Rhetoric and Composition/Lack of agreement between noun and pronoun

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[edit] Rules

Pronouns (words such as it, her, them, this, someone, who, him, they, themselves, herself, etc.) replace specific nouns (persons, places, or things) so you don't have to keep repeating them. Like subjects and verbs, pronouns and nouns need to agree in "number": in whether they are singular or plural. They also need to agree in gender: masculine, feminine, or inclusive (both).

Errors in noun-pronoun agreement usually simply result from writing quickly and not editing closely enough. Three specific instances, though, can cause problems:

1. The nouns each, and one are all singular and take singular pronouns; either or neither is singular unless it specifically refers to plural alternatives.
2. When using singular nouns that refer to both sexes or for which the gender is not known, use both masculine and feminine pronouns together (him or her, he or she, himself or herself, his or her) or rewrite the sentence to make the noun and the pronoun both plural. (It used to be acceptable to use the male pronouns to refer to persons whose gender cannot be assumed, as in "Each member of the band will take his instrument onto the bus" even if the band contains female as well as male members. That usage is now obsolete).
3. Some nouns can be either singular or plural: audience, group, team, unit, class, and others. Use a singular or plural pronoun depending on whether you intend to indicate a single mass or a individual members.

[edit] Examples

• Every one of the studies indicated their its methodology.
• Neither Jackson nor Juarez believed they he had been represented unfairly.
• Each researcher included a control group with their his his or her test group.
• By 1999, the lacrosse team had outgrown their its space.
• Neither a crocodile nor a lion are is a suitable pet.
• Either Ed or Bill are is a plumber.

But --

• Neither crocodiles nor lions is are suitable pets.
• Either Ed and Bill or Ted and Jeff is are plumbers.