Download Pronoun Problems

Agreement, case, and reference
What is a pronoun?
 A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun.
We use pronouns to make our sentences less
cumbersome and less repetitive.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
 An antecedent is the word the pronoun replaces.
 Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in person,
number, and gender. The most common pronoun
errors occur when pronouns and antecedents do not
agree in number. If you have a singular antecedent,
you need a singular pronoun. If you have a plural
antecedent, you need a plural pronoun.
 Make sure that you accurately identify your
antecedent.
 Two antecedents joined by and are plural and take a
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plural pronoun.
My brother-in-law and I cannot resolve our argument.
The instructor and his assistants have offered their
help.
Note: when the antecedents are not joined by and but
by as well as or in addition to, the pronoun must agree
with the main antecedent:
The instructor, as well as his assistants, has offered his
help.
 If an antecedent is modified by each or every, it is
singular.
 Each of the designated storm shelters in the region has
its own emergency kit.
 Every student who receives financial aid must
complete his or her own form.
 Indefinite pronouns ending in -body, -one, or -thing
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are singular and take a singular pronoun. These
words are tricky because they imply more than one
(for example, everyone), but the actual meaning is one
at a time (for example, every single one).
NO: Everyone finished their test before the time limit
was up.
YES: Everyone finished his or her test before the time
limit was up.
NO: If anyone wants me, give them my phone number.
YES: If anyone wants me, give him or her my phone
number.
 The SAMMAN pronouns (some, any, more, most, all,
none) can be singular or plural. To decide if a
SAMMAN pronoun is singular or plural, look at
the word it refers to. When the pronoun refers to
something that can be counted, use a plural
pronoun to refer to it. When the pronoun refers to
something that cannot be counted, use a singular
pronoun.
 Most of the sugar had spilled, so I wiped it off the
counter with a damp cloth. (sugar cannot be counted)
 All of the sacks of grain had fallen from the back of the
truck, and they were scattered all over the road. (sacks
can be counted)
 When the antecedents are connected by or or nor,
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the pronoun agrees with the antecedent nearer it.
Tenants or owners must present their grievances.
When one subject is plural and the other singular,
place the plural subject second to avoid awkwardness:
Awkward: Neither the tenants nor the owner has
completed her complaint.
Better: Neither the owner nor the tenants have
completed their complaint.
 Collective nouns (team, class, crowd, audience,
committee, jury) usually take a singular pronoun
unless the members of the group are acting as
individuals:
 The audience showed its enthusiasm by cheering
loudly.
 After a long day of deliberation, the jury left for their
homes.
 Do not shift "person" ("point of view") of a pronoun in
the middle of a sentence.
 First person: I, we, me, us, my/mine, our/ours
 Second person: you, your, yours
 Third person: he, she, it they, him, her, it, them, his,
her, hers, its, their, theirs
 Wrong: Students should make sure to register early to
make sure you get the best classes.
 Revised: Students should make sure to register early to
make sure they get the best classes.
Pronoun Case
 Pronoun case refers to what type of pronoun to use:
subjective, objective, or possessive. A pronoun's case
indicates its function in a sentence.
 Subjective case pronouns indicate the actor in the
sentence: She threw the ball to Jimmy.
 Objective case pronouns indicate the receiver of an
action: Jimmy threw the ball to her.
Subjective Case Pronouns:
 I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who, whoever
 Subjective case pronouns can be followed by a verb.
 A. They are used as the subject of a verb:
 He and I are attending the meeting on Wednesday.
 B. In a comparison, they are used as the subject of an
implied verb:
 After we found out our grades on the exam, Paul was
much happier than I (was).
 Sherry is not as athletic as he (is).
 C. They are used after any form of the verb "to be" (am,
is, are, was, were, being, to be)
 It was he who arrived early to the party.
 When the caller asked for Candice, she answered,
"This is she."
Objective case pronouns:
 me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom, whomever
 Objective case pronouns are
 A. Used as the object of prepositions:
 Mark gave the money to me.
 B. Used as the objects of verbs:
 Mark gave me the money.
 Using who or whom
 Use who for a subject and whom for an object.
 Subjective case: Who wrote the letter?
 Objective case: To whom was the letter addressed?
Possessive case pronouns:
 my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours,
their/theirs, whose
 Possessive case pronouns
 A. Do not contain an apostrophe
 B. Show ownership.
 Use a possessive case pronoun before a gerund.
 The coach disapproved of their lifting weights.
Pronoun Reference
 Pronouns must clearly refer to their antecedents. If an
antecedent is missing or ambiguous, the meaning of
your sentence will be unclear.
 Make sure each pronoun refers clearly to one
antecedent:
 Joan told Amy she wanted to have the baby shower at
her house. (Her could refer to either Joan or Amy.)
 Check for vague uses of they, it, and you:
 On the news, they said the weather would be cold
tomorrow. (Whom does they refer to?)
 Revised: On the news, the meteorologist said the
weather would be cold tomorrow.
 In the book, it says that a rash indicates this disease.
 Revised: The book says that a rash indicates this
disease.
 Make sure pronouns do not refer to adjectives or
possessives:
 He became so depressed that it made him unable to
get out of bed. (It seems to refer to depressed (an
adjective), which suggests the noun depression,
but that noun isn't in the sentence.)
 Revised: His depression made him unable to get out of
bed
 Make sure the pronouns who, whom, this, which, and
that refer to clear, specific nouns:
 Mark wasn't selected for the top scholastic award, and
this made him angry. (What does this refer to?)
 Revised: Mark wasn't selected for the top scholastic
award, and this disappointment made him angry.
 Or: Mark was angry because he wasn't selected for the
top scholastic award.