Pronoun Reference

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Personal Pronouns

SubjectPronoun

ObjectPronoun

Possessive Adjective

Possessive Pronoun

Reflexive Pronoun

I me my mine myself

we us our ours ourselves

you you your yours yourself, yourselves

he him his his himself

she her her hers herself

it it its ― itself

they them their theirs themselves

one one one’s ― oneself

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Rules for Using Personal Pronouns

Use the pronoun according to the form requiredThe scientist showed us his invention.

Use an object pronoun after a preposition Between us, the competition is a non issue.

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Rules for Using Personal Pronouns

Do not confuse its with it’sits – belonging to it e.g. its engine (the engine of the car)

it’s – a contracted form of it is e.g. It’s raining Use the appropriate forms for reflexive

pronounsYou have to do the assignment yourself. (one person)

You have to work among yourselves for this project. (more than one person)

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Pronoun Reference

Use a pronoun to refer to a noun phrase or another pronoun (called the antecedent) mentioned earlier in your writing.

Cancer is a major illness, but not everyone who contracts cancer will die from it.

Name the highlighted words.

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Pronoun Reference

Use a pronoun to refer to a noun phrase or another pronoun (called the antecedent) mentioned nearby in your writing.

Cancer is a major illness, but not everyone who contracts cancer will die from it.

Cancer is the antecedent of it and it is the pronoun

reference for cancer.

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Pronoun Reference

The antecedent must be specified before the use of the pronoun.

Imaging is an important diagnostic tool for determining the stage and the precise locations of cancer to aid in cancer treatment plans. It can also be used to check if a cancer has returned.

What is the antecedent here?

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Pronoun Reference

The antecedent must be clear.

Imaging is an important diagnostic tool for determining the stage and its precise locations to aid in its treatment plans. They can also be used to check if a cancer has returned.

Do you notice the ambiguous use of its and they?

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Pronoun Agreement

A singular pronoun refers to a singular word or phrase and likewise for the plural form. Computer technology has its pros and cons.

Different disciplines are engulfed with their own ethical concerns.

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Pronoun Agreement

A possessive adjective agrees in gender with its antecedent, not the noun following it. Marie Curie brought pride to her country by winning the Nobel Prize.

Environmentalists showed their displeasure through demonstrations at the recent G8 meeting.

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Pronoun Agreement

Singular nouns need singular pronouns

countable noun collective noun uncountable noun and indefinite pronoun

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Pronoun AgreementTypes of Noun/ Pronoun

Examples Pronouns to be used

Singular countable noun

a persona book

he or sheit

Singular collective noun

a troopa collection

itit

Singular indefinite pronoun

everyone, someoneeach, every

he or she

he, she or itUncountable noun

Informationequipment

itit

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Pronoun Agreement

Plural countable nouns, compound noun phrases and some collective nouns need plural pronouns (they, them, their, theirs) Doctors have to abide by their code of ethics. Engineers and scientists think quite differently because of their training.

The government want their citizens to support them.

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Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns (also function as adjectives) are used to point out what is referred to.

This/these indicate proximity in space and time. That/those indicate distance. Demonstrative pronouns cannot be used if there

was no mention of the object or concept earlier. The invention shows this principle is true.

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Source

Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for Student Writers (3rd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press, 106-113.