PERSONAL PRONOUNS

SUBJECT PRONOUN I you she, he, it we you they OBJECT PRONOUN me you her, him, it us you them POSSESIVE PRONOUN mine yours hers, his, its ours yours theirs POSSESIVE ADJECTIVE my name your name her, his, its name our names yours names their names

SINGULAR PLURAL

(a) I read a book. It was good. A pronoun is used in place of a noun. The noun it refers to is called the antecedent , In (a): The pronoun it refers to the antecedent to noun book. (b) I read some books. They were good. A singular pronoun is used to refer to a singular noun, as in (a). A plural pronoun is used to refer to a plural noun as in (b) . (c) I like tea. Do you like tea too? Sometimes the antecedent noun is understood, not explicitly stated. In (c) :I refers to the speaker, and you refers to the person the speaker is talking to. (d) John has a car. He drives to work. Subject pronouns are used as subjects of sentences, as he in (d). (e) John works in my office. I know him well. (f) I talk to him every day. Object pronouns are used as the objects of verbs, as in (e) or as the objects of preposition , as in (f) (g) That book is hers. Yours is over there. (h) INCORRECT:That book is hers. Yours is over there. Possesive pronouns are not followed immediately by a noun; they stand alone, as in (g). In (h) : Possesive pronouns do NOT take apostrophes. (i) Her book is there. Your book is over there. Possesive adjectives are followed immediately by a noun; they do not stay alone (j) A bird uses its wings to fly. (k) INCORRECT:A bird uses its wings to fly. COMPARE: Its has NO APOSTROPHE when it is used as a possessive, as in (j) (l) Its cold today. (m)The Harbour Inn is my favorite old hotel. Its been in business since 1933. Its has an apostrophe when it is used as a contraction it is, as in (l), or it has when has is part of the present perfect tense, as in (m)

PERSONAL PRONOUNS: AGREEMENT WITH GENERIC NOUNS AND INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (a) A student walked into the room. In (a) and (b): The pronouns refer to She was looking for the teacher. particular individuals whose gender is (b) A student walked into the room. He known. The nouns are not generic. was looking for the teacher. (c) A student should always do his A generic noun does not refer to any person assignments. or thing in particular; rather, it represents a (d) A student should always do his/her whole group. In (c): A student is a generic assignments. noun; it refers to anyone who is a student. A student should always do his or With a generic noun, a singular masculine her assignments pronoun has been used traditionally, but many English speakers now use both masculine and feminine pronouns to refer to a singular generic noun, as in (d). The use of both masculine and feminine pronouns can create awkward-sounding sentences. (e) Students should always do their Problems with choosing masculine and/or assignments. feminine pronouns can often be avoided by using a plural rather than a singular generic noun, as in (e).
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

everyone someone anyone no one* everybody somebody anybody nobody everything something anything nothing (f) Somebody left his book on the A singular pronoun is used in formal desk. English to refer an indefinite pronoun, as in (g) Everyone has his or her own ideas. (f) and (g). In everyday informal English, a (h) INFORMAL: plural personal pronoun is often used to Somebody left their book on the refer to an indefinite pronoun, as in (h). desk. Everyone has their own ideas. *No one can also be written with a hyphen in British English :No-one heard me.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS: AGREEMENT WITH COLLECTIVE NOUNS

EXAMPLES OF COLLECTIVE NOUNS

audience couple family public class crowd government staff committee faculty group team (a) My family is large. It is composed of When a collective noun refers to a single nine members. impersonal unit, a singular gender-neutral pronoun (it, its) is used, as in (a) (b) My family is loving and supportive. When a collective noun refers to a They are always ready to help me. collection of various individuals, a plural pronoun (they, them, their) is used, as in (b).* *NOTE: When the collective noun refers to a collection of individuals, the verb may be either singular or plural: My family is OR are loving and supportive. A singular verb is generally preferred in American English. A plural verb is used more frequently in British English, especially with the words government or public. (American: The government is planning many changes. British: The government are planning many changes. ) REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
SINGULAR PLURAL

myself ourselves yourself yourselves herself, himself, itself, oneself themselves (a) Larry was in the theater. I saw him. Compare (a) and (b) :Usually an object I talked to him. pronoun is used as the object of a verb or (b) I saw myself in the mirror. I looked preposition as him in (a). at myself for a long time. (c) INCORRECT: I saw me in the mirror. A reflexive pronoun is used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject of the sentence and the object are the same person, as in (b). *I and myself are the same person. ~Did someone fax the report to Mr. Lee? Reflexive pronouns are also used for ~Yes. emphasis. In (d): The speaker would say I ~Are you sure? myself strongly, with emphasis. (d) ~Yes. I myself faxed the report to him. The emphatic reflexive pronoun can (e) ~I faxed the report to him myself immediately follow a noun or pronoun, as in (d), or come at the end of the clause, as in (e). (f) Anna lives by herself. The expression by + a reflexive pronoun means alone *Sometimes, but relatively infrequently, an object pronoun is used as the object of a preposition even when the subject and object pronoun are the same person. Examples: I took my books with me. Bob brought his book with him. I looked around me. She kept her son close to her.

USING YOU, ONE, AND THEY AS IMPERSONAL PRONOUNS (a)One should always be polite. In (a) and (b) :One means any person, (b)How does one get to 5th Avenue from people in general here? In (c) and (d) :You means any person, (c) You should always be polite. people in general. th (d) How do you get to 5 Avenue from One is much more formal than you. here? Impersonal you, rather than one, is used more frequently in everyday English. (e)One should take care of ones health. Notice the pronouns that may be used in (f)One should take care of his health. the same sentence to refer back to one: (e) (g)One should take care of his or her is typical in British usage and formal health. American usage. (f) is principally American usage. (g) is stylistically awkward. (h)~Did Ann lose her job? They is used as an impersonal pronoun in ~Yes. They fired her. spoken or very informal English to mean (i)~They mine graphite in Brazil, dont some people or somebody.* They has no they? stated antecedent. The antecedent is ~Yes. Brazil is one of the leading implied. In (h): They =the people Ann graphite producers in the world. worked for. *In written or more formal English, the passive is generally preferred to the use of impersonal they: Active: They fired her. Active:They mine graphite in Brazil, dont they? Passive: She was fired. Passive: Graphite is mined in Brazil, isnt it?

FORMS OF OTHER ADJECTIVE SINGULAR another book (is) PLURAL other book (are) SINGULAR the other book (is) PLURAL the other books (are)

Forms of other are used as either adjective or pronouns, Notice: A final s is used only for plural pronoun (others). (a) The students in the class come The meaning of another: one more in from many countries. One of the addition to the one(s) already mentioned. students is from Mexico. Another The meaning of other/ others (without the): student is from Iraq. Another is from several more in addition to the one(s) Japan. Other students are from Brazil. already mentioned. Others are from Algeria. (b) I have three books. Two are mine. The meaning of the other(s): all that The other book is yours. (The other is remains from a given number; the rest of a yours). specific group. (c) I have three books. One is mine. The other books are yours. (The others are yours.) (d) I will be here for another Another is used as an adjective with three years. expressions of time, money, and distance, (e) I need another five dollars. even if these expressions contain plural (f) We drove another ten miles. nouns. Another means an additional in these expressions.

PRONOUN another (is) others (are) the other (is) the others (are)

COMMON EXPRESSIONS WITH OTHER (a) We write to each other every week. We write to one another every week. (b) Please write on every other line. I see her every other week. Each other and one another indicate reciprocal relationship.* In (a): I write to him every week, and he writes to me every week. Every other can give the idea of alternate. In (b): Write on the first line. Do not write on the second line. Write on the third line. Do not write on the fourth line. (Etc.) The other is used in time expression such as the other day, the other morning, the other week, etc., to refer to the recent past. In (c): the other day means a few days ago, not long ago. In (d): one after the other expresses the idea that separate actions occur very close in time. In (e): one after another has the same meaning as one after the other.

(c) Have you seen Ali recently? Yes. I saw him just the other day.

(d) The ducklings walked in a line behind the mother duck. Then the mother duck slipped into the pond. The ducklings followed her. They slipped into the water one after the other. (e) They slipped into the water one after another. (f) No one knows my secret other than In (f): other than is usually used after a Rosa. negative to mean except.(g) has the same (g) No one knows my secret except (for) meaning. Rosa. (h) Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins In (h): In other words is used to explain, and minerals. In other words, they are usually in simpler or clearer terms, the good for you. meaning of the preceding sentence(s). *In typical usage, each other and one another are interchangeable; there is no difference between them. Some native speakers, however, use each other when they are talking about only two persons or things, and one another when there are more than two.