This document provides guidance and examples for pronoun-antecedent agreement and peer review. It discusses how pronouns must agree with their antecedents in person and number. It provides examples of pronoun-antecedent errors and corrections. It then discusses peer review, explaining that peer review allows writers to get objective feedback and see their writing from another perspective. It offers tips for how to conduct a helpful peer review, including asking questions if confused and playing devil's advocate. Finally, it provides a sample format for peer review that involves multiple readers highlighting comments on the essay and feedback sheet.

1. September 14, 2011Click to let me know you are here!

2. Turn in rough draft

3. Go over quiz #1

4. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

5. 1. Pronouns agree with their antecedents in person and number.FAULTY: All campers should bring your knapsacks.Here, noun and pronoun disagree in person: campers is third person, but your is second person.FAULTY: Every camper should bring their knapsack.Here, noun and pronoun disagree in number: camper is singular, but their is plural.REVISED: All campers should bring their knapsacks.REVISED: Every camper should bring his or her knapsack.

6. 2. An antecedent that is an indefinite pronoun takes a singular pronoun.Either of the boys can do it, as long as he’s on time.Warn anybody who’s still in her swimsuit that a uniform is required for dinner.

7. 2. An antecedent that is an indefinite pronoun takes a singular pronoun.Sometimes the meaning of an indefinite pronoun is plural. To avoid awkwardness, avoid using such a pronoun as an antecedent.Tell everyone in Cabin B that I’m looking for him.This sentence works better if it is phrased differently.Tell all the campers in Cabin B that I’m looking for them.

8. 3. The pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender.If one of your parents brings you to camp, invite him to stay for lunch.While technically correct (the singular pronoun he refers to the singular antecedent one), this sentence overlooks the fact that some parents are male, some female. To make sure the pronoun covers both, a writer has two choices.If one of your parents brings you to camp, invite him or her to stay for lunch.If your parents bring you to camp, invite them to stay for lunch.

9. Practice:1. Many architects find work their greatest pleasure. 2. Each member of the sorority has to make their own bed. 3. He is the kind of man who gets their fun out of just sipping one’s beer and watching his Saturday games on TV. 4. Young people should know how to protect oneself against AIDS. 5. When one enjoys one’s work, it’s easy to spend all your spare time thinking about it.

10. 1. Many architects find work their greatest pleasure.Many architects find work his greatest pleasure.Many architects find work her greatest pleasure.Many architects find work his or her greatest pleasure.All of the aboveCorrect as is

11. 2. Each member of the sorority has to make their own bed.Members of the sorority have to make their own bed.Each member of the sorority has to make her own bed.Each member of the sorority has to make his or her own bed.All of the aboveCorrect as is

12. 3. He is the kind of man who gets their fun out of just sipping one’s beer and watching his Saturday games on TV.He is the kind of man who gets his fun out of just sipping his beer and watching his Saturday games on TV. He is the kind of man who gets their fun out of just sipping one’s beer and watching one’s Saturday games on TV. He is the kind of man who gets his fun out of just sipping one’s beer and watching his Saturday games on TV. All of the aboveCorrect as is

13. 4. Young people should know how to protect oneself against AIDS.Young people should know how to protect himself or herself against AIDS.Young people should know how to protect themselves against AIDS.A young person should know how to protect oneself against AIDS.All of the aboveCorrect as is

14. 5. When one enjoys one’s work, it’s easy to spend all your spare time thinking about it.When one enjoys one’s work, it’s easy to spend all one’s spare time thinking about it.When you enjoy your work, it’s easy to spend all your spare time thinking about it.Both A and BNone of the aboveCorrect as is

15. How to Peer Review

16. Peer Review? What is that?Objective feedbackSeeing someone’s text from your own perspectiveExplaining to them how you ‘see’ itBeing kind, yet honest, in the processFrom Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

17. The ‘Why’ of Peer ReviewWhy does peer review work?We see our writing ‘through’ another personWe see how other students think and writeWe see others’ writing strengths and weaknessesWe see new ideas and new ways of explaining ideasWe learn to look at our own writing in a different wayFrom Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

18. The ‘How’ of Peer ReviewWays you can respond as a helpful reader:If you get confused or lostMark an ‘X’ in the text where you are confusedAsk the writer to explain his or her ideasAsk the writer to explain his or her thesisAsk the writer to state the question the thesis answersAsk the writer to fill in the blanks:My purpose in this paper is ______________.My purpose in this section is _____________.From Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

19. The ‘How’ of Peer ReviewWays you can respond as a helpful reader:If you cannot see the point:Ask the writer ‘So what?’ questions.In other words, ask the writer‘What does this sentence have to do with your thesis?’‘What does this point have to do with this paragraph?’‘What does this paragraph have to do with the paper?’Playing devil’s advocateCounter the writer’s stance or thesisBring up other perspectivesAsk the writer ‘why’ and ‘how’ questionsOffer more examples and details to the writerLeave the final decisions to the writerFrom Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

20. Peer Review FormatRead your essay aloud. You are allowed to stop and write all over your paper. The rest of the group is not allowed to comment whatsoever (even after you are finished). Everyone reads aloud first.Decide which color highlighter will represent you in the group.Decide as a group how much time you have for each essay. Remember, you will need time at the end to discuss.Pass your essay and peer review sheet to the left. Peer review the essay in front of you concentrating on content, not surface errors. Highlight your comments in your color. Pretend the author of the essay is nowhere near you. All comments/questions/critiques should be written.Fill in the “Editor #1” section of the peer review sheet. Highlight your name in your color.Pass left again and repeat steps four and five using the appropriate editor section.Repeat step six.Review the comments on your essay and your peer review sheet. Make a note of any questions you have.Take turns being in the mush pot of your groups for a couple of minutes and discuss each essay.

21. HomeworkRead and annotate “I Just Called to Say I Love You” on page 366