Pronouns http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3rybyl

Menu Resources Pronoun Case (List) Indefinite Pronouns (List) Working with Indefinite Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Comparison Using Pronouns Who versus Whom Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Overview Number Person Ambiguous Repetitious

Purdue Owl: Using Pronouns Clearly Resources Purdue Owl: Using Pronouns Clearly Purdue Owl: Pronoun Case (includes a list of pronouns) Purdue Owl: Reflexive Pronouns Menu

Pronoun Case Menu Used as subjects Used as objects Used as possessives Used as reflexive Singular I me my, mine myself you you, yours yourself he him his himself she her hers herself it its itself Plural we us our, ours ourselves your, yours yourselves they them their, theirs themselves Singular or plural who whom whose Menu

Take singular or plural Indefinite Pronouns Take the singular verb everyone someone anyone no one everybody somebody anybody nobody everything something anything nothing each another either (of) neither (of) one (of) much such (a) Take the plural verb both few many several Take singular or plural all any more most none some Menu

Working with Indefinite Pronouns Everyone is hungry. The singular indefinite pronoun, everyone, takes the singular verb, is. Both were guilty. The plural indefinite pronoun, both, takes the plural verb, were. All of the apples were spoiled. All of the sugar was spilled. All can take the both the plural and singular. “Apples” is plural so all takes the plural verb. “Sugar” is singular so all takes the singular verb. Menu

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Overview The antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers. Mary wanted donuts, so she went to the store to buy some. Mary is the antecedent. She is the pronoun that refers to the antecedent. Menu

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Number must agree in number (singular or plural) with the antecedent Incorrect: The people went to the party. He had a great time. “People” is the antecedent. “He” is the pronoun, but it does not agree with the antecedent because “people” is plural, and “he” is singular. How do we fix this? Correct: The people went to the party. They had a great time. Menu

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Person must agree in person with the antecedent Incorrect: The author went to the book signing. She only had one fan. “Author” is the antecedent. “She” is the pronoun, but it does not agree with the antecedent because “author” is not clearly male or female. How do we fix this? Correct: The author went to the book signing. He or she only had one fan. Menu

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Ambiguous the antecedent must be clearly presented prior to stating the pronoun Josephine and Louise walked to the room, and she went into it. Which “she” went into the room? They call Chicago the Windy City. Who is “they?” Menu

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Repetitious do not state the antecedent and include a pronoun directly after it By removing the comma and “she,” the sentence is now clear and without repetition. You cannot leave “she” and remove “Julia Alvarez” otherwise it will not be clear who the “she” is, and it will then be ambiguous. Incorrect: In “Snow,” author Julia Alvarez, she writes about a young, immigrant girl experiencing school in the United States during the Cold War. How do we fix this? Correct: In “Snow,” author Julia Alvarez, she writes about a young, immigrant girl experiencing school in the United States during the Cold War. Menu

Reflexive Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Used Correctly: the person is doing something to or for oneself Incorrect: For more information, please call Beth or myself. Incorrect: Tina, herself, likes pizza. How do we fix this? Reflexive Pronouns Used Correctly: Martha cooked dinner for herself. Jim burned himself while cooking dinner. (He did it to himself). Correct: For more information, please call Beth or myself. Correct: Tina, herself, likes pizza. The use of myself is incorrect here. You would not call myself. You would call “me.” This sentence should read “For more information, please call Beth or me.” The use of herself is unnecessary. You can simply say “Tina likes pizza.” Menu

Comparison Using Pronouns Choose the correct pronoun: The company paid Mary the same as I/me. Paul did better on the math test than he/him. This is explaining that Paul took the test, and he took the test. Therefore, Paul did better on the math test than he did. This is explaining that the company is paying Mary, and the company is paying me. Therefore, the company paid Mary and me. Menu

Who versus Whom “Who” functions as a subject. “Whom” functions as an object. Always take the phrase and ask it as a question. Then, when you answer it, answer it using they or them. Example: Everyone who/whom heard the band was impressed. Who heard the band? They heard the band. Since the answer is they, you would use who. Example: The people who/whom we met at the hospital had the same opinion. Who did we meet at the hospital? We met them at the hospital? Since the answer is them, you would use whom. Menu