Antecedent
Definition
An antecedent is a noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers back to in a sentence. It helps clarify the meaning of the pronoun by providing context.
Analogy
Think of an antecedent as a trail of breadcrumbs leading you to the right pronoun. Just like following the breadcrumbs helps you find your way, identifying the antecedent helps you understand which noun or pronoun the pronoun is referring to.
Related terms
Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
Ambiguous Pronouns: Pronouns that have more than one possible antecedent, making it unclear which noun they are referring to.
Personal Pronouns: Pronouns that refer to specific people or things, such as "he," "she," "it," and "they."
"Antecedent" appears in:
Subjects (1)
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