Pronoun antecedent agreement refers to the grammatical rule that requires a pronoun to agree in number, gender, and person with its antecedent, which is the noun or phrase that the pronoun refers to.

This agreement helps in ensuring clarity and avoiding confusion in the meaning of a sentence. It is an essential aspect of writing that copy editors must pay close attention to as it affects the quality of content and its readability.

An example of pronoun antecedent agreement is as follows:

„John dropped his phone, and he accidentally shattered the screen.”

In this sentence, „John” is the antecedent, and „he” is the pronoun. The pronoun „he” agrees with John`s gender, number (singular), and person (third-person singular).

Here are some additional examples of pronoun antecedent agreement:

- The cat licked its paws.

- The teachers will submit their grades today.

- The team held its own against the defending champions.

In each of these examples, the pronoun agrees with its antecedent`s number, gender, and person.

When pronoun antecedent agreement is not followed, it can lead to confusion and ambiguity in the sentence`s meaning. For example:

„Every student brought their textbook to class.”

In this sentence, „student” is a singular antecedent, but „their” is a plural pronoun. The correct sentence should be, „Every student brought his or her textbook to class.”

Another example is:

„The doctors went to the hospital to start their shift, but he was late.”

This sentence is ambiguous because the pronoun „he” has no clear antecedent. The sentence could be corrected by stating which doctor was late or changing the pronoun to „they” to refer to all the doctors.

Copy editors must pay attention to pronoun antecedent agreement in their editing work to ensure clear and concise content. By following this rule, writers can avoid ambiguity and confusion in their writing, making their content more effective and engaging for the readers.