+219.+ Pronouns are very agreeable members of the co-operative
commonwealth of words. They strive to agree with their antecedents.
Sometimes we do not allow the pronoun to agree, and then our sentence is
incorrect.
+A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender and person.+
For example, if you are referring to one man, you must use a masculine
pronoun, singular, third person form, as _I saw the man but he did not
see me_. _Man_ is the antecedent. It is singular, masculine, third
person and so we use the pronoun _he_.
_The girl came, but she could not stay._ In this sentence _girl_ is the
antecedent; it is singular, feminine, third person, and so we use the
pronoun _she_.
_The boys did not come when the teacher called them._ In this sentence
_boys_ is the antecedent; it is plural, masculine, third person, and so
we use the pronoun _them_.
+220.+ +Sometimes there are two words used as the antecedent, joined by
_and_.+ We use a singular pronoun in referring to them if they denote the
same person or thing; as:
The secretary and treasurer (one person) resigned _his_ position.
My comrade and friend (one person) gave me _his_ help.
+221.+ +But two nouns joined by _and_, that mean different persons or
things, must be represented by a plural pronoun, thus+:
Marx and Engels (two persons) wrote _their_ call to liberty, the
Communist-Manifesto.
Men and women will struggle for _their_ freedom.
Childhood and youth should have _their_ rightful joys.
+222.+ +Use the singular pronoun when the nouns are kept separate by the
use of _each_, _every_, _many a_, or _no_.+
Each man and boy must do _his_ part. (Not _their_ part.)
Every soldier and every officer must do _his_ duty.
Many a city and many a village gave _its_ best to the army.
No comrade and no Socialist will give _his_ consent to war.
+223.+ +If you have two singular nouns as antecedents, joined by _or_,
or _nor_, use the singular pronoun+, thus:
Either Germany or France must abandon _its_ position.
Neither Wilson nor Bryan kept _his_ promise to the people.
+224.+ +When you use a collective noun and are speaking of the
collection as a whole, use a singular pronoun+, as:
The committee will make _its_ report.
The audience was hearty in _its_ appreciation.
The jury has returned _its_ verdict.
+225.+ +But if you are referring to the individuals of the collection
separately, use a plural pronoun+; as:
The committee adjourned for _their_ dinner.
The audience kept _their_ seats until the close.
The jury argued until _their_ nerves were on edge.