English Grammar: Agreement of Pronouns

Agreement — Adjective and Pronoun Agreement

Demonstrative adjectives should agree in number with the nouns they modify. The adjectives this, that, these, and those sometimes cause agreement trouble when they modify such nouns as kind, sort, type, and variety.

Keep in mind that the demonstrative adjectives this and that are singular and should be used only with singular nouns. These and those are plural and should be used only with the plural nouns.

Incorrect Correct

Correct

these kind of apples

this kind of apples (or apple)

(or) these kinds of apples (plural)

those sort of roses

that sort of roses (or rose)

(or) those sorts of roses (plural)

these variety of fruits

this variety of fruits (or fruit)

or these varieties of fruits (plural)

The forms on the left are incorrect because the adjective does not agree with the noun in number. In the first illustration, the adjective these is plural and the noun kind is singular. In the second illustration, the adjective those is plural and the noun sort is singular.

The forms on the right are correct because the adjective agrees with the noun in number. In the first illustration, this is singular and kind is singular; these is plural and kinds is plural. The other illustrations on the right are correct for the same reasons.