Make pronouns and antecedents agree. A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun. A pronoun and its antecedent always agree with together whether its single or plural. Since they have to agree, you can't use a plural noun with single antecedents. Writers usually want to use plural pronouns for two kinds of singular antecedents. Indefinite pronouns and generic nouns. An indefinite pronoun is people or things that are very specific. For ex, anybody, something, somebody, everything. Though they sound plural we treat them as singular. A generic noun represents a specific member of a group, for ex, a typical student or lawyer. These also can sound plural but are singular. Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural. A collective noun is like family, team, audience, crowd, and class. Treat compound antecedents connected by and as plural.
I had no idea writing got so specific in these ways, i'm sure I've learned this before somewhere during school but it was definitely a refresher if so. When I write I usually do as the book told us not to which would be something like everybody has their own opinion when it should really be everybody has his or her own opinion. As it was saying a lot of writers tend to miss that and will out a plural pronoun with a single antecedent, so when I write from now on I'll try to remember that and maybe it will make my writing seem more clear. The smallest errors in writing, I've learned, can sometimes make or break your paper.
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