1.4 Pronouns
If there were no pronouns, all types of writing would be quite tedious to read. We would soon be frustrated by reading sentences like Bob said that Bob was tired or Christina told the class that Christina received an A. Pronouns help a writer avoid constant repetition. Knowing just how pronouns work is an important aspect of clear and concise writing.
Pronouns indicate respect for diverse communities. If someone provides you with their pronouns, you use them to indicate respect. Not using those pronouns may be considered disrespectful.
Healthcare has an incredibly diverse culture and requires professionals to create a safe and respectful environment for all community members. Please be as respectful as possible.
Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of (or refers back to) a noun or another pronoun. The word or words a pronoun refers to is called the antecedent of the pronoun.
1. Lani complained that she was exhausted.
- She refers to Lani.
- Lani is the antecedent of she.
2. Jeremy left the party early, so I did not see him until Monday at work.
- Him refers to Jeremy.
- Jeremy is the antecedent of him.
3. Crina and Rosalie have been best friends ever since they were freshman in high school.
- They refers to Crina and Rosalie.
- Crina and Rosalie is the antecedent of they.
Pronoun agreement errors occur when the pronoun and the antecedent do not match or agree with each other. There are several types of pronoun agreement.
Agreement in Number
If the pronoun takes the place of or refers to a singular noun, the pronoun must also be singular.
Incorrect: If a student (sing.) wants to return a book to the bookstore, they (plur.) must have a receipt.
Correct: If a student (sing.) wants to return a book to the bookstore, he or she (sing.) must have a receipt.
*If it seems too wordy to use he or she, change the antecedent to a plural noun.
Correct: If students (plur.) want to return a book to the bookstore, they (plur.) must have a receipt.
Agreement in Person
| Singular Pronouns | Plural Pronouns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Person | I | me | my (mine) | we | us | our (ours) |
| Second Person | you | you | your (yours) | you | you | your (your) |
| Third Person | he, she, it | him, her, it | his, her, its | they | them | their (theirs) |
If you use a consistent person, your reader is less likely to be confused.
Incorrect: When a person (3rd) goes to a restaurant, you (2nd) should leave a tip.
Correct: When a person (3rd) goes to a restaurant, he or she (3rd) should leave a tip.
Correct: When we (1st) go to a restaurant, I should (1st) should leave a tip.
Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement
Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific person or thing and are usually singular. Note that a pronoun that refers to an indefinite singular pronoun should also be singular. The following are some common indefinite pronouns.
| Common Indefinite Pronouns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| all | each one | few | nothing | several |
| any | each other | many | one | some |
| anybody | either | neither | one another | somebody |
| anything | everybody | nobody | oneself | someone |
| both | everyone | none | other | something |
| each | everything | no one | others | anyone |
Indefinite pronoun agreement
Incorrect: Everyone (sing.) should do what they (plur.) can to help.
Correct: Everyone (sing.) should do what he or she (sing.) can to help.
Incorrect: Someone (sing.) left their (plur.) backpack in the library.
Correct: Someone (sing.) left his or her (sing.) backpack in the library.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns suggest more than one person but are usually considered singular. Look over the following examples of collective nouns.
| Common Collective Nouns | ||
|---|---|---|
| audience | faculty | public |
| band | family | school |
| class | government | society |
| committee | group | team |
| company | jury | tribe |
Collective noun agreement
Incorrect: Lara’s company (sing.) will have their (plur.) annual picnic next week.
Correct: Lara’s company (sing.) will have its (sing.) annual picnic next week.
Subject and Object Pronouns
Subject pronouns function as subjects in a sentence. Object pronouns function as the object of a verb or a preposition.
| Singular Pronouns | Plural Pronouns | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Object | Subject | Object |
| I | me | we | us |
| you | you | you | you |
| he, she, it | him, her, it | they | them |
The following sentences show pronouns as subjects:
- She loves Agawa Canyon in the fall.
- Every summer, they picked up litter from national parks.
The following sentences show pronouns as objects:
- Marie leaned over and kissed him.
- Jane moved it to the corner.
Tip
Note that a pronoun can also be the object of a preposition.
Near them, the children played.
My mother stood between us.
The pronouns us and them are objects of the prepositions near and between. They answer the questions near whom? And between whom?
Compound subject pronouns are two or more pronouns joined by a conjunction or a preposition that function as the subject of the sentence.
The following sentences show pronouns with compound subjects:
Incorrect: Me and Harriet visited the Calgary Stampede last summer.
Correct: Harriet and I visited the Calgary Stampede last summer.
Correct: Jenna accompanied Harriet and me on our trip.
Tip
Note that object pronouns are never used in the subject position. One way to remember this rule is to remove the other subject in a compound subject, leave only the pronoun, and see whether the sentence makes sense. For example, Me visited the Grand Canyon last summer sounds immediately incorrect.
Compound object pronouns are two or more pronouns joined by a conjunction or a preposition that function as the object of the sentence.
Incorrect: I have a good feeling about Janice and I.
Correct: I have a good feeling about Janice and me.
It is correct to write Janice and me, as opposed to me and Janice. Just remember it is more polite to refer to yourself last.
Who versus Whom
Who or whoever is always the subject of a verb. Use who or whoever when the pronoun performs the action indicated by the verb.
Who won the marathon last Tuesday?
I wonder who came up with that terrible idea!
On the other hand, whom and whomever serve as objects. They are used when the pronoun does not perform an action. Use whom or whomever when the pronoun is the direct object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
Whom did Frank marry the third time? (direct object of verb)
From whom did you buy that old record player? (object of preposition)
Tip
If you are having trouble deciding when to use who and whom, try this trick. Take the following sentence:
Who/Whom do I consider my best friend?
Reorder the sentence in your head, using either he or him in place of who or whom.
I consider him my best friend.
I consider he my best friend.
Which sentence sounds better? The first one, of course. So the trick is, if you can use him, you should use whom.
Key Takeaways
- Pronouns and their antecedents need to agree in number and person.
- Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
- Collective nouns are usually singular.
- Pronouns can function as subjects or objects.
- Subject pronouns are never used as objects, and object pronouns are never used as subjects.
- Who serves as a subject of a verb.
- Whom serves as an object of a sentence or the object of a preposition.
“7.5 Pronouns” from Putting the Pieces Together by Andrew M. Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Removed Learning Objectives, Exercises, Connecting the Pieces, and Writing Application; Added importance of pronouns in health care.
