I AM A PRONOUN

A pronoun is a word that substitutes a noun or noun phrase. There are a number of different kinds of pronouns in English.

Personal pronouns stand in place of the names of people or things:

Subjective pronouns are used when the person or thing is the subject of the sentence or clause. English example: I like beer but she doesn't.

• Formal and informal "you" pronouns. For example, vous and tu in French. There is no distinction in modern English.
• Inclusive and exclusive "we" pronouns indicate whether or not the audience is included. There is no distinction in English.

Objective pronouns are used when the person or thing is the object of the sentence or clause. English example: John likes me but not her.

• Direct and indirect object pronouns. English uses the same forms for both; for example: Mary loves him (direct object); Mary sent him a letter (indirect object).
• Reflexive pronouns are used when a person or thing acts on itself. English example: John cut himself.
• Reciprocal pronouns refer to a reciprocal relationship. English example: They don't like each other.

Prepositional pronouns come after a preposition. No distinct forms exist in English; for example: Mary looked at him.

Disjunctive pronouns are used in isolation, or in certain other special grammatical contexts. No distinct forms exist in English; for example: Who does this belong to? Me.

Dummy pronouns are used when grammatical rules require a noun (or pronoun), but none is semantically required. English example: It is raining.

Weak pronouns.

Possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession or ownership. English example: Those clothes are mine.

Determinative possessive pronouns are a somewhat confusing alternative name for possessive adjectives (also known as possessive determiners); for example, in English: I lost my wallet. They are not strictly pronouns because they do not substitute for a noun or noun phrase, and as such some grammarians classify these terms in a separate lexical category called determiners.

Demonstrative pronouns distinguish the particular objects or people that are referred to from other possible candidates. English example: I'll take these.

Indefinite pronouns refer to general categories of people or things. English example: Anyone can do that.

Distributive pronouns are used to refer to members of a group separately, rather than collectively. English example: To each his own.

Negative pronouns indicate the non-existence of people or things. English example: Nobody thinks that.

Relative pronouns refer back to people or things previously mentioned. English example: People who smoke should quit now.

Interrogative pronouns ask which person or thing is meant. English example: Who did that?

Intensive pronouns re-emphasize a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. English uses the same forms as for the reflexive pronouns; for example: I did it myself (contrast reflexive use I did it to myself).

 

 

TYPES OF PRONOUN:

1 Demonstrative Pronoun - this, that, these, those
2 Personal Pronoun - I, you, he, she, etc..
3 Possessive Pronoun - mine, yours, his, etc..
4 Reflexive Pronoun - myself, yourself, etc..
5 Interrogative Pronoun - who, what, where, etc..
6 Negative Pronoun - nothing, no, nobody, etc..
7 Reciprocal pronoun - each other, etc..
8 Relative Clause - who, whose, which, that, etc..
9 Quantifier - some, any, something, much, many, little, etc.

 

 

The best way to get a good hold on how pronouns work is to take that list and read through a piece of prose identifying the different types of pronoun used and the things they refer back to:

Even if no one is charged after an accident, it is usually the case that damage has been done and that someone will have to pay for it to be repaired. Often what happens is that those involved make a claim under their insurance policies. The problem here is that if you do so, you risk losing your no claim bonus, which may mean paying hundreds of pounds in extra premiums.

The biggest problem writers have when using pronouns is making sure that it is clear to what or to whom particular pronouns refer.

 

 

Using Pronouns Clearly

Because a pronoun REFERS BACK to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to.

Therefore, pronouns should:

1. AGREE in NUMBER

If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.

If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker.

(NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.)

REMEMBER: The words EVERYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYONE, EACH, NEITHER, NOBODY, SOMEONE, A PERSON, etc. are singular and take singular pronouns.

Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best)

Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas)

NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." See our handout on Non-sexist Language for more information.

 

2. AGREE in PERSON

If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the "second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third."

When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.

(NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.)

 

3. REFER CLEARLY to a specific noun.

Don't be vague or ambiguous.

NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)

NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?)

NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)

NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work. (What word does "this" refer to?)

NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?)

 

 

Basic Principle: A pronoun usually refers to something earlier in the text (its antecedent) and must agree in number — singular/plural — with the thing to which it refers.

1. The indefinite pronouns anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, no one, and nobody are always singular. This is sometimes perplexing to writers who feel that everyone and everybody (especially) are referring to more than one person. The same is true of either and neither, which are always singular even though they seem to be referring to two things.

2. The need for pronoun-antecedent agreement can create gender problems. If one were to write, for instance, "A student must see his counselor before the end of the semester," when there are female students about, nothing but grief will follow. One can pluralize, in this situation, to avoid the problem:

• Students must see their counselor before the end of the semester.
  Or, one could say
• A student must see his or her counselor. . . .

Too many his's and her's eventually become annoying, however, and the reader becomes more aware of the writer trying to be conscious of good form than he or she is of the matter at hand.

3. Trying to conform to the above rule (#2) can lead to a great deal of nonsense. It is widely regarded as being correct (or correct enough), at the beginning of the twenty-first century, to say

• Somebody has left their bag on the floor.

but many people would object its being written that way because somebody is singular and their is plural. There is a great deal to be said, however, for using the word their as the gender-non-specific, singular pronoun. In fact, it's been said already, and you can read all about it at the The University of Texas, where a web-site has been dedicated to the use of their in this way in the writings of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and other literary greats. At least it's nice to know you're not alone! Another site dedicated to the "gender-free pronoun" is at Gender-Neutral Pronoun Frequently Asked Questions.

4. Remember that when we compound a pronoun with something else, we don't want to change its form. Following this rule carefully often creates something that "doesn't sound good." You would write, "This money is for me," so when someone else becomes involved, don't write, "This money is for Fred and I." Try these:

• This money is for him and me.
• This arrangement is between Fred and him.

Those are both good sentences.

5. One of the most frequently asked questions about grammar is about choosing between the various forms of the pronoun who: who, whose, whom, whoever, whomever. The number (singular or plural) of the pronoun (and its accompanying verbs) is determined by what the pronoun refers to; it can refer to a singular person or a group of people:

• The person who hit my car should have to pay to fix the damages.
• The people who have been standing in line the longest should get in first.