What Is Antecedent Grammar Definition, Usage and Examples?

What Is an Antecedent in Grammar?

An antecedent is the word that a pronoun refers to in a sentence. It usually comes before the pronoun, and the pronoun must match it in number (singular or plural) and gender.

For example:

• The dog wagged its tail.
  Here, "dog" is the antecedent, and "its" is the pronoun.
• Sarah loves her cat.
  In this sentence, "Sarah" is the antecedent, and "her" is the pronoun.

Pronouns like he, she, it, they, and others must have clear antecedents to avoid confusion. Antecedents make sentences easier to understand by connecting ideas clearly.

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Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Quiz

Dive into the intricacies of language with our Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Quiz. Pronouns are essential elements of language that replace nouns, but ensuring they agree...

Questions: 10 | Attempts: 84953 | Last updated: Sep 30, 2025

Sample Question

Neither Paul nor Stephen should stop telling personal stories about ________ childhoods.

His

Their

They

Them

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Role and Usage of Antecedents in Sentences

The role of antecedents is to provide clarity, avoid repetition, and connect ideas. Without clear antecedents, sentences can confuse the reader.

Rules for Using Antecedents

1. Pronouns and Antecedents Must Match the Number
   If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must also be singular. If it is plural, the pronoun must be plural.
   Example:
   • Singular: The boy took his book. ("boy" and "his" match in number.)
   • Plural: The girls finished their homework. ("girls" and "their" match in number.)
2. Pronouns and Antecedents Must Match in Gender
   The pronoun must match the gender of the antecedent.
   Example:
   • Masculine: John loves his car. ("John" is masculine, so "his" is used.)
   • Feminine: Emma played with her doll. ("Emma" is feminine, so "her" is used.)
3. The Antecedent Must Be Clear
   • The reader should always know which noun the pronoun refers to.
   • Unclear: Mary and Lisa went shopping, but she forgot her wallet. (Who forgot the wallet?)
   • Clear: Mary and Lisa went shopping, but Mary forgot her wallet.

Using Antecedents Correctly

1. Use Specific Antecedents
   Always make it clear what the pronoun refers to.
   Example:
   • Unclear: When Alex called Joe, he was busy. (Who was busy?)
   • Clear: When Alex called Joe, Alex was busy.
2. Avoid Missing Antecedents
   Make sure there is an antecedent before the pronoun.
   Example:
   • Incorrect: It is a beautiful day. (What is "it"?)
   • Correct: The weather is beautiful today.
3. Ensure Consistency in Sentences
   Keep the antecedent and pronouns consistent in the sentence.
   Example:
   • Incorrect: The team won their game. (Team is singular, but "their" is plural.)
   • Correct: The team won its game.

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Pronouns: Types, Antecedents and Using Pronouns Correctly! Quiz

A pronoun refers to a word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun. Whereas, antecedent means something that precedes something else. This quiz has been...

Questions: 14 | Attempts: 1544 | Last updated: Feb 05, 2025

Sample Question

Tells who or what receives the action of the verb

Subject pronoun

Object pronoun

Possessive pronoun

Intensive pronoun

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Antecedent Examples

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Personal Pronouns and Antecedents

For the following sentences, choose the antecedent(s) that agree with the personal pronoun in brackets [ ]. 1.  The orchestra was looking forward to performing its[1]...

Questions: 6 | Attempts: 645 | Last updated: Jan 21, 2025

Sample Question

In the summer of 2005, the NCAA banned the use of mascots that could be considered offensive to American Indians at any of their [1] championship games. In order to understand this, it is important to consider that movies and television programs for years portrayed them as savage warriors that were feared and misunderstood. That is why some schools have chosen to use Indians as their mascot, a role typically played by wild animals or fictional beasts. You would not tolerate derogatory terms for other ethnic groups being used for school mascots. In the NCAA's new ruling, they ask schools to eliminate mascots that may be hurtful or offensive to America's Indian population.

NCAA

Mascots

American Indians

Games

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Antecedent Assessments

Exercise 1: Identify the antecedent in each sentence.

1. James put his coat on the chair.
2. The birds built their nests in the tree.
3. Lisa loves her new dress.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentence to make the antecedent clear.

1. They said the cake was delicious.
2. It was raining, so the kids stayed indoors.

Exercise 3: Fill in the blank with the correct pronoun.

1. The baby cried because ___ was hungry.
2. The dogs wagged ___ tails happily.