1. Identify the Pronoun
* Look for words like: he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, theirs, this, that, these, those.
2. Ask "Who or What?"
* Substitute the pronoun with "who" or "what."
* Example: "The dog wagged its tail." becomes "The dog wagged what tail?"
3. Find the Answer
* The answer to your question is the antecedent.
* In our example, the answer is "The dog." So, "The dog" is the antecedent of the pronoun "its."
Tips:
* Proximity: The antecedent is usually the noun closest to the pronoun.
* Agreement: Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine/neuter).
* Context: Sometimes, the antecedent is implied by the surrounding text.
Examples:
* "The cat chased the mouse, and it ran away." The antecedent of "it" is "the mouse."
* "John and Mary went to the park, and they had fun." The antecedent of "they" is "John and Mary."
* "The cookies were delicious. I ate two of them." The antecedent of "them" is "cookies."
Important Note:
* Ambiguous Pronouns: A pronoun is ambiguous if its antecedent is unclear. Avoid ambiguous pronouns by rephrasing the sentence for clarity.
Let me know if you'd like to practice with more examples!