When should a pronoun antecedent come?

Answer 1

The pronoun antecedent is the noun or pronoun that the pronoun replaces. The noun either precedes the pronoun in the same sentence, a previous sentence, or is known to the speaker and those spoken to.

The antecedent of a simple non-reflexive pronoun should precede it, but it should not be within the same clause as the pronoun.

For example, the "he" in the sentence "Robert was not sure what he should say" could be referring both to Robert, in which case "Robert" is the antecedent of "he" or to some other male supplied by the context. However, the "he" in "He was not sure what Robert should say" cannot be referring to the Robert in the sentence and rather must be referring to someone supplied by the context.

Interrogative pronouns introduce a question and are traditionally the first word in a sentence. The antecedent will be the answer to the question.

For example: "Who is in charge here?", "The manager is in charge." The noun "manager" is the antecedent of the pronoun "who."

The demonstrative pronouns often precede the antecedent; for example, "This is my mother." or "Those are my favorite." The noun "mother" is the antecedent of the pronoun "this," and the noun "favorite" is the antecedent of the pronoun "those."

There are occasions when no antecedent is used at all. These occasions include when first- and second-person personal pronouns are used; when the person or thing spoken about is known to the speaker and listener; when the antecedent is in the presence of the speaker and listener; or when the antecedent is indicated by gesture.