Pronoun disagreement is a common error in writing that can cause confusion for readers. It occurs when the noun and pronoun in a sentence do not agree in number or person. This can lead to grammatical and logical errors that can affect the clarity of your writing. In this article, we will discuss some pronoun disagreement examples and how to correct them.

Number Agreement

One of the most common pronoun disagreement errors is number agreement. This occurs when the noun and pronoun do not agree in number. For example:

Incorrect: The girls ate their lunches, but she forgot hers.

Correct: The girls ate their lunches, but one of them forgot hers.

In the incorrect sentence, “she” refers to a singular pronoun, but “girls” is a plural noun. To correct this, we can add a phrase that indicates a singular subject.

Person Agreement

Another mistake that writers often make is person agreement. This occurs when the pronoun does not agree with the person of the subject. For instance:

Incorrect: When someone goes on vacation, they need to relax.

Correct: When someone goes on vacation, he or she needs to relax.

In the incorrect sentence, “they” is used to refer to “someone” which is a singular subject. We can use a gender-neutral pronoun “he or she” instead.

Gender Agreement

Another type of pronoun disagreement is gender agreement. This happens when the pronoun does not agree with the gender of the noun. For example:

Incorrect: The doctor asked the patient if they were feeling better.

Correct: The doctor asked the patient if he or she was feeling better.

In the incorrect sentence, “they” is used to refer to “patient” which is a singular noun with a specific gender. We can use a gender-neutral pronoun “he or she” instead.

In conclusion, pronoun disagreement can be a tricky error to catch and correct, but it is essential to ensure clarity in your writing. Always make sure that the pronoun agrees with the noun in terms of number, person, and gender. By doing so, you can avoid making confusing and awkward sentences that can affect the credibility of your writing.