Pronouns and Antecedents worksheet with fill-in-the-blank exercises for grammar practice.

It looks like you've uploaded a worksheet titled "Pronouns and Antecedents", which is designed to help students understand how pronouns relate to their antecedents (the nouns they refer to) in sentences. The goal is to ensure that the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number (singular/plural) and gender, and that it clearly refers back to the correct noun.

Let's go through each problem step by step and solve them with explanations.

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Instructions Recap:

- A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender.
- If the antecedent is plural, the pronoun should be plural.
- If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun should be singular.
- The pronoun should logically refer to the correct noun.

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Part A: Write the pronoun that agrees with the underlined subject in each sentence.

1. Everyone in the group brought ________ lunch.
- "Everyone" is singular (even though it refers to a group).
- So the pronoun should be his or her (to be inclusive and grammatically correct).
✔ Answer: *his or her*

2. Several brought ________ extra water bottles.
- "Several" is plural (meaning more than one person).
- So the pronoun should be plural: their.
✔ Answer: *their*

3. Both of the guides carried additional food for ________ pack.
- "Both" refers to two guides → plural.
- So the pronoun should be their.
✔ Answer: *their*

4. If a hiker is careful, ________ can avoid trouble on the trail.
- "A hiker" is singular.
- So the pronoun should be he or she (or simply they if using inclusive language).
✔ Answer: *he or she* (traditional) or *they* (modern usage)

5. Anyone can get careless and then ________ might fall.
- "Anyone" is singular.
- So the pronoun should be he or she or they.
✔ Answer: *he or she* or *they*

6. Many hikers carry extra socks in ________ backpacks.
- "Many hikers" is plural.
- So the pronoun should be their.
✔ Answer: *their*

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Part B: Rewrite each sentence so the antecedent and pronoun agree.

7. Everyone knows that they should carry a map.
- Problem: "Everyone" is singular, but "they" is plural.
- Fix: Use singular pronoun.
✔ Rewritten: *Everyone knows that he or she should carry a map.*
*(Alternative modern version: Everyone knows that they should carry a map — acceptable in informal contexts, but not traditionally correct.)*

8. No one lost their sunglasses on the hike.
- "No one" is singular.
- "Their" is plural. This creates a disagreement.
- To fix: Use singular pronoun.
✔ Rewritten: *No one lost his or her sunglasses on the hike.*

9. Many of the girls brought her camera.
- "Many of the girls" is plural.
- "Her" is singular.
- Must use plural pronoun.
✔ Rewritten: *Many of the girls brought their cameras.*

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Summary of Answers:

#### Part A:
1. his or her
2. their
3. their
4. he or she (or they)
5. he or she (or they)
6. their

#### Part B:
7. Everyone knows that he or she should carry a map.
8. No one lost his or her sunglasses on the hike.
9. Many of the girls brought their cameras.

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Explanation of Key Concepts:

- Antecedent: The noun (or phrase) that a pronoun refers to.
- Agreement: Pronoun must match the antecedent in number (singular/plural) and gender.
- Indefinite Pronouns like *everyone*, *anyone*, *no one*, *someone* are singular, even when they refer to groups.
- Plural Pronouns: Use their, them, they when the antecedent is plural.
- Singular Pronouns: Use his/her, him/her, he/she for singular antecedents.

> Note: In modern English, many people use "they" as a singular pronoun (e.g., "Everyone should bring their own supplies") for inclusivity and simplicity. While accepted in casual speech and increasingly in writing, traditional grammar prefers "he or she".

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