Blog about English
Agreement between pronouns and their antecedents in number, gender and person.
Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in person, number and, where appropriate, gender.
Agreement helps make sentences clear, natural and grammatically correct.
Maria forgot her keys at the office.
Мария забыла свои ключи в офисе.
"Her" agrees with the singular antecedent "Maria" in number and gender.
The students forgot their books at home.
Студенты забыли свои книги дома.
"Their" agrees with the plural antecedent "the students".
The dog hurt its paw.
Собака повредила лапу.
"Its" agrees with the singular non-human antecedent "the dog".
James said he would call later.
Джеймс сказал, что он позвонит позже.
"He" agrees with the singular masculine antecedent "James".
Sarah said she needed more time.
Сара сказала, что ей нужно больше времени.
"She" agrees with the singular feminine antecedent "Sarah".
The company changed its policy.
Компания изменила свою политику.
"Its" agrees with the singular antecedent "the company".
My parents said they were coming for dinner.
Мои родители сказали, что придут на ужин.
"They" agrees with the plural antecedent "my parents".
The students handed in their assignments.
Студенты сдали свои задания.
"Their" clearly refers back to the plural subject "the students".
A singular antecedent normally takes a singular pronoun, while a plural antecedent takes a plural pronoun.
Compare The student forgot his notebook with The students forgot their notebooks.
The student forgot his notebook.
Студент забыл свою тетрадь.
The singular antecedent "the student" takes singular "his".
The students forgot their notebooks.
Студенты забыли свои тетради.
The plural antecedent "the students" takes plural "their".
The dog wagged its tail.
Собака виляла хвостом.
The singular antecedent "the dog" takes singular "its".
The dogs wagged their tails.
Собаки виляли хвостами.
The plural antecedent "the dogs" takes plural "their".
The company updated its website.
Компания обновила свой сайт.
A singular organization normally takes "its" in American English.
The companies updated their websites.
Компании обновили свои сайты.
The plural antecedent "the companies" takes "their".
The child put his backpack on the chair.
Ребенок положил свой рюкзак на стул.
The singular antecedent "the child" takes a singular pronoun when the gender is known.
The children put their backpacks on the chairs.
Дети положили свои рюкзаки на стулья.
The plural antecedent "the children" requires the plural pronoun "their".
Pronouns should match the grammatical person of their antecedents.
Avoid shifting unnecessarily between first, second and third person.
I know what I want.
Я знаю, чего хочу.
The first-person subject "I" consistently takes first-person "I".
You should check your email.
Тебе следует проверить свою электронную почту.
The second-person subject "you" is matched by "your".
Maria said she would call me later.
Мария сказала, что позже мне позвонит.
The third-person antecedent "Maria" takes "she", while the speaker remains "me".
We need to finish our work before lunch.
Нам нужно закончить нашу работу до обеда.
"Our" matches the first-person plural subject "we".
If you want to leave, you can go now.
Если ты хочешь уйти, можешь идти сейчас.
The second-person pronoun remains consistent throughout the sentence.
The manager said he would review the report.
Менеджер сказал, что проверит отчет.
The third-person antecedent "the manager" is consistently referred to with "he".
When I call, I will leave a message.
Когда я позвоню, я оставлю сообщение.
The first-person perspective remains consistent in both clauses.
They said they would send us the documents.
Они сказали, что отправят нам документы.
The third-person plural subject "they" remains third person throughout the sentence.
When the gender of the antecedent is known, the corresponding pronoun is normally used.
Modern English increasingly uses singular they when gender is unknown, irrelevant or inclusive language is preferred.
Maria called her brother.
Мария позвонила своему брату.
"Her" refers to the female antecedent "Maria".
John called his sister.
Джон позвонил своей сестре.
"His" refers to the male antecedent "John".
The boy said he was tired.
Мальчик сказал, что устал.
"He" agrees with the masculine antecedent "the boy".
The girl said she was tired.
Девочка сказала, что устала.
"She" agrees with the feminine antecedent "the girl".
The dog hurt its leg.
Собака повредила ногу.
"Its" is appropriate for a non-human animal when its sex is not relevant.
The woman said she would call tomorrow.
Женщина сказала, что позвонит завтра.
"She" agrees with the known female antecedent.
The man said he had already paid.
Мужчина сказал, что уже заплатил.
"He" agrees with the known male antecedent.
The cat cleaned itself after dinner.
Кошка вылизалась после еды.
"Itself" is appropriate when referring neutrally to an animal.
Singular they is widely accepted with indefinite antecedents and when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or unspecified.
Examples include Everyone should bring their ID and If anyone calls, tell them I will return later.
Everyone should bring their ID.
Каждый должен принести свое удостоверение личности.
"Their" refers back to singular "everyone".
If anyone calls, tell them I will call back.
Если кто-нибудь позвонит, скажи им, что я перезвоню.
"Them" refers to singular "anyone" when the person's gender is unknown.
Someone left their umbrella in the lobby.
Кто-то оставил свой зонтик в холле.
"Their" avoids assigning a gender to "someone".
Every employee should check their email.
Каждый сотрудник должен проверить свою электронную почту.
Singular "their" is common with an indefinite singular antecedent.
No one should leave their bag unattended.
Никто не должен оставлять свою сумку без присмотра.
"Their" refers back to singular "no one".
A customer can update their address online.
Клиент может изменить свой адрес онлайн.
Singular "their" avoids assuming the customer's gender.
If somebody forgets their password, they can request a reset.
Если кто-то забудет свой пароль, он может запросить сброс.
"They" refers back to singular "somebody".
Anyone can choose their preferred payment method.
Любой может выбрать предпочитаемый способ оплаты.
Singular "their" is used with generic "anyone".
Pronoun agreement with collective nouns depends on whether the group is viewed as a single unit or as individuals.
British English allows plural agreement more freely than American English.
The team won its game.
Команда выиграла свою игру.
American English normally treats "the team" as a singular unit and uses "its".
The family packed its bags and left early.
Семья собрала вещи и уехала рано.
The family is viewed as one unit, so "its" is natural in American English.
The committee reached its decision yesterday.
Комитет вчера принял свое решение.
"Its" treats the committee as a single body.
The staff finished their reports.
Сотрудники закончили свои отчеты.
"Their" can refer to the individual members of the staff.
The police have completed their investigation.
Полиция завершила свое расследование.
"Police" is treated as plural and therefore takes "their".
The company announced its new policy.
Компания объявила о своей новой политике.
"The company" is singular and normally takes "its" in American English.
The players celebrated their victory.
Игроки отпраздновали свою победу.
A clearly plural antecedent takes "their".
The committee members shared their opinions.
Члены комитета поделились своими мнениями.
"Committee members" clearly refers to individuals, so "their" is appropriate.
Most indefinite pronouns such as everyone, somebody and nobody take singular agreement, although singular they is common.
Context determines whether singular they is appropriate.
Everyone has their own opinion.
У каждого есть свое мнение.
"Everyone" takes singular "has", while singular "their" is used for the person.
Someone left their coat in the office.
Кто-то оставил свое пальто в офисе.
"Someone" takes singular agreement, while "their" can refer to the unspecified person.
Nobody knows where they went.
Никто не знает, куда они пошли.
"Nobody" takes singular "knows", while "they" refers to the unspecified person or people in context.
Everybody brought their lunch.
Все принесли свой обед.
"Everybody" is grammatically singular, but "their" is natural for unspecified gender.
Anyone can make their own choice.
Любой может сделать свой выбор.
"Anyone" takes singular agreement with the verb "can" and may take singular "their".
Nothing has changed since yesterday.
С вчерашнего дня ничего не изменилось.
"Nothing" takes singular "has".
Each applicant should check their application carefully.
Каждый кандидат должен внимательно проверить свою заявку.
"Each applicant" is singular, while singular "their" refers to the applicant without specifying gender.
No one has said that they are leaving.
Никто не сказал, что он уходит.
"No one" takes singular "has", while singular "they" refers back to the unspecified person.
Compound antecedents joined by and usually take plural pronouns, while those joined by or or nor depend on the nearest or intended antecedent.
The grammatical structure affects both pronoun and verb agreement.
John and Maria finished their work.
Джон и Мария закончили свою работу.
An antecedent joined by "and" is plural, so "their" is used.
Tom and his brother said they were ready.
Том и его брат сказали, что готовы.
"They" refers to the compound antecedent "Tom and his brother".
The teacher and the principal shared their decision.
Учитель и директор поделились своим решением.
The two people joined by "and" form a plural antecedent.
Either John or Maria can bring her laptop.
Либо Джон, либо Мария может принести свой ноутбук.
With "or", the pronoun can be chosen according to the intended antecedent when only one person is meant.
Either the manager or the assistant should bring their ID.
Либо менеджер, либо помощник должен принести свое удостоверение.
Singular "their" can avoid choosing between "his" and "her" when the antecedent is one of two possible people.
Neither Sarah nor Maria said that they were available.
Ни Сара, ни Мария не сказали, что они свободны.
The compound antecedent refers to two people, so "they" is appropriate.
Neither the manager nor the assistant has finished their report.
Ни менеджер, ни помощник не закончили свой отчет.
Singular "their" avoids an unnecessary gender choice when either person could be the antecedent.
John and Lisa brought their children to the park.
Джон и Лиза привели своих детей в парк.
"Their" refers to the plural compound antecedent "John and Lisa".
Pronoun agreement should remain consistent within a sentence and across connected ideas.
Unnecessary changes in person or number can confuse readers.
If you want better results, you should review your work carefully.
Если ты хочешь лучших результатов, тебе следует внимательно проверять свою работу.
The sentence consistently uses second-person "you" and "your".
If a student wants to improve, they should practice every day.
Если студент хочет улучшить свои навыки, ему следует практиковаться каждый день.
Singular "they" keeps the sentence consistent with the indefinite singular antecedent "a student".
When people work together, they usually solve problems faster.
Когда люди работают вместе, они обычно быстрее решают проблемы.
"People" is plural and consistently takes "they".
A company should explain its policies clearly so customers understand them.
Компания должна четко объяснять свои правила, чтобы клиенты их понимали.
The pronouns consistently match their different antecedents: "its" refers to the company and "them" to the policies.
If you submit your application, we will review it within five business days.
Если вы подадите заявку, мы рассмотрим ее в течение пяти рабочих дней.
"You", "your" and "it" consistently refer to the relevant participant and application.
When an employee joins the company, they receive an email with their login details.
Когда сотрудник присоединяется к компании, он получает письмо с данными для входа.
Singular "they" and "their" consistently refer back to the singular indefinite "an employee".
The students submitted their papers, and the professor returned them the next day.
Студенты сдали свои работы, а профессор вернул их на следующий день.
"Their" refers to the students, while "them" refers to the papers.
If someone forgets their password, they can reset it online.
Если кто-то забудет свой пароль, он может сбросить его онлайн.
"Their", "they" and "it" remain consistent with their respective antecedents.
Formal and informal English sometimes differ in acceptable agreement patterns.
Modern style guides generally accept singular they in both formal and informal writing.
Everyone should bring their identification to the appointment.
Каждый должен принести свое удостоверение на прием.
Singular "their" is standard and widely accepted in modern formal writing.
Someone left their coat in the conference room.
Кто-то оставил свое пальто в конференц-зале.
Singular "their" is natural in both formal and informal English.
Anybody can submit their application online.
Любой может подать свою заявку онлайн.
Modern formal writing commonly accepts singular "their".
A student should check his or her work carefully.
Студент должен внимательно проверить свою работу.
"His or her" is possible in formal writing, although singular "their" is generally more concise.
A student should check their work carefully.
Студент должен внимательно проверить свою работу.
Singular "their" is now widely accepted in formal as well as informal English.
Each applicant should provide their signature.
Каждый кандидат должен поставить свою подпись.
Singular "their" avoids an unnecessary gender distinction.
No one should disclose their password.
Никто не должен сообщать свой пароль.
Singular "their" is natural in professional policies.
Every employee is responsible for their own security training.
Каждый сотрудник отвечает за свое обучение по безопасности.
Singular "their" is common in contemporary professional writing.
Careful pronoun agreement improves clarity and precision in formal communication.
Writers should ensure that every pronoun clearly matches its antecedent.
Each researcher must record their results accurately.
Каждый исследователь должен точно записывать свои результаты.
The pronoun "their" clearly refers to the singular antecedent "each researcher".
The company published its annual report in March.
Компания опубликовала свой годовой отчет в марте.
"Its" agrees with the singular organizational antecedent "the company".
The researchers published their findings in a journal.
Исследователи опубликовали свои результаты в журнале.
"Their" clearly agrees with the plural antecedent "the researchers".
Every applicant should submit their materials before the deadline.
Каждый кандидат должен подать свои материалы до крайнего срока.
Singular "their" provides a clear gender-neutral reference.
The committee released its recommendations after the meeting.
Комитет опубликовал свои рекомендации после собрания.
In American English, a committee viewed as a single body normally takes "its".
The committee members presented their recommendations separately.
Члены комитета представили свои рекомендации по отдельности.
"Their" is appropriate because the antecedent explicitly refers to individual members.
A patient should discuss their concerns with their doctor.
Пациенту следует обсудить свои опасения с врачом.
Singular "their" keeps the professional statement gender-neutral.
The software updates its configuration automatically.
Программное обеспечение автоматически обновляет свою конфигурацию.
"Its" agrees with the singular non-human antecedent "the software".
Check that every pronoun agrees correctly with its antecedent.
Common mistakes include mixing singular and plural forms, inconsistent person, incorrect gender agreement and ambiguous use of singular they.
The student forgot their notebook.
Студент забыл свою тетрадь.
Use singular "their" rather than mixing a singular noun with an unexplained plural antecedent.
The students forgot their notebooks.
Студенты забыли свои тетради.
The plural antecedent "the students" requires the plural pronoun "their".
Maria said she was tired.
Мария сказала, что она устала.
Use "she", not "he", because the antecedent "Maria" is female.
John said he was tired.
Джон сказал, что он устал.
Use "he", not "she", because the antecedent "John" is male.
Everyone should bring their ID.
Каждый должен принести свое удостоверение личности.
Do not use "their" with a plural verb; "everyone" still takes singular agreement.
The company changed its website.
Компания изменила свой сайт.
Use "its" for a singular organization, not "their" in standard American English.
John and Maria finished their work.
Джон и Мария закончили свою работу.
An antecedent joined by "and" is plural, so "their" is required.
If someone calls, tell them I will call back.
Если кто-нибудь позвонит, скажи им, что я перезвоню.
Singular "they" is useful for an unspecified person and avoids an unnecessary gender choice.