what is a antecedent
An antecedent is a word to which a pronoun refers.
Examples (with the antecedent in bold and the pronoun underlined):
Ms. Martin told her class to study for the test.
Terry didn't want to give up his motorcycle.
Check this site for more information.
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/pronante.html
An antecedent refers to a word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers back to or replaces. In order to understand what an antecedent is, let's break it down further:
1. Identify the pronoun: Look for the pronoun in the sentence. Pronouns are words that replace nouns. Examples include "he," "she," "it," "they," etc.
2. Find the noun being replaced: Determine which noun the pronoun is referring back to. This noun is called the antecedent. The antecedent usually appears earlier in the text.
To better illustrate this, let's consider an example sentence:
"John is a talented musician. He plays the piano beautifully."
In this sentence, "he" is the pronoun, and it refers back to "John," the antecedent. The pronoun "he" replaces the noun "John" to avoid repetition.
Understanding antecedents can be helpful in maintaining clarity and avoiding ambiguity in writing.