Pronunciation: /æntɪˈsiːdənt/
noun a word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
A1 My teacher explained that an antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to.
A2 In the sentence 'John lost his wallet', 'John' is the antecedent of the pronoun 'his'.
B1 The antecedent of the pronoun 'it' in the sentence 'The book is on the table, it is red' is 'book'.
B2 Identifying the antecedent of a pronoun is important for clear communication in writing.
C1 Understanding the antecedent in complex sentences can help avoid ambiguity.
C2 Literary analysis often involves examining the antecedents of pronouns to understand the author's intentions.
adjective preceding in time or order; previous or preexisting
A1 The antecedent event caused a chain reaction.
A2 The antecedent conditions were not ideal for growth.
B1 The antecedent factors led to the current situation.
B2 The antecedent behavior of the suspect was analyzed by the investigators.
C1 The antecedent patterns in the data indicated a potential trend.
C2 The antecedent circumstances of the case were thoroughly examined in court.
formal The researcher examined the antecedent factors that led to the economic downturn.
informal I'm not sure what the antecedent was for his sudden change in behavior.
slang She always seems to have some drama going on, but I never know the antecedent.
figurative In literature, the author often includes antecedents to provide background information on the characters.
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