages have strong oral traditions in which the younger people are told stories by their parents and grandparents.

West African villages have strong oral traditions in which parents and grandparents tell the younger people stories.

2. Way back before the Revolutionary War, slave traders forced ancestors of the people from those villages to come to the United States.

Before the Revolutionary War, slave traders forced ancestors of the people from those villages to come to the United States.

Exercies 8.1

3. In their difficult new situation in this country, the

Africans adapted their stories so that you could learn

from them.

In their difficult new situation in this country, the

Africans adapted their stories so that people could

learn from them.

4. Although different stories had different messages,

one kind of character comes up over and over again.

Although different stories had different messages, one

kind of character came up over and over again.

Exercies 8.1

5. The character is cunning and clever; call him a

“trickster.”

The character is cunning and clever; he is a “trickster.”

6. The stories about Br’er Rabbit are good examples of

folktales whose hero was a trickster.

The stories about Br’er Rabbit are good examples of

folktales whose hero is a trickster.

Exercies 8.1

7. Many of the other animals want to gobble up Br’er

Rabbit, who has only his wits to protect him.

Many of the other animals want to eat Br’er Rabbit,

who has only his wits to protect him.

8. Yet in every story, Brer Rabbit not only escapes, but

his enemies are made to appear foolish by him as

well.

Yet in every story, Br’er Rabbit not only escapes, but he

makes his enemies appear foolish as well.

Exercies 8.1

9. Trickster characters like Br’er Rabbit showed slaves who heard these stories that they, too, could triumph by using cleverness when foes surround them.

Trickster characters like Br’er Rabbit showed slaves who heard these stories that they, too, could triumph by using cleverness when foes surrounded them.

10. Today, folklorists are exploring how did early African Americans encourage each other by telling stories of tricksters outsmarting powerful enemies.

Today, folklorists are exploring how early African Americans encouraged each other by telling stories of tricksters outsmarting powerful enemies.

Pronouns

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

What is a pronoun?

Substitutes a noun

He, she, it, her, him, they, we, us, them

What is an antecedent?

Noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to

Dr. Berto finished her rounds.

The hospital interns finished their rounds.

Pronoun & Antecedent AgreementDo not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents

3 Ways to correct

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, they need to apply for a passport.

Replace plural pronoun with he or she (his or her)

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, he or she needs to apply for a passport.

Make antecedent plural

When people travel outside the US for the first time, they need to apply for a passport.

Rewrite sentence to correct problem

Anyone who travels outside the US for the first time needsto apply for a passport.

Pronoun & Antecedent AgreementDo not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents

These indefinite pronouns are all singular

Anybody anyone anything each

Everybody eithereveryone everything

Nobody no one neither nothing

Somebody someone something

Pronoun & Antecedent AgreementTreat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning

is clearly plural

Collective nouns are treated as a group and

functions as a unit

Jury committee audience

couple Crowd class

troop family team

The committee granted its permission to build.

Sometimes they act as individuals though

The committee put their signatures on the document.

Simplify by adding a clearly plural antecedent

The members of the committee put their signatures on

the document.

Pronoun & Antecedent AgreementTreat most compound antecedents joined with

and as plural

In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit

where they signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear

Forces Treaty.

With compound antecedents joined with or or nor

(or with either…or or neither…nor), make the

pronoun agree with the closer antecedent

Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize for his

poem.

Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their way

through the maze.

Pronoun & Antecedent AgreementWith compound antecedents joined with or or nor

(or with either…or or neither…nor), make the

pronoun agree with the closer antecedent

*if one antecedent is singular and the other

plural, put plural one last to avoid awkwardness

*If one antecedent is male and the other female,

do not follow the traditional rule

Either Bruce or Elizabeth should receive first prize

for her short story.

The prize for best short story should go to either

Bruce or Elizabeth.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1. Meteorology has made many advances in the past

few decades, but they still cannot answer a number of

questions about tornadoes.

Meteorology has made many advances in the past few

decades, but it still cannot answer a number of

questions about tornadoes.

2. Every tornado has their own unique characteristics.

Every tornado has its own unique characteristics.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

3. The science of tornado watching has its own system,

the Fujita scale, for measuring storms from weakest

(F0) to strongest (F5).

correct

4. An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy

everything in their path.

An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy

everything in its path.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

5. Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado

will be before they happen.

Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado

will be before it happens.

6. One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step

when it forms.

One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step

when they form.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

7. Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud

and travels to the ground or if they begin on earth

and spiral upward.

Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud

and travels to the ground or if it begins on earth and

spirals upward.

8. Improved meteorological technology and the skill to

interpret data have made their contributions to

tornado prediction.

correct

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

9. Either a few extra minutes of warning or more

information about a storm’s power would prove their

effectiveness in saving lives.

Either a few extra minutes of warning or more

information about a storm’s power would prove its

effectiveness in saving lives.

10. People who live in a tornado zone should always

know where his or her nearest safe area is.

People who live in a tornado zone should always know

where their nearest safe area is.

People who live in a tornado zone should always know

the location of their nearest safe zone.

Pronoun ReferencesAvoid ambiguous or remote pronoun reference

Occurs when pronoun could refer to 2 possible

antecedents

When Gloria set the pitcher on the glass-topped

table, it broke.

Which object broke – the pitcher or the table?

The pitcher broke when Gloria set it on the glass-

topped table.

Tom told Sam that he had won the lottery.

Who won the lottery –Tom or Sam?

Tom told Sam, “You have won the lottery.”

Pronoun ReferencesGenerally, avoid broad reference of this, that,

which, it

By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies

gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients

respond to this by requesting drugs they might not

need.

What are patients responding to – ads,

companies, prescription drugs?

By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies

gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients

respond to the ads by requesting drugs they might

not need.

Pronoun ReferencesDo not use a pronoun to refer to an implied

antecedent

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,

not to a word that isn’t actually in the sentence

After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated them with

ribbons.

What is the antecedent for the pronoun them?

After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated the braids

with ribbons.

Pronoun References Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,

not to a word that isn’t actually in the sentence

In June, they announced that parents would have to

pay a fee.

In June, the board announced that parents would

have to pay a fee.

In the encyclopedia it states that male moths can

smell female moths from several miles away.

The encyclopedia states that male moths can smell

female moths from several miles away.

Pronoun References Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,

not to a word that isn’t actually in the sentence

Ms. Pickersgill’s book stipulates that you should not

arrive at a party too early or leave too late.

Ms. Pickersgill’s book stipulates that a guest should

not arrive at a party too early or leave too late.

Pronoun References To refer to persons, use who, whom, whose NOT

which, that

Use which, that to refer to animals or things

All thirty-two women in the study, half of which were unemployed for more than six months, reported higher self-esteem after job training.

All thirty-two women in the study, half of whom were unemployed for more than six months, reported higher self-esteem after job training.

During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos, Mexican families celebrate loved ones that have died.

During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos, Mexican families celebrate loved ones who have died.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

1. In much political analysis, they say that public distrust

of the US government began with Watergate.

Many political analysts say that public distrust of the US

government began with Watergate.

2. That scandal’s continuing legacy may make it one of

the most influential American events of the twentieth

century.

That scandal’s continuing legacy may make Watergate

one of the most influential American events of the

twentieth century.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

3. Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely

interested Americans; they often seem to have very

little effect.

Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely

interested Americans; the scandals often seem to have

very little effect.

4. Journalists provided the American people with a lot of

information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but they

could not have cared less.

Journalists provided the American people with a lot of

information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but the

public could not have cared less.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

5. Most people were indifferent; could it have been the

result of post-Watergate trauma?

Could the indifference of most people have been the

result of post-Watergate trauma?

6. If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt, it will not

surprise or even interest them.

If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt,

government scandals will not surprise or even interest

them.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

7. Ironically, the media’s coverage of scandals seems to

have made the public suspicious of them as well.

Ironically, the media’s coverage of scandals seems to have

made the public suspicious of journalists as well.

8. Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, leads

to apathy and it can spread contagiously.

Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, which

can spread contagiously, leads to apathy.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

9. Many people are so apathetic that it makes them

refuse to vote.

Many people are so apathetic that they refuse to vote.

10. If people do not believe that they can make a

difference in the political process, it makes the country

less democratic.

If people do not believe that they can make a difference

in the political process, the country becomes less

democratic.

Pronoun Case

Three cases –

Subjective case – pronouns used as subject

Objective case – pronouns used as objects of verbs

or prepositions

Possessive case – pronouns which express

ownershipPronouns as subjects Pronouns as objects Possessive pronouns

I Me My (mine)

You You Your (yours)

He, she, it Him, her, it His, her (hers), it (its)

We Us Our (ours)

They Them Their (theirs)

Who Whom Whose

Pronoun Case In compound structures, where there are two

pronouns or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other noun for a moment.

Bob and me travel a good deal.

(Would you say, “me travel”?)

Bob and I travel a good deal.

He gave the flowers to Jane and I.

(Would you say, “he gave the flowers to I”?)

He gave the flowers to Jane and me.

Us men like the coach.

(Would you say, “us like the coach”?)

We men like the coach.

Pronoun Case Use the subjective case (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who) for subjects

and subject complements.

Joel ran away from home because his stepfather and him had quarreled.

His stepfather and he = subject

verb = had quarreled

wouldn’t say “him had quarreled.”

Joel ran away from home because his stepfather and he had quarreled.

During the Lindbergh trial, Bruno Hauptmann repeatedly denied that the kidnapper was him.

Pronoun is used as a subject complement (word following a linking verb)

During the Lindbergh trial, Bruno Hauptmann repeatedly denied that the kidnapper was he.

If you are scratching your head on this one because it seems too stilted, just rewrite the sentence.

During the Lindbergh trial, Bruno Hauptmann repeatedly denied that he was the kidnapper.

Pronoun Case Use the objective case (me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom)

for all objects.

Janice was indignant when she realized that the salesclerk was insulting her mother and she.

Her mother and her is the direct object of the verb was insulting.

Strip away the words her mother and to hear the correct pronoun:

Was insulting her (not was insulting she)

Janice was indignant when she realized that the salesclerk was insulting her mother and her.

The most traumatic experience for her father and I occurred long after her operation.

Her father and me is the object of the preposition for.

Strip away the words her father and to test for the correct pronoun: for me (not for I).

The most traumatic experience for her father and me occurred long after her operation.

Pronoun Case Use the objective case (me, you, him, her, it, us, them,

whom) for all objects.

The cab driver gave my cousin and myself some good tips

on traveling in New Delhi.

My cousin and me is the indirect object of the verb gave.

The cab driver gave my cousin and me some good tips on

traveling in New Delhi.

Pronoun Case Use the possessive case (my, our, your, his, her, hers, it,

its, their, theirs, whose) to modify a gerund.

A gerund is a verb form ending in –ing that functions

as a noun.

The chances of you being hit by lightning are about two

million to one.

Your modifies the gerund phrase being hit by lightning.

The chances of your being hit by lightning are about two

million to one.

Pronoun Case – Exercise 24 - 1

1. Rick applied for the job even though he heard that

other candidates were more experienced than he.

Correct – …than he is.

2. The volleyball team could not believe that the coach

was she.

Correct - …that she was the coach.

3. She appreciated him telling the truth in such a

difficult situation.

She appreciated his telling the truth in such a difficult

situation.

Pronoun Case – Exercise 24 - 1

4. The director has asked you and I to draft a proposal

for a new recycling plan.

The director has asked you and me to draft a proposal

for a new recycling plan.

5. Five close friends and myself rented a station wagon,

packed it with food, and drove two hundred miles to

Mardi Gras.

Five close friends and I rented a station wagon, packed

it with food, and drove two hundred miles to Mardi

Gras.

For Wednesday…

Study for quiz #1

(parts of speech, active/passive verbs, ending in

prepositions, shifts, pronoun & antecedent agreement,

pronoun reference & case)

Read chapter about description writing

Attempt a cluster/web of your narrative

Attempt an outline of your narrative