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Use of Pronouns in Academic Writing

Published by Alvin Nicolas at August 17th, 2021 , Revised On August 24, 2023

Pronouns are words that make reference to both specific and nonspecific things and people. They are used in place of nouns.

First-person pronouns (I, We) are rarely used in academic writing. They are primarily used in a reflective piece, such as a reflective essay or personal statement. You should avoid using second-person pronouns such as “you” and “yours”. The use of third-person pronouns (He, She, They) is allowed, but it is still recommended to consider gender bias when using them in academic writing.

The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun that the pronoun represents. In English, you will see the antecedent appear both before and after the pronoun, even though it is usually mentioned in the text before the pronoun. The students could not complete the work on time because they procrastinated for too long. Before he devoured a big burger, Michael looked a bit nervous.

The Antecedent of a Pronoun

Make sure the antecedent is evident and explicit whenever you use a pronoun in a sentence. You may want to replace the pronoun with the noun to eliminate any vagueness.

After the production and the car’s mechanical inspection were complete, it was delivered to the owner.

In the above sentence, it is unclear what the pronoun “it” is referring to.

After the production and the car’s mechanical inspection was complete, the car was delivered to the owner.

Use of First Person Pronouns (I, We) in Academic Writing

The use of first-person pronouns, such as “I” and “We”, is a widely debated topic in academic writing.

While some style guides, such as ‘APA” and “Harvard”, encourage first-person pronouns when describing the author’s actions, many other style guides discourage their use in academic writing to keep the attention to the information presented within rather than who describes it.

Similarly, you will find some leniency towards the use of first-person pronouns in some academic disciplines, while others strictly prohibit using them to maintain an impartial and neutral tone.

It will be fair to say that first-person pronouns are increasingly regular in many forms of academic writing. If ever in doubt whether or not you should use first-person pronouns in your essay or assignment, speak with your tutor to be entirely sure.

Avoid overusing first-person pronouns in academic papers regardless of the style guide used. It is recommended to use them only where required for improving the clarity of the text.

If you are writing about a situation involving only yourself or if you are the sole author of the paper, then use the singular pronouns (I, my). Use plural pronouns (We, They, Our) when there are coauthors to work.

Avoiding First Person Pronouns

You can avoid first-person pronouns by employing any of the following three methods.

There are advantages and disadvantages of each of these three strategies. For example, passive voice introduces dangling modifiers, which can make your text unclear and ambiguous. Therefore, it would be best to keep first-person pronouns in the text if you can use them.

In some forms of academic writing, such as a personal statement and reflective essay, it is completely acceptable to use first-person pronouns.

The Problem with the Editorial We

Avoid using the first person plural to refer to people in academic text, known as the “editorial we”. The use of the “editorial we” is quite common in newspapers when the author speaks on behalf of the people to express a shared experience or view.

Refrain from using broad generalizations in academic text. You have to be crystal clear and very specific about who you are making reference to. Use nouns in place of pronouns where possible.

When we tested the data, we found that the hypothesis to be incorrect.
When the researchers tested the data, they found the hypothesis to be incorrect.
As we started to work on the project, we realized how complex the requirements were.
As the students started to work on the project, they realized how complex the requirements were.

If you are talking on behalf of a specific group you belong to, then the use of “we” is acceptable.

It is essential to be aware of our own
It is essential for essayists to be aware of their own weaknesses.
Essayists need to be aware of their own

Use of Second Person Pronouns (You) in Academic Writing

It is strictly prohibited to use the second-person pronoun “you” to address the audience in any form of academic writing. You can rephrase the sentence or introduce the impersonal pronoun “one” to avoid second-person pronouns in the text.

To achieve the highest academic grade, you must avoid procrastination.
To achieve the highest academic grade, one must avoid procrastination.
As you can notice in below Table 2.1, all participants selected the first option.
As shown in below Table 2.1, all participants selected the first option.

Use of Third Person Pronouns (He, She, They) in Academic Writing

Third-person pronouns in the English language are usually gendered (She/Her, He/Him). Educational institutes worldwide are increasingly advocating for gender-neutral language, so you should avoid using third-person pronouns in academic text.

In the older academic text, you will see gender-based nouns (Fishermen, Traitor) and pronouns (him, her, he, she) being commonly used. However, this style of writing is outdated and warned against in the present times.

You may also see some authors using both masculine and feminine pronouns, such as “he” or “she”, in the same text, but this generally results in unclear and inappropriate sentences.

Considering using gender-neutral pronouns, such as “they”, ‘there”, “them” for unknown people and undetermined people. The use of “they” in academic writing is highly encouraged. Many style guides, including Harvard, MLA, and APA, now endorse gender natural pronouns in academic writing.

On the other hand, you can also choose to avoid using pronouns altogether by either revising the sentence structure or pluralizing the sentence’s subject.

When a student is asked to write an essay, he can take a specific position on the topic.
When a student is asked to write an essay, they can take a specific position on the topic.
When students are asked to write an essay, they are expected to take a specific position on the topic.
Students are expected to take a specific position on the essay topic.
The writer submitted his work for approval
The writer submitted their work for approval.
The writers submitted their work for approval.
The writers’ work was submitted for approval.

Make sure it is clear who you are referring to with the singular “they” pronoun. You may want to rewrite the sentence or name the subject directly if the pronoun makes the sentence ambiguous.

For example, in the following example, you can see it is unclear who the plural pronoun “they” is referring to. To avoid confusion, the subject is named directly, and the context approves that “their paper” addresses the writer.

If the writer doesn’t complete the client’s paper in time, they will be frustrated.
The client will be frustrated if the writer doesn’t complete their paper in due time.

If you need to make reference to a specific person, it would be better to address them using self-identified pronouns. For example, in the following sentence, you can see that each person is referred to using a different possessive pronoun.

The students described their experience with different academic projects: Mike talked about his essay, James talked about their poster presentation, and Sara talked about her dissertation paper.

Ensure Consistency Throughout the Text

Avoid switching back and forth between first-person pronouns (I, We, Our) and third-person pronouns (The writers, the students) in a single piece. It is vitally important to maintain consistency throughout the text.

For example, The writers completed the work in due time, and our content quality is well above the standard expected. We completed the work in due time, and our content quality is well above the standard expected. The writers completed the work in due time, and the content quality is well above the standard expected.“

How to Use Demonstrative Pronouns (This, That, Those, These) in Academic Writing

Make sure it is clear who you are referring to when using demonstrative pronouns. Consider placing a descriptive word or phrase after the demonstrative pronouns to give more clarity to the sentence.

For example, The political relationship between Israel and Arab states has continued to worsen over the last few decades, contrary to the expectations of enthusiasts in the regional political sphere. This shows that a lot more needs to be done to tackle this. The political relationship between Israel and Arab states has continued to worsen over the last few decades, contrary to the expectations of enthusiasts in the regional political sphere. This situation shows that a lot more needs to be done to tackle this issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 8 types of pronouns.

The 8 types of pronouns are:

Personal: Refers to specific persons.
Demonstrative: Points to specific things.
Interrogative: Used for questioning.
Possessive: Shows ownership.
Reflexive: Reflects the subject.
Reciprocal: Indicates mutual action.
Relative: Introduces relative clauses.
Indefinite: Refers vaguely or generally.

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What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples

What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples

Published on October 17, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 2, 2023.

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun , often to avoid the need to repeat the same noun over and over. Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, things, concepts, and places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun.

People tend to use “pronouns” to mean personal pronouns specifically, but there are many other kinds of pronouns that are just as important to English grammar. The words highlighted in bold below are all pronouns.

It might rain tomorrow, but there isn’t much we can do about that .

These are the days that I like best.

How are pronouns used in sentences, pronouns vs. nouns, pronouns vs. determiners, personal pronouns (first-, second-, and third-person).

Demonstrative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Relative pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns
Dummy pronouns (expletives)

Pronoun antecedents

The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun that it refers back to. It’s usually mentioned in the text before the pronoun, but sometimes it comes just after it in a sentence. The antecedent may also be something the person you’re speaking to said. Pronoun-antecedent agreement means ensuring that the pronoun you use matches its antecedent in number, person, and gender.

As they debated the point, the students became increasingly animated.

Person A: What do you think of Julian ?

When you use any type of pronoun, it’s important to ensure that the antecedent is clear and unambiguous. If there is any ambiguity, use the noun instead. For example, below, “it” would be unclear, as it could refer to either the interview or the test.

After the interview and the written test were completed, it was checked for incomplete answers.
After the interview and the written test were completed, the test was checked for incomplete answers.

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While pronouns constitute a relatively small class of words that tends not to change over time, nouns are a much broader class that is constantly expanding. Like pronouns, nouns refer to things, people, places, and concepts, but they do so with much greater specificity.

Like pronouns, nouns can function as the head of a noun phrase and as the object or subject of a verb . A complete sentence may consist of just a noun and a verb (“Jeremy spoke.”), just as it could of a pronoun and a verb (“He spoke.”).

Unlike pronouns, nouns are fixed in form—they don’t change spellings depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. For example, while the third-person masculine pronoun “he” becomes “him” when used as an object, the noun “man” doesn’t change.

Many pronouns are closely related to determiners, being spelled similarly (or identically) and expressing related meanings. For example, possessive pronouns like “yours” are closely related to possessive determiners like “your”; and demonstrative pronouns like “that” are identical to the demonstrative determiners.

The grammatical distinction between the two is that pronouns stand on their own as the subject or object of a verb, whereas determiners are only used to modify nouns, not acting as subjects or objects in their own right.

Personal pronouns are words like “he” that refer to yourself, the person you’re addressing, or other people and things. They usually refer to an antecedent but may occur without one when the reference is self-evident (e.g., “I” always refers to the person saying or writing it).

Personal pronouns can change their form based on:

Person ( first- , second- , or third-person )
Number (singular or plural)
Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, or epicene)
Case ( subject , object , possessive , or reflexive / intensive )

The impersonal pronoun “one” is used in general statements about no particular person. It has fewer forms than the personal pronouns but is otherwise used in the same way.

Download this table

The four demonstrative pronouns ( this , that , these , and those ) are used to indicate something previously mentioned or, in conversation, something that is clear from the context. For example, in the sentence “Take this,” “this” has no explicit antecedent, but it would be clear in context that it referred to whatever object you were being given.

The demonstrative pronouns give information about the relative closeness (literal or figurative) of the things they refer to, especially when they’re contrasted with each other:

The “near” demonstrative this (singular) or these (plural) indicates something close to you.
The “far” demonstrative that (singular) or those (plural) indicates something farther from you.

Interrogative pronouns are used (along with other types of interrogative words) to introduce questions. The interrogative pronouns are:

What and which , used to ask questions about things
Who and whom , used to ask about people
Whose , used to ask about ownership

What were your favorite classes at school?

A relative pronoun is used to introduce a relative clause—a phrase that usually supplies more information about the preceding noun. They have a lot in common with interrogative pronouns. The relative pronouns are:

Which(ever) , that , and what(ever) , used in relation to things
Who(ever) and whom(ever) , used in relation to people
Whose , used to indicate ownership

Relative pronouns are often omitted in practice (e.g., “the book [that] I read”). There’s nothing wrong with doing this as long as it doesn’t create ambiguity.

It doesn’t matter whose it was; it’s ours now!

Indefinite pronouns are words like “somebody” that refer to an unspecified person or thing. Many of them are formed using some combination of some- , any- , every- , or no- with -thing , -one , -where , or -body .

There are also various indefinite pronouns used to describe quantity, such as “little,” “many,” “none,” and “enough.” And there are distributive pronouns like “neither” and “each” that allow you to distinguish between options.

The impersonal pronoun “one” can also be regarded as indefinite.

No one likes him, and he doesn’t like anyone .

Some are born lucky, while others have to work hard for everything they get.

Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate a reciprocal relationship between two people or things, where the members of a group each perform the same action relative to the other(s). The English reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another .

Some writers claim that “each other” should only be used to refer to groups of two and “one another” to groups of three or more. But this distinction is rejected by most style guides and not borne out in practice; you can use the two interchangeably.

A dummy pronoun (also called an expletive ) is a pronoun that doesn’t have any explicit meaning but is necessary to the sentence structure . Unlike other pronouns, dummy pronouns don’t actually replace a noun.

The two words used as dummy pronouns in English are it and there . Note that both words can also fulfill other grammatical roles. Dummy pronouns are commonly used to talk about the weather, to emphasize certain elements in a sentence, or to introduce the existence of something.

There are thousands of different species of birds in the world.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns, verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

Common nouns
Proper nouns
Collective nouns
Personal pronouns
Uncountable and countable nouns
Verb tenses
Phrasal verbs
Types of verbs
Active vs passive voice
Subject-verb agreement
Interjections
Determiners
Prepositions

The term preferred pronouns is used to mean the (third-person) personal pronouns a person identifies with and would like to be referred to by. People usually state the subject and object pronoun (e.g., “she/her”) but may also include the possessive (e.g., “she/her/hers”).

Most people go by the masculine “he/him,” the feminine “she/her,” the gender-neutral singular “they/them,” or some combination of these. There are also neopronouns used to express nonbinary gender identity, such as “xe/xem.” These are less common than the singular “they.”

The practice of stating one’s preferred pronouns (e.g., in a professional context or on a social media profile) is meant to promote inclusion for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The first- and second-person pronouns (“I” and “you”) are not included, since they’re the same for everyone.

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun. Like nouns, pronouns refer to people, things, concepts, or places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun.

A pronoun can serve as the subject or object in a sentence, and it will usually refer back (or sometimes forward) to an antecedent—the noun that the pronoun stands in for. Pronouns are used to avoid the need to repeat the same nouns over and over.

Pronouns can be categorized into many types, all of which are very commonly used in English:

Subject and object pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns and intensive pronouns
Impersonal pronouns

Pronouns are words like “I,” “she,” and “they” that are used in a similar way to nouns . They stand in for a noun that has already been mentioned or refer to yourself and other people.

Pronouns can function just like nouns as the head of a noun phrase and as the subject or object of a verb . However, pronouns change their forms (e.g., from “I” to “me”) depending on the grammatical context they’re used in, whereas nouns usually don’t.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Caulfield, J. (2023, March 02). What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/pronouns/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Using Pronouns Clearly

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This section has information about how to use pronouns correctly.

Because a pronoun REFERS to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to.

Therefore, pronouns should:

1. Agree in number

If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.

NOTE: Some find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent and thus use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her."

NOTE ALSO: Recently, the use of "they" and "their" as singular pronouns has become more popular. This is due in part to the awkwardness of workarounds like "his or her" and in part to a broader cultural recognition that not all individuals identify themselves with the words "he" or "she." In fact, several official citation resources (including the the Associated Press and the Chicago Manual of Style ) now include guidance on this kind of usage. See the OWL's page on the singular "they" for more information.

2. Agree in person

If you are writing in the first person (I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the second person (you) or third person (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the second person, don't switch to first or third.

3. Refer clearly to a specific noun.

Don't be vague or ambiguous.

(Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)

(Who are "they"?)

(What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)

(What word does "this" refer to?)

(What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?)

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A pronoun is a word that can substitute for a noun or a noun phrase.

There are several common types of mistakes made in pronoun usage. The most frequent mistake, involving pronoun-antecedent agreement, is covered in the Pronoun Agreement section of this tutorial.

This particular section will cover mistakes in the use of relative, personal, and reflexive pronouns , as well as pronoun reference , and in the use of gender-neutral language .

Relative pronouns

Who / Whom / Whose

When used in questions, who is the nominative form of the pronoun, and it should be used when the pronoun is the subject.

Whom should be used in questions when the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition.

Who, whom , and whose are also used to introduce clauses. Whom should be used when the pronoun is the object of the verb in the clause or the object of the preposition. Whose expresses possession.

Personal and reflexive pronouns (I, me, myself)

Here, the pronoun myself is used incorrectly. Myself is a reflexive pronoun. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object are the same. It can also be used for emphasis.

The sentence above should be corrected to:

Here are examples when the reflexive pronoun is used correctly:

Another error occurs when, instead of using the objective form of the personal pronoun ( me, him, her , etc.), we use the subjective form ( I, he, she , etc.).

The phrase completed by requires an object, so we should use the objective form of the first person pronoun -- me .

In order to make the sentence sound more formal, users often substitute I with myself incorrectly.

In the above sentence, we should use I instead of myself . Both John and I are subjects in that sentence; therefore, the subjective form of the pronoun should be used. We certainly cannot say:

Here's the corrected sentence:

Vague or ambiguous reference

Vague (or no) reference to the antecedent is one of the most common errors made by writers at many levels, as is the ambiguous use of pronouns as the subjects of sentences.

Here it is not clear who she refers to. To correct this error, simply make it clear who she is:

Consider the following example:

What this refers to is vague. It could either mean the cough syrup or the pills , or even both. To make the second sentence less ambiguous, remove this and clarify. There are many possible solutions; here is one:

You should be used only when referring directly to the reader.

Gender-neutral language

The use of gender-neutral language, while not specifically a grammatical issue, can be an important stylistic concern. It is good practice not to use either he or she as the default third person pronoun.

The example above uses the masculine pronoun to represent each person . There are also several ways to fix this; here is one:

Adjective or Adverb
Commonly Confused Words
Dangling Modifiers
Double Negatives
Inconsistent Verb Tenses
Misplaced Modifiers
Parallelism
Pronoun Agreement
Relative Clauses
Split Infinitives
Subject-verb Agreement
Use of Numbers
Punctuation
Organization

20.6 Editing Focus: Pronouns

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar.
Implement appropriate pronouns in written work.

You likely use Pronouns —words that substitute for nouns or noun phrases—in every text that you write, including this portfolio reflection. Pronouns are one of the eight main parts of speech, the others being nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Reference, Antecedent, and Case

Pronoun reference is the practice of using pronouns to replace nouns. The important thing to know about pronoun reference is that every pronoun must match the noun it replaces in terms of gender and number. Gender refers to the noun as either masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Masculine: Jorge is an educated man. He is Toby’s neighbor.

Feminine: Rico’s sister decided to go skating. She came back early.

Neuter: The car has four new tires . It runs much better with them .

However, if you’re not certain of someone’s gender identity or don’t want to project it on them, use the gender-neutral pronouns them , they , and their . See Spotlight on… Pronouns in Context for more about using gender-neutral pronouns.

Gender neutral: Pat likes to eat pizza. They like pineapple and bacon with lots of cheese.

Number means singular or plural.

Singular: Toby has one daughter . She is studying art.

Plural: Jorge has two children . They go to the same school.

In addition to gender and number, clarity is often a major issue when using pronouns. For example: When Lizzie smacked her arm into the glass window, she broke it. Did Lizzie break her arm, or did she break the window? In this case, the reference is not clear. One way to clarify the meaning would be to write the sentence this way: Lizzie broke the window when she smacked her arm into it .

The antecedent is the noun, nouns, or other pronoun or pronouns that the pronoun replaces. The antecedent usually appears earlier in the sentence or in a previous sentence, and the pronoun appears later in the same sentence or in another sentence.

Example 1: Although my friends tease me about my dancing style, I love them anyway.

Example 2: Mariah said she wanted to go home.

Example 3: The car was far away. Jessica couldn’t see what model it was.

Pronoun case refers to the grammatical function of the pronoun in a sentence. Pronouns that are the subjects (the person, place, or thing that performs the action of the verb or represents what or whom sentence is about) of a sentence are written in the subjective case . For example: I like pizza . Pronouns that are objects (nouns or pronouns affected by the action of a verb) of a sentence or preposition are written in the objective case . For example: Laura gave him the baseball. Jorge and Toby were standing in front of us in line . Lastly, possessive pronouns pronouns show ownership and are written in the possessive case . For example: The cat picked up its toy. Those notes are his and mine .

You already know that you cannot have a sentence without a subject and that subjects and objects in sentences must be nouns or pronouns. Remember, a pronoun is a stand-in for a noun. It is always playing substitute for a noun or nouns “already out there somewhere.” Imagine writing without pronouns:

When Marcy woke this morning, Marcy had a headache, so Marcy went to Marcy’s medicine cabinet and took one of Marcy’s headache pills that Marcy’s doctor had prescribed for Marcy .

When Marcy woke this morning, she had a headache, so she went to her medicine cabinet and took one of her headache pills that her doctor had prescribed for her .

Types of Pronouns

When you think of pronouns, personal pronouns such as those discussed in the previous section, referring to a specific person or object, are likely the first that come to mind. However, the world of pronouns extends to reflexive, indefinite, and demonstrative pronouns as well.

Personal Pronouns

Knowing the difference between subject personal pronouns and object personal pronouns will help you use them correctly.

Seeing both versions across from each other helps emphasize that each personal pronoun has its counterpart. In other words, if it isn’t we , then it is us , and if it isn’t me , then it is I .

Correct → She is such a sweet little dog .

Incorrect → Her is such a sweet little dog.

It is fairly obvious here which pronoun is correct. You have been saying it correctly all along, probably without being able to articulate the grammatical rule that made you do so. However, knowing the subject or object distinction can be especially helpful in knowing whether to use I or me . People often make mistakes when a sentence has a plural object. For example:

Jasmine and I ordered pizza for dinner. The pizza was delivered to Jasmine and me .

In the first sentence, the plural subject is Jasmine and I . I is the subject personal pronouns . In the second sentence, me is an object of the preposition ( to ), and the object personal pronoun — me —is correct. If the second sentence had the singular object pronoun me , no problem would arise. You would simply say that the pizza was delivered to me , not to I . Remember that an object personal pronoun stays an object personal pronoun no matter how many other objects are part of it.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are straightforward. They are pronouns that “reflect,” as an image does in a mirror. They refer to the same person or thing.

John couldn’t stop looking at himself in the mirror.

John is the original noun, or antecedent, and himself is the pronoun that points back at him. Note that reflexive pronouns always end in self or selves .

Indefinite Pronouns

While reflexive pronouns always refer to themselves—that is, the subject and object are the same person, place, thing, or idea— indefinite pronouns are the opposite. As their name suggests, they are not definite; they are in definite and do not refer to specific nouns. They do get their meaning across, but the nouns they refer to are not known. These are some of the most common indefinite pronouns:

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns point directly at something. They use all their pronoun power to indicate their preference, so much so that when someone uses a demonstrative pronoun, it is hard not to imagine them pointing at something directly. Good news and bad news come along with demonstrative pronouns. The good news is that there are only four demonstrative pronouns: this , that , these , and those . The bad news—and it’s not really bad—is that words that commonly play the role of pronouns are multitalented. The same word can play another role (part of speech) in a sentence. Sometimes these four words function as adjectives , which always modify nouns and pronouns. In the sentence That is my car , the word that is playing the role of a pronoun. It is the subject of the sentence. Only nouns or pronouns can be subjects. However, if the sentence read That car is mine , then that would be an adjective because it modifies (tells something about) the noun car .

Common Mix-Ups

It’s vs. its: This is an easy one to mix up but easy to correct. It’s means it is or it has . For example: It’s a hot day or It is a hot day . Its refers to possession. For example: This car has its problems . To be sure you are correct, substitute it is . To say The car has it is problems makes no sense, so its is correct.
Who vs. whom: Perhaps the most effective way to recognize which to use is to equate who to he and whom to him . For example: Who/Whom wrote the book? He wrote the book , so who is correct. Remember that whom is in the objective case. Think about it like this: whom is like them , so you might say, This is for them . Therefore, This is for whom? or Whom is this for? would be correct.
I vs. me: I is always a subject; me is always an object. So Demarcus and I left the building is correct because I is the subject. Conversely, Give the package to me and You gave me good advice are both correct because me is an object. Remember to use the correct pronoun with compound objects, as in the sentence Reflection has helped other class members and me improve our writing .

In Chapter 20, you have learned how to use different types of pronouns to substitute for nouns and noun phrases. You have also learned about common mix-ups when using pronouns.

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Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills

Unit 17 Pronouns

Learning Objectives

To learn personal, indefinite, and demonstrative pronouns
To understand the common uses of pronouns as in subject, object, possessive, and reflexive forms
To apply the noun-pronoun agreement rule and other uses of pronouns through multiple examples and a variety of writing situations

Statistics from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ . Last accessed on May 15, 2021.

II. Personal Pronouns and Their Uses

All pronouns are words to represent nouns. They can help avoid [1] repeating the same nouns and make the language more concise [2] . When you write a pronoun, you are using it to replace a noun in the previous sentence or previous part of the sentence.

1. The Worldometer is an organization located in the U.S. It provides real time statistics to everyone in the world.

“It” refers to “the Worldometer”.

2. Some people might think that 3,000 was not significant. They might be expecting a much larger number.

“They” refers to “some people”.

There are different types of pronouns depending on their functions in sentences. Pronouns that refer to people are called personal pronouns : I, you, he, she, we, they, herself, etc. “It” also belongs to this group.

A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence. In most cases, it is placed before a verb.

There are many people in the world. They live in different parts of the globe.
It is interesting to know that the population is growing faster in developing countries than in developed countries.

An object pronoun is used as the object of a sentence or the object of a preposition. It is used after a verb or after a preposition.

When my niece was born, my whole family celebrated the event. We celebrated it with a big party.
The baby was able to crawl [3] at three months old. We were very proud of her .

A reflexive pronoun is used while referring back to the subject. It is also used with “by” to mean “independently” or “without help”.

My niece was able to feed herself at ten months old.
Children like to try out new things by themselves .

A possessive adjective is followed by a noun to show ownership.

When my uncle came to the U.S. to work a few years ago, he brought his whole family.
My aunt was very happy with her new life here.

A possessive pronoun is used to replace the “possessive pronoun adjective + noun” already mentioned. It is also used in phrases like “a friend of mine” and “a coworker of hers”.

Our company hires foreign workers, but Vishal’s company hires more. His company hires more foreign workers than ours . (ours = our company)
The population in each country changes. Many years ago, there were more people in my country than in Nina’s. Now, hers has more than mine . (hers = her country; mine = my country)
My new co-worker is also a friend of mine . I am a friend of his .

Exercise 1 . Read the following information about migrant workers. Some pronouns are boldfaced. Highlight the closest noun that each underlined pronoun refers to. Highlight only one noun for each pronoun. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

The first sentence is an example:

“They” refers to “people”.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_worker#:~:text=A%20migrant%20worker%20is%20a,region%20in%20which%20they%20work.

Last accessed on July May 20, 2021.

III. Indefinite Pronouns and Their Uses

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or ideas in general and can be the subject or object of a sentence.

Indefinite pronouns are singular. The easiest way to remember them is to think of them as he/she/it. Therefore, the verbs and other pronouns related to the indefinite pronouns must take the singular form as well.

Everyone is doing his/her best for the family.
Everything is ready for the family reunion. Everybody is excited to see his/her family again.
No one needs to bring a gift for the reunion.

Repeating “he or she”, “his or her”, or “himself or herself” can be awkward [4] , especially when it is used multiple times in the same piece of writing. Therefore, it is very common to turn an indefinite pronoun or a noun to its plural form.

All people are doing their best for the family.
All things are ready for the family union. All members are excited to see their family again.

Exercise 2. Choose and highlight the correct form of pronoun for the blanks in sentences 1-3. Choose and highlight the correct form of verb for the blanks in sentences 4-6. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

Examples :

When a migrant worker works elsewhere , there are both positive and negative effects on __________ ( his/her , their ) family .

A migrant worker often __________ ( have , has ) to adjust to a new environment .

IV. Demonstrative Pronouns and Their Uses

There are four demonstrative pronouns : this, that, these, those.

This is the money from Joe. It will help the family tremendously [5] .
Joe is working in construction in another city. That is hard work for him.
Last year, Joe was able to have a two-week vacation. He was very excited about that .
Joe went on two short trips with his family. Those were happy trips.

“This” and “that” can also be used to mean the idea or situation just mentioned.

Joe was coming home for a two-week vacation. This made the whole family very excited.
Joe had not been home for two years. That was hard for the family.

This = the idea or situation that Joe was coming home for a two-week vacation

That = the idea or situation that Joe had not been home for two years

Exercise 3. The demonstrative pronouns and their related verbs are bold-faced in the following sentences about census. Click “True” for correct sentences and “False” for the wrong ones. You will get instant feedback on your answer. If a sentence is wrong, you will also see the correct answer and explanation in blue .

Adapted from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-over-the-nextdecade#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20population%20today%2C%20at,just%20under%201.4%20billion%2C%20respectively . Last accessed on May 20, 2021.

V. Noun-Pronoun Agreement

Noun-pronoun agreement means that whenever a pronoun is used, it must match the noun it refers to in number and gender.

Agreement in number : A singular pronoun must match a singular noun, and a plural pronoun must match a plural noun. In the following sentences, the underlined pronouns refer to the nouns in bold .

When my niece was born, my whole family celebrated the event . We celebrated it with a big party. (singular)
There are many people in the world. They live in different parts of the globe. (plural)

Agreement in gender : A masculine pronoun should match a masculine noun, and a feminine pronoun should match a feminine noun. A gender-neutral pronoun should match a gender-neutral noun. In the following sentences, the underlined pronouns refer to the nouns in bold .

When my uncle moved to the U.S. a few years ago, he brought his whole family. (masculine)
My niece could walk steadily at age one. We were very proud of her . (feminine)
Many children have to take care of themselves at an early age. (gender-neutral)
They love the U.S . for its better educational and career opportunities. (gender-neutral)

When you read the sentences you have already studied earlier in this unit, you will see that all the pronouns follow the noun-pronoun agreement rule.

Exercise 4 . Here is the paragraph from the pretest of this unit. This time, fill in the correct pronoun for each blank. When you finish the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may also retry or see all the answers.

VI. Ot her Ru les in Pronouns

1. When there is already a subject in the sentence, do not add a pronoun as part of the subject.

My neighbors they migrated to the U.S. last year to work as data analysts.
My neighbors migrated to the U.S. last year to work as data analysts.
Sanjay he is working in a trading company downtown.
Sanjay is working in a trading company downtown.

2. Do not use “me and my…”.

Me and my cousin live in the same city.
My cousin and I live in the same city.
Our grandparents visit me and my cousin every year.
Our grandparents visit my cousin and me every year.

3. Make the pronoun and the noun it refers to very clear. If the pronoun causes confusion, write the noun instead.

Sanjay told Guang that he was happy about his job . (Who is “he”, Sanjay or Guang?)
Sanjay told Guang, “I am happy about my job.”
Sanjay told Guang, “I am happy about your job.”
Sanjay was happy about his job, and he told Guang so.
Sanjay was happy about Guang’s job, and he told him so.

4. Change the pronouns used in the reported speech if needed to keep the meaning of the sentence logical.

When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said that you should check them online.
When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said, “ You should check them online.”
When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said that I should check them online.
My grandmother always reminds me that you must take good care of yourself in the new country.
My grandmother always reminds me, “ You must take good care of yourself in the new country.”
My grandmother always reminds me that I must take good care of myself in the new country.

5. Do not be confused by the following:

they are = they’re ≠ their

you are = you’re ≠ your

it is = it’s ≠ its

The computer and medical fields provide a lot of employment. Their very popular among migrant workers.
The computer and medical fields provide lot of employment. They are (They’re) very popular among migrant workers.
The job application has started. Your welcome to apply.
The job application has started. You are (You’re) welcome to apply.
The new position is out of town. Its 100 miles away from home.
The new position is out of town. It is (It’s) 100 miles away from home.
It’s location is not convenient, but it’s salary is good.
Its location is not convenient, but its salary is good.

Exercise 5 . The following paragraph is about census in other countries. There are six more errors in the use of pronouns (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

What about Other Countries?

A census helps a country know how many people there are and how policies can be adjusted [6] to best serve it (the m ) . The U.S. it is not the only country that has a census every ten years. Other countries such as China and Thailand do the same. Some countries like Japan and Canada they have a census every five years. Whether in our native country Thailand or in the U.S., me and my family participate in the census every time it happens. My parents always say that you should not miss any census because the government will use it’s results to better manage the country. My parents are model citizens. Their always doing their best.

VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 6. Read the following paragraph about foreign-born workers. Choose and highlight the most appropriate pronouns in the blanks. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

The first sentence is an example:

When migrant workers go to another country instead of another city of __________ (they, their ) own country, they are often called foreign-born workers.

Adapted from https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/foreign-born-workers-made-up-17-point-4-percent-of-labor-force-in-2019.htm , U.S. B ureau of Labor Statistics , May 29, 2020 . Last accessed on June 1, 2021.

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate pronouns in the following paragraph about a going-away party. You will get instant feedback on your answers. At the end of the exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

The party for Yuko was fun. Yuko, Elena, and I met in our ESL class two years ago. Since then, we have become good friends.

Exercise 8. Read the following paragraph about Americans teaching English overseas. There are six more errors in the use of pronouns (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

Teaching English Overseas [7]

a person with a toy plane on a world map

Many Americans go overseas to work. He (They) can work in a U.S.-based company or in a company of the foreign country where their living. One of the most popular overseas jobs is teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Native English speakers are very welcome because they not only teach English but also share different cultural perspectives [8] . Its also a great learning experience for the American teachers themselves. Of course, it will be extremely helpful if the EFL teachers can speak the local language. However, there are many opportunities for them to learn when their overseas. EFL teachers can teach in all types of settings – kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, and even companies. Depending on the country and type of setting, the qualifications and benefits may be different. For example, for most positions in elementary and high schools, an American teacher needs to have a bachelor’s degree, a teaching certificate or something similar, and some related work experience. It will be better if he or she has taught in another similar overseas program. Naturally, if someone accepts the job, they must have a passport and a working visa before leaving the U.S. The benefits usually include a reasonable salary, housing, and travel expenses. Some Americans apply for an overseas position directly by himself because the process might be more direct. Some others like to use an agency to help them as it can provide useful resources and tell them what to do. If anyone is interested in teaching overseas, they can find a lot of information online.

What do you think of leaving home to work in a far-away city or country? What would be the advantages and disadvantages for you and your family?
Does your native country conduct [9] a census regularly? If so, how often? How are the census results used?
Have you ever participated in a census? If so, where was it? When was it? Were there any questions that you found interesting or surprising?
The following is from U.S. and World Population Clock https://www.census.gov/popclock/ . Is any of the information below surprising or interesting to you? Why do you think so?
At 3:30 pm on May 17, 2021
332,339,884 people in the U.S.
One birth every 8 seconds.
One death every 12 seconds.
One net [10] international migrant every 670 seconds.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics that you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of word forms. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

A pronoun refers to a noun.
Subject pronoun – as the subject of a sentence, usually used before a verb.
Object pronoun – as the object of a verb or a preposition, usually used after a verb or a preposition.
Possessive adjective – to show who or what owns it, followed by a noun.
Possessive pronoun – to replace the “possessive adjective + noun” already mentioned.
Indefinite pronoun – to represent people, things, and ideas in general. All indefinite pronouns are singular and must take a singular form of the verb and the singular form of other related pronouns (he, she, it).
Demonstrative pronoun – to point to a close-by or a far-away person, thing, or idea. There are four such pronouns: this, that, these, those.
Pronoun rules include:
All pronouns must follow the noun-pronoun agreement rule; that is, they must match the noun they are referring to in number and gender.
Do not use a subject pronoun when there is already a subject of the sentence.
Do not use “me and my…”.
When the use of pronoun causes confusion, use a noun instead.
Change to appropriate pronouns in a reported speech.
they are = they’re ≠ their; you are = you are ≠ your; it is = it’s ≠ its

Media Attributions

people moving around on the street © Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash
three birds migrating © Photo by Chris Briggs on Unsplash
US Census 2020 paper © Photo by Enayet Raheem on Unsplash
people on boats in Bangkok, Thailand © Photo by Frida Aguilar Estrada on Unsplash
a bunch of colorful balloons © Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
a person with a toy plane on a world map © Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
avoid: verb, keep away from ↵
concise: adjective, clear, without unnecessary words ↵
crawl: verb, move along with hands and legs ↵
awkward: adjective, unnatural, uncomfortable ↵
tremendously: adverb, very much ↵
adjust: verb, make changes based on needs ↵
overseas: adverb, across the ocean ↵
perspective: noun, an idea or a thought ↵
conduct: verb, have, perform, do ↵
net: adjective, related to the leftover after deductions ↵

Chapter 20 Grammar

20.4 making pronouns and antecedents agree, learning objectives.

Understand the different types of pronouns.
Recognize pronoun antecedents.
Make sure pronouns and antecedents are relatively close together and match in person, number, gender, and human versus nonhuman state.

Pronouns can be somewhat confusing, but they can help make your use of language smoother and more compact. For example, if your name were Pete Rando, you could write, “Pete Rando is going back to wait to go back to Pete Rando’s camper until Pete Rando’s friends have seen the sunset at the Grand Canyon.” Or you could say, “I’m going to wait to go back to my camper until my friends have seen the sunset at the Grand Canyon.” A first step in understanding how and when to use pronouns properly is having an overall picture of pronouns. Study the following table for an overview of the different types of pronouns. Note that some pronouns, such as possessive pronouns and interrogative pronouns, show up on more than one list.

Another step in properly using pronouns is to recognize a pronoun’s antecedent, which is the noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers, and make sure the pronoun and antecedent match in number, person, gender, and human versus nonhuman state. Also, to make the antecedent-pronoun match clear, the pronoun should follow relatively soon after the antecedent, and no other possible antecedent should fall between the antecedent and the pronoun.

Key Takeaways

Take care to use these eight types of pronouns correctly: demonstrative, indefinite, interrogative, personal, possessive, reciprocal, reflexive/intensive, and relative.
For every pronoun, you should be able to easily identify a matching antecedent.
As a rule, a pronoun’s antecedent should be nearby, in the same sentence, and matching in person, number, gender, and human versus nonhuman state.
Everybody heard us sing _______________ version.
The pit crew did _______________ job like clockwork.
A small child should not be left to fend for _______________.
Beagles and Labradors often show off _______________ natural hunting tendencies.
Allie and Bethany are planning to help _______________ with their projects.
Ask each student to upload _______________ papers into the drop box.
Anyone can get _______________ transcripts by filling out the proper form.
Writers Handbook. Authored by : Anonymous. Provided by : Anonymous. Located at : http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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7.5 Pronouns

Learning objectives.

Identify pronouns and their antecedents.
Use pronouns and their antecedents correctly.

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.

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.

Agreement in Person

If you use a consistent person, your reader is less likely to be confused.

Edit the following paragraph by correcting pronoun agreement errors in number and person.

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.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns suggest more than one person but are usually considered singular. Look over the following examples of collective nouns.

Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct pronoun. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper. Then circle the noun the pronoun replaces.

In the current economy, nobody wants to waste ________ money on frivolous things.
If anybody chooses to go to medical school, ________ must be prepared to work long hours.
The plumbing crew did ________ best to repair the broken pipes before the next ice storm.
If someone is rude to you, try giving ________ a smile in return.
My family has ________ faults, but I still love them no matter what.
The school of education plans to train ________ students to be literacy tutors.
The commencement speaker said that each student has a responsibility toward ________.
My mother’s singing group has ________ rehearsals on Thursday evenings.
No one should suffer ________ pains alone.
I thought the flock of birds lost ________ way in the storm.

Subject and Object Pronouns

Subject pronouns function as subjects in a sentence. Object pronouns function as the object of a verb or of a preposition.

The following sentences show pronouns as subjects:

She loves the Blue Ridge Mountains 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.

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 Grand Canyon last summer.

Correct: Harriet and I visited the Grand Canyon last summer.

Correct: Jenna accompanied Harriet and me on our trip.

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.

Connecting the Pieces: Writing at Work

In casual conversation, people sometimes mix up subject and object pronouns. For instance, you might say, “Me and Donnie went to a movie last night.” However, when you are writing or speaking at work or in any other formal situation, you need to remember the distinctions between subject and object pronouns and be able to correct yourself. These subtle grammar corrections will enhance your professional image and reputation.

Revise the following sentences in which the subject and object pronouns are used incorrectly. Copy the revised sentence onto your own sheet of paper. Write a C for each sentence that is correct.

Meera and me enjoy doing yoga together on Sundays.

_____________________________________________________________

She and him have decided to sell their house.

Between you and I, I do not think Jeffrey will win the election.

Us and our friends have game night the first Thursday of every month.

They and I met while on vacation in Mexico.

Napping on the beach never gets boring for Alice and I.

New Year’s Eve is not a good time for she and I to have a serious talk.

You exercise much more often than me.

______________________________________________________________

I am going to the comedy club with Yolanda and she.

The cooking instructor taught her and me a lot.

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)

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 .

Complete the following sentences by adding who or whom . Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.

________ hit the home run?
I remember ________ won the Academy Award for Best Actor last year.
To ________ is the letter addressed?
I have no idea ________ left the iron on, but I am going to find out.
________ are you going to recommend for the internship?
With ________ are you going to Hawaii?
No one knew ________ the famous actor was.
________ in the office knows how to fix the copy machine?
From ________ did you get the concert tickets?
No one knew ________ ate the cake mom was saving.

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.

Writing Application

Write about what makes an ideal marriage or long-term relationship. Provide specific details to back up your assertions. After you have written a few paragraphs, go back and proofread your paper for correct pronoun usage.

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing academically: Personal pronouns

Academic style
Personal pronouns
Contractions
Abbreviations
Signposting
Paragraph structure
Using sources in your writing

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“Quote” Author, Book

Personal pronouns are used to replace people, places or things to make sentences shorter and clearer. Examples of personal pronouns include: I, we, it, they, you, and she. Your choice of personal pronoun will determine if you are writing in the first person or the third person.

Examples of pronouns

First person: I conducted an experiment on seedling growth under various conditions.

Second person: You will see that the results of my experiment provided support for growing seedlings in dark conditions.

Third person: It was found that seedling growth was significantly greater in the dark than in the light.

Which to use?

First (i) or third (it).

How do you decide whether to write in the first person, the second person, or the third person? In general the approach you choose depends on the nature of the assignment, and on your department:

Nature of the assignment – usually by default you will write an academic assignment in the third person. The main exception to this is when writing reflectively, in which case you are relating your own thoughts and experiences, and first person is more appropriate.

Discipline – most disciplines, particularly the sciences and social sciences require you to write in the third person. Some areas of the humanities require first person, but this may depend on the nature of the assignment. If in doubt refer to your module handbooks and speak to your tutors.

Second (You)

The second person (e.g. “you”) is the least commonly used form in academic writing, and generally addresses the reader or audience directly .

It is considered a bit chatty and as a consequence not normally used in academic writing.

One example of where it may be appropriate to use the second person is in the delivery of presentations where you may wish to address your audience directly.

Language is changing however and so is society.

Many people no longer associate themselves with a specific gender which can cause grammatical issues when referring to them.

They/their as gender neutral single third person pronouns is common in our spoken language and is becoming more acceptable in written language.

As with all things, check with your tutor to see if he/she/they (!) have a personal preference if you are unsure.

'We' should only be used if you have co-written a paper. We suggest that... would then be perfectly acceptable. Students often fall into the trap of using 'we' to mean all human kind, or all researchers, or all historians etc. This should also be avoided as you are making the reader guess who you are referring to. It is better to use the actual noun rather than the pronoun in this case. Alternatively you can switch to the third person i.e.

Wrong: We have been able to make connections between corvid and ape intelligence. For example...

Better: Some researchers have been able to make connections between corvid and ape intelligence. For example...

Or: It is possible to make connections between corvid and ape intelligence. For example...

There is a lot of debate about whether you should be able to use they/their as gender-neutral single third person pronouns as in the following sentences:

Example: Each child was able to make the choice they believed to be correct. A nurse should be able to make appropriate decisions about the care of their patient.

Strictly speaking, these sentences are grammatically incorrect as they and their are plural pronouns . One way to solve the problem is by switching to the plural noun in the earlier part of the sentence:

Example: Nurses should be able to make appropriate decisions about the care of their patients.

Where this is not appropriate you could use the more correct his/her or he/she (or even (s)he) which also avoids the problem:

Example: Each child was able to make the choice (s)he believed to be correct.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

ELA Standards: Language

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1d – Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my; they, them, their, anyone, everything). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1c – Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1a – Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1f – Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1a – Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1a – Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1b – Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1c – Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1d – Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).

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Pride Month

A guide to gender identity terms.

Laurel Wamsley

"Pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It's how someone refers to you in conversation," says Mary Emily O'Hara, a communications officer at GLAAD. "And when you're speaking to people, it's a really simple way to affirm their identity." Kaz Fantone for NPR hide caption

Issues of equality and acceptance of transgender and nonbinary people — along with challenges to their rights — have become a major topic in the headlines. These issues can involve words and ideas and identities that are new to some.

That's why we've put together a glossary of terms relating to gender identity. Our goal is to help people communicate accurately and respectfully with one another.

Proper use of gender identity terms, including pronouns, is a crucial way to signal courtesy and acceptance. Alex Schmider , associate director of transgender representation at GLAAD, compares using someone's correct pronouns to pronouncing their name correctly – "a way of respecting them and referring to them in a way that's consistent and true to who they are."

Glossary of gender identity terms

This guide was created with help from GLAAD . We also referenced resources from the National Center for Transgender Equality , the Trans Journalists Association , NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists , Human Rights Campaign , InterAct and the American Psychological Association . This guide is not exhaustive, and is Western and U.S.-centric. Other cultures may use different labels and have other conceptions of gender.

One thing to note: Language changes. Some of the terms now in common usage are different from those used in the past to describe similar ideas, identities and experiences. Some people may continue to use terms that are less commonly used now to describe themselves, and some people may use different terms entirely. What's important is recognizing and respecting people as individuals.

Jump to a term: Sex, gender , gender identity , gender expression , cisgender , transgender , nonbinary , agender , gender-expansive , gender transition , gender dysphoria , sexual orientation , intersex

Jump to Pronouns : questions and answers

Sex refers to a person's biological status and is typically assigned at birth, usually on the basis of external anatomy. Sex is typically categorized as male, female or intersex.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviors and roles that varies between societies and over time. Gender is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

Gender identity is one's own internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not outwardly visible to others.

For most people, gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth, the American Psychological Association notes. For transgender people, gender identity differs in varying degrees from the sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression is how a person presents gender outwardly, through behavior, clothing, voice or other perceived characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine or feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture.

Cisgender, or simply cis , is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender, or simply trans, is an adjective used to describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. A transgender man, for example, is someone who was listed as female at birth but whose gender identity is male.

Cisgender and transgender have their origins in Latin-derived prefixes of "cis" and "trans" — cis, meaning "on this side of" and trans, meaning "across from" or "on the other side of." Both adjectives are used to describe experiences of someone's gender identity.

Nonbinary is a term that can be used by people who do not describe themselves or their genders as fitting into the categories of man or woman. A range of terms are used to refer to these experiences; nonbinary and genderqueer are among the terms that are sometimes used.

Agender is an adjective that can describe a person who does not identify as any gender.

Gender-expansive is an adjective that can describe someone with a more flexible gender identity than might be associated with a typical gender binary.

Gender transition is a process a person may take to bring themselves and/or their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. It's not just one step. Transitioning can include any, none or all of the following: telling one's friends, family and co-workers; changing one's name and pronouns; updating legal documents; medical interventions such as hormone therapy; or surgical intervention, often called gender confirmation surgery.

Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one's sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity. Not all trans people experience dysphoria, and those who do may experience it at varying levels of intensity.

Gender dysphoria is a diagnosis listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some argue that such a diagnosis inappropriately pathologizes gender incongruence, while others contend that a diagnosis makes it easier for transgender people to access necessary medical treatment.

Sexual orientation refers to the enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or other genders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight orientations.

People don't need to have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation. They need not have had any sexual experience at all. They need not be in a relationship, dating or partnered with anyone for their sexual orientation to be validated. For example, if a bisexual woman is partnered with a man, that does not mean she is not still bisexual.

Sexual orientation is separate from gender identity. As GLAAD notes , "Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. A person who transitions from female to male and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a gay man."

Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don't fit typical definitions of male and female.

Intersex can refer to a number of natural variations, some of them laid out by InterAct . Being intersex is not the same as being nonbinary or transgender, which are terms typically related to gender identity.

The Picture Show

Nonbinary photographer documents gender dysphoria through a queer lens, pronouns: questions and answers.

What is the role of pronouns in acknowledging someone's gender identity?

Everyone has pronouns that are used when referring to them – and getting those pronouns right is not exclusively a transgender issue.

"Pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It's how someone refers to you in conversation," says Mary Emily O'Hara , a communications officer at GLAAD. "And when you're speaking to people, it's a really simple way to affirm their identity."

"So, for example, using the correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary youth is a way to let them know that you see them, you affirm them, you accept them and to let them know that they're loved during a time when they're really being targeted by so many discriminatory anti-trans state laws and policies," O'Hara says.

"It's really just about letting someone know that you accept their identity. And it's as simple as that."

Getting the words right is about respect and accuracy, says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Kaz Fantone for NPR hide caption

Getting the words right is about respect and accuracy, says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

What's the right way to find out a person's pronouns?

Start by giving your own – for example, "My pronouns are she/her."

"If I was introducing myself to someone, I would say, 'I'm Rodrigo. I use him pronouns. What about you?' " says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen , deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

O'Hara says, "It may feel awkward at first, but eventually it just becomes another one of those get-to-know-you questions."

Should people be asking everyone their pronouns? Or does it depend on the setting?

Knowing each other's pronouns helps you be sure you have accurate information about another person.

How a person appears in terms of gender expression "doesn't indicate anything about what their gender identity is," GLAAD's Schmider says. By sharing pronouns, "you're going to get to know someone a little better."

And while it can be awkward at first, it can quickly become routine.

Heng-Lehtinen notes that the practice of stating one's pronouns at the bottom of an email or during introductions at a meeting can also relieve some headaches for people whose first names are less common or gender ambiguous.

"Sometimes Americans look at a name and are like, 'I have no idea if I'm supposed to say he or she for this name' — not because the person's trans, but just because the name is of a culture that you don't recognize and you genuinely do not know. So having the pronouns listed saves everyone the headache," Heng-Lehtinen says. "It can be really, really quick once you make a habit of it. And I think it saves a lot of embarrassment for everybody."

Might some people be uncomfortable sharing their pronouns in a public setting?

Schmider says for cisgender people, sharing their pronouns is generally pretty easy – so long as they recognize that they have pronouns and know what they are. For others, it could be more difficult to share their pronouns in places where they don't know people.

But there are still benefits in sharing pronouns, he says. "It's an indication that they understand that gender expression does not equal gender identity, that you're not judging people just based on the way they look and making assumptions about their gender beyond what you actually know about them."

How is "they" used as a singular pronoun?

"They" is already commonly used as a singular pronoun when we are talking about someone, and we don't know who they are, O'Hara notes. Using they/them pronouns for someone you do know simply represents "just a little bit of a switch."

"You're just asking someone to not act as if they don't know you, but to remove gendered language from their vocabulary when they're talking about you," O'Hara says.

"I identify as nonbinary myself and I appear feminine. People often assume that my pronouns are she/her. So they will use those. And I'll just gently correct them and say, hey, you know what, my pronouns are they/them just FYI, for future reference or something like that," they say.

O'Hara says their family and friends still struggle with getting the pronouns right — and sometimes O'Hara struggles to remember others' pronouns, too.

"In my community, in the queer community, with a lot of trans and nonbinary people, we all frequently remind each other or remind ourselves. It's a sort of constant mindfulness where you are always catching up a little bit," they say.

"You might know someone for 10 years, and then they let you know their pronouns have changed. It's going to take you a little while to adjust, and that's fine. It's OK to make those mistakes and correct yourself, and it's OK to gently correct someone else."

What if I make a mistake and misgender someone, or use the wrong words?

Simply apologize and move on.

"I think it's perfectly natural to not know the right words to use at first. We're only human. It takes any of us some time to get to know a new concept," Heng-Lehtinen says. "The important thing is to just be interested in continuing to learn. So if you mess up some language, you just say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry,' correct yourself and move forward. No need to make it any more complicated than that. Doing that really simple gesture of apologizing quickly and moving on shows the other person that you care. And that makes a really big difference."

Why are pronouns typically given in the format "she/her" or "they/them" rather than just "she" or "they"?

The different iterations reflect that pronouns change based on how they're used in a sentence. And the "he/him" format is actually shorter than the previously common "he/him/his" format.

"People used to say all three and then it got down to two," Heng-Lehtinen laughs. He says staff at his organization was recently wondering if the custom will eventually shorten to just one pronoun. "There's no real rule about it. It's absolutely just been habit," he says.

Amid Wave Of Anti-Trans Bills, Trans Reporters Say 'Telling Our Own Stories' Is Vital

But he notes a benefit of using he/him and she/her: He and she rhyme. "If somebody just says he or she, I could very easily mishear that and then still get it wrong."

What does it mean if a person uses the pronouns "he/they" or "she/they"?

"That means that the person uses both pronouns, and you can alternate between those when referring to them. So either pronoun would be fine — and ideally mix it up, use both. It just means that they use both pronouns that they're listing," Heng-Lehtinen says.

Schmider says it depends on the person: "For some people, they don't mind those pronouns being interchanged for them. And for some people, they are using one specific pronoun in one context and another set of pronouns in another, dependent on maybe safety or comfortability."

The best approach, Schmider says, is to listen to how people refer to themselves.

Why might someone's name be different than what's listed on their ID?

Heng-Lehtinen notes that there's a perception when a person comes out as transgender, they change their name and that's that. But the reality is a lot more complicated and expensive when it comes to updating your name on government documents.

"It is not the same process as changing your last name when you get married. There is bizarrely a separate set of rules for when you are changing your name in marriage versus changing your name for any other reason. And it's more difficult in the latter," he says.

"When you're transgender, you might not be able to update all of your government IDs, even though you want to," he says. "I've been out for over a decade. I still have not been able to update all of my documents because the policies are so onerous. I've been able to update my driver's license, Social Security card and passport, but I cannot update my birth certificate."

"Just because a transgender person doesn't have their authentic name on their ID doesn't mean it's not the name that they really use every day," he advises. "So just be mindful to refer to people by the name they really use regardless of their driver's license."

NPR's Danielle Nett contributed to this report.

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Business report writing

Can you use the first person pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ in a report?

Catie holdridge.

7 minute read

A man pointing to himself with both index fingers.

Should we show up in our own business writing?

The question of whether it’s OK to use first person pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘we’ in business reports is a common one. (We know this because it comes up often on our courses .)

The short answer is ‘yes’. But that isn’t the full answer. Read on for the all-important detail.

Why we worry about using the first person in reports

The first person pronouns are ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, ‘mine’ (singular) and ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’, ‘ours’ (plural).

Further and higher education often instruct us to avoid using these words in reports. The goal here is to encourage us to think objectively. And removing the ‘I’ shifts focus from the writer onto the work. Teachers and lecturers also like to encourage students to habitually provide supporting evidence rather than just spouting unverified opinions.

All of which is entirely reasonable. But it means that by the time we enter the professional world, it feels alien or downright wrong to lay claim to anything we write with an ‘I’ or a ‘we’.

So can you use the first person in reports?

There’s no reason to follow a rule in business writing only because of an academic legacy. In fact, there are many ways that good business writing differs from typical academic writing . (Meanwhile, there’s also some support for students making thoughtful use of the first person in their academic writing, such as in this paper from Duke University in the US .)

Writing at work is much less about exploring ideas for their own sake and much more about getting stuff done. How we write has to reflect this. So, our writing should be as easy as possible to understand and usually needs to deliver key messages up front. It should be written with the target audience in mind. And, ideally, it should be engaging enough to keep people from giving up.

Our training and consultancy work is all about how to create this sort of writing. So let’s turn to a few members of our expert team for their responses to this question.

‘It’s fine to use “we” in a report if you’re clear on who “we” refers to,’ says our consultant and trainer Melissa Melly . ‘I wouldn’t generally advocate using “I”. Context is everything, though, so it depends.’

David Cameron, another of our consultants , agrees: ‘I tend to advise against using “I” in reports unless the writer is an acknowledged expert who is providing direct advice. I did this a few times in my in-house days [at the Environment Agency] when I was asked specifically to provide advice to the board. But I’d regard the first person as essential in engaging business writing.’

Using 'we' in reports

It’s easy to think of writing at work as purely functional. But for any business writing to do its job, a human being needs to actually engage with it. And a great principle to remember here is that we humans tend to be most interested – and best able to understand – when we read writing that:

includes people (not just concepts and abstracts)
explains matters in the simple terms in which we tend to understand our lives: that of [people] [doing] [things].

People doing things (rather than things simply happening) is essentially the active voice. This grammatical construction builds information in this order:

Subject (or ‘doer’) + verb (the ‘doer’/subject’s action) + object (the thing or person the action happened to).

For example:

Bernice (‘doer’/subject) filed (verb/action) the paperwork (object or receiver of the action).

Think about the opposite approach: the passive. This puts the subject (or ‘doer’) of the sentence after the thing that was done. Or it allows the writer to remove the ‘doer’ from the sentence altogether.

The paperwork was filed by Bernice .

Yes, it’s true that knowing who took a particular action isn’t always relevant . But when we needlessly remove ‘doers’ from sentences, activities become shrouded in mystery or ambiguity. Who took this action? Do we understand their level of expertise? Do we trust their judgement?

For example, compare:

Since the consultation period concluded and all evidence and data were reviewed, a new risk management process has now been implemented.

We ran a consultation period with Organisation X in June 2022. Their team reviewed the data alongside our in-house subject matter experts. As a result, we ‘ve brought in a new risk management process. This process involves …

The second version is longer, but it is also clearer. It’s more specific and transparent. Arguably, it’s more interesting.

When to avoid the first person in reports

When it comes to style choices, there’s usually a bit of nuance to any answer. Here’s the fine print on that initial ‘yes’.

1. Check your style guide

If you have style guidance in your organisation , it may cover whether you should avoid using ‘I’ and ‘we’ in your reports.

Using the first person (or not) is one element among many that shapes a company’s brand voice , so you may find a strong opinion either for it or against it.

2. Consider your audience and tone

Some argue that the more formal a report, the less you should include supposedly informal choices like using the first person.

It is always important to consider your audience (and your purpose) as you write. And if you’re convinced that using the first person would rub the reader the wrong way, there are ways to omit it without leaning too much on the passive. More on that in a moment.

But we’d also encourage you to challenge your assumptions ! For example, here is an Environment Agency annual report that our consultant David Cameron co-wrote during his time there. It had a pretty lofty audience.

‘It’s the formal report to the House of Commons on performance and spending,’ explains David. ‘There’s a lot of “we” in it. I didn’t get any complaints about it from the House of Commons or anyone else.’

You can also see the same use of ‘we’ in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s 2020–2021 annual report .

What to use instead of 'I' and 'we'

If your organisation insists on avoiding the use of the first person in reports, you don’t always need to fall back on the passive voice.

You can refer to those behind the report in the third person:

The team found …
The researchers showed …
The author(s) recommend(s) …

If you do use these, take a moment to observe the effect. Does the writing sound more detached, more formal? Is that what you want?

Alternatively, you can use documents and data as the ‘doers’:

The research points to …
This report recommends …
The evidence proved …
The review revealed …

Indeed, even when you can use ‘we’, it doesn’t mean you have to use it at every opportunity. You may want to emphasise that empirical evidence has directed you to a conclusion. In this case, using ‘the research’ or ‘the data’ as the ‘doer’ is a good idea whether you’re avoiding using ‘we’ or not.

Using ‘we’ thoughtfully

Where you have the option to include or exclude the first person from your writing, try out both ways of phrasing some sentences.

Notice how each option creates a shift in focus, a different tone, or a new level of clarity. Then make your choice in each case to create the document you want. It can be surprising the effect that an unassuming little word like ‘we’ can have.

Image credit: Kues / Shutterstock

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Catie joined Emphasis with an English literature and creative writing degree and a keen interest in what makes language work. Having researched, written, commissioned and edited dozens of articles for the Emphasis blog, she now knows more about the intricacies of effective professional writing than she ever thought possible. She produced and co-wrote our online training programme, The Complete Business Writer , and these days oversees all the Emphasis marketing efforts. And she keeps office repartee at a suitably literary level.

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Nouns and pronouns
What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples

What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples

Published on 17 October 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 23 May 2023.

People tend to use ‘pronouns’ to mean personal pronouns specifically, but there are many other kinds of pronouns that are just as important to English grammar. The words highlighted in bold below are all pronouns.

It might rain tomorrow, but there isn’t much we can do about that .

These are the days that I like best.

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How are pronouns used in sentences, pronouns vs nouns, pronouns vs determiners, personal pronouns (first-, second-, and third-person).

Demonstrative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Relative pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns
Dummy pronouns (expletives)

Frequently asked questions

The main function of pronouns is to replace nouns. Because of this, they are used in sentences in similar ways to nouns.

Like nouns, pronouns commonly serve as the subject of a sentence, followed by a verb (a word expressing an action).

We have never been to Germany before.

A pronoun can also function as the object in a sentence – either a direct or indirect object:

The direct object is something or someone that is directly acted upon by the verb.
The indirect object is someone or something that receives the direct object.

Can you promise her this ? Note A noun phrase is a noun or pronoun in combination with any determiners applied to it. Despite the name, noun phrases can just as well consist of pronouns as of nouns.

Pronoun antecedents

As they debated the point, the students became increasingly animated.

Person A: What do you think of Julian ?

When you use any type of pronoun, it’s important to ensure that the antecedent is clear and unambiguous. If there is any ambiguity, use the noun instead. For example, below, ‘it’ would be unclear, as it could refer to either the interview or the test.

After the interview and the written test were completed, it was checked for incomplete answers.
After the interview and the written test were completed, the test was checked for incomplete answers.

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Like pronouns, nouns can function as the head of a noun phrase and as the object or subject of a verb . A complete sentence may consist of just a noun and a verb (‘Jeremy spoke’.), just as it could of a pronoun and a verb (‘He spoke’.).

Unlike pronouns, nouns are fixed in form – they don’t change spellings depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. For example, while the third-person masculine pronoun ‘he’ becomes ‘him’ when used as an object, the noun ‘man’ doesn’t change.

Many pronouns are closely related to determiners, being spelled similarly (or identically) and expressing related meanings. For example, possessive pronouns like ‘yours’ are closely related to possessive determiners like ‘your’; and demonstrative pronouns like ‘that’ are identical to the demonstrative determiners.

Personal pronouns are words like ‘he’ that refer to yourself, the person you’re addressing, or other people and things. They usually refer to an antecedent but may occur without one when the reference is self-evident (e.g., ‘I’ always refers to the person saying or writing it).

Personal pronouns can change their form based on:

Person ( first- , second- , or third-person )
Number (singular or plural)
Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, or epicene)
Case ( subject , object , possessive , or reflexive / emphatic )

The impersonal pronoun ‘one’ is used in general statements about no particular person. It has fewer forms than the personal pronouns but is otherwise used in the same way.

Download this table

The four demonstrative pronouns ( this , that , these , and those ) are used to indicate something previously mentioned or, in conversation, something that is clear from the context. For example, in the sentence ‘Take this,’ ‘this’ has no explicit antecedent, but it would be clear in context that it referred to whatever object you were being given.

The demonstrative pronouns give information about the relative closeness (literal or figurative) of the things they refer to, especially when they’re contrasted with each other:

The ‘near’ demonstrative this (singular) or these (plural) indicates something close to you.
The ‘far’ demonstrative that (singular) or those (plural) indicates something farther from you.

Interrogative pronouns are used (along with other types of interrogative words) to introduce questions. The interrogative pronouns are:

What and which , used to ask questions about things
Who and whom , used to ask about people
Whose , used to ask about ownership

What were your favorite classes at school?

A relative pronoun is used to introduce a relative clause – a phrase that usually supplies more information about the preceding noun. They have a lot in common with interrogative pronouns. The relative pronouns are:

Which(ever) , that , and what(ever) , used in relation to things
Who(ever) and whom(ever) , used in relation to people
Whose , used to indicate ownership

Relative pronouns are often omitted in practice (e.g., ‘the book [that] I read’). There’s nothing wrong with doing this as long as it doesn’t create ambiguity.

It doesn’t matter whose it was; it’s ours now!

Indefinite pronouns are words like ‘somebody’ that refer to an unspecified person or thing. Many of them are formed using some combination of some- , any- , every- , or no- with -thing , -one , -where , or -body .

There are also various indefinite pronouns used to describe quantity, such as ‘little’, ‘many’, ‘none’, and ‘enough’. And there are distributive pronouns like ‘neither’ and ‘each’ that allow you to distinguish between options.

The impersonal pronoun ‘one’ can also be regarded as indefinite.

No one likes him, and he doesn’t like anyone .

Some are born lucky, while others have to work hard for everything they get.

Some writers claim that ‘each other’ should only be used to refer to groups of two and ‘one another’ to groups of three or more. But this distinction is rejected by most style guides and not borne out in practice; you can use the two interchangeably.

A dummy pronoun (also called an expletive ) is a pronoun that doesn’t have any explicit meaning but is necessary to the sentence structure. Unlike other pronouns, dummy pronouns don’t actually replace a noun.

The two words used as dummy pronouns in English are it and there . Note that both words can also fulfill other grammatical roles. Dummy pronouns are commonly used to talk about the weather, to emphasise certain elements in a sentence, or to introduce the existence of something.

There are thousands of different species of birds in the world.

The term preferred pronouns is used to mean the personal pronouns a person identifies with and would like to be referred to by. People usually state the subject and object pronoun (e.g., ‘she/her’) but may also include the possessive (e.g., ‘she/her/hers’).

Most people go by the masculine ‘he/him’, the feminine ‘she/her’, the gender-neutral singular ‘they/them’, or some combination of these. There are also neopronouns used to express nonbinary gender identity, such as ‘xe/xem’. These are less common than the singular ‘they’ .

The practice of stating one’s preferred pronouns (e.g., in a professional context or on a social media profile) is meant to promote inclusion for transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun. Like nouns, pronouns refer to people, things, concepts, or places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun.

A pronoun can serve as the subject or object in a sentence, and it will usually refer back (or sometimes forward) to an antecedent – the noun that the pronoun stands in for. Pronouns are used to avoid the need to repeat the same nouns over and over.

Pronouns can be categorised into many types, all of which are very commonly used in English:

Personal pronouns
Subject and object pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns and emphatic pronouns
Impersonal pronouns

Pronouns are words like ‘I’, ‘she’, and ‘they’ that are used in a similar way to nouns . They stand in for a noun that has already been mentioned or refer to yourself and other people.

Pronouns can function just like nouns as the head of a noun phrase and as the subject or object of a verb. However, pronouns change their forms (e.g., from ‘I’ to ‘me’) depending on the grammatical context they’re used in, whereas nouns usually don’t.

Sources for this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Caulfield, J. (2023, May 23). What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 2 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/using-pronouns/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Nate Wiggins Scouting Report

Nate Wiggins excels in zone coverage, but also has exceptional mirroring ability and play anticipation.
Wiggins intimidates opponents with tight coverage, limiting production and forcing QBs to avoid testing him.
Although Wiggins gambles and lacks consistent tackling, his confidence, instincts, and play-making skills suggest future NFL success.

Despite the Clemson Tigers' disappointing 2023 season, the defense remained impressive, and a leader on that unit was Nate Wiggins. Now, after two seasons as a star cornerback for the program, he heads off for the NFL in the hopes of becoming one of the first defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft on April 25.

It won't be easy with such a competitive and deep cornerback class (Wiggins is one of four CB prospects in the top 15 on GMS' latest big board ), but let's dive into the tape and see if Wiggins holds up under closer evaluation—or if his game starts to look funny under the light.

2024 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: April Update Edition

Strengths in wiggins' game, wiggins is a master of zone coverage.

Wiggins is a quick-footed and instinctual defender that baits throws then crashes on the football in order to generate turnovers or deflect balls. In zone coverage, he's capable of reading the play at a high rate, and allows very little production. He can also switch over to press and man coverage looks and demonstrate excellent mirroring ability.

In tight coverage, Wiggins is, quite frankly, a jerk to his assignment.

He won't hesitate to run his mouth in an attempt to intimidate or get his assignment off-balance and play after play, he backs it up. Against the boundary, he runs his matchup out of bounds or allows them very little room to make the catch, while across the field he remains glued on the receivers' pocket so that quarterbacks wouldn't dare test him.

In addition to his coverage skills, Wiggins is a high-motor defender who puts a lot of effort into chasing down the ball carrier to make a stop, no matter where they are on the field. He also has some impressive big hits when crashing down on the running game behind the line of scrimmage.

That type of energy and willingness to contribute as a tackler despite being such a notable cover-corner should speak volumes to front offices around the league about what type of player they would be bringing in with Wiggins.

Weaknesses in Wiggins' Game

Wiggins is a gambler, and you have to live with it.

One of the more notable concerns with Wiggins is that at the line of scrimmage he will often attempt to press, and when he doesn't offset his assignment, he can have trouble recovering when tracking his receiver. Having better discipline to react and recover with composure would go a long way in helping him become a more dependable cornerback.

In addition, Wiggins is a risk-taker with the football in the air. He will try to make a play on the football and trust his instincts, and it's something you have to live with as a coach. For the most part, it results in good moments, but there are times when it gives up a big play to the offense instead.

At the NFL Scouting Combine , the Clemson star also came in much lighter than anticipated. Some believe he did so just to run faster, but to weigh in at 173 pounds as an outside cornerback will create some legitimate concerns and doubts for some decision-makers around the league.

GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: Make no mistake, Nate Wiggins coming in at 173 pounds at the combine is jarring: in 2023, there were only nine players that played an NFL snap who were lighter than Wiggins (Kevontae Turpin was the lightest, at 153 pounds)—and every single one of them were wide receivers, who can afford to be a little lighter.

Finally, while Wiggins is capable of laying down some big hits, he is still developing as a consistent wrap-up tackler, which should come along. But at such a low weight, there are likely to be overall play strength concerns.

Final Verdict on Wiggins

Wiggins has the makings of a star.

With so many talented cornerbacks (there were five CBs taken in the first 27 picks in GMS' latest mock draft , with Wiggins the third off the board, at No. 22), it almost seems impossible that all of these players end up being great in the NFL. However, Wiggins feels like one of the safer bets to continue his success at the next level.

His confidence, play-making, instincts, and aggression are all top-tier traits that set him apart from the average cornerback. Regardless of where or how it happens, he should be able to find success in the league.

On draft night, Wiggins will likely be selected some time in the top 25 picks, along with other top CB prospects such as Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell and Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry , but the pecking order for how these defensive backs fall off the board is hard to determine at this time.

Expect him to draw interest from plenty of teams, but the best landing spots are likely with the Philadelphia Eagles , the Los Angeles Rams , or the Atlanta Falcons .

For a pro comparison, the Clemson cornerback has a build similar to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who made two Pro Bowls as well as an All-Pro Second-Team appearance in 2016. If Wiggins can create similar success at the next level, whoever selects him will be more than thrilled with the payoff.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Top 100, ranked

2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Nate Wiggins Scouting Report

CS 224C Logistics

Stanford / spring 2024.

Project (55%): Divided into proposal (10%), midway report (15%), final submission (25%), project pitch (2.5%), and poster presentation (2.5%).
Presentation (10%): Engage with your subject matter and peers through presentations.
Homework (20%): Four assignments, each worth 5%, designed to reinforce core material.
Participation (2%): Involvement in discussions, presentations, and project teamwork.
Reading Responses (13.5%): 9 responses, each contributing 1.5%, to foster engagement and critical thinking.

This is the system we will use at the end of the quarter to map numerical final grades to letter grades. No curve is applied, and there are no other factors shaping the mapping from weighted averages ( details here ) to letter grades.

Reading Responses

A short (2-paragraph) written response to each reading to be posted the day before class.

The response should not focus on summarizing the papers, but instead raise questions that would be appropriate for discussion, or propose ideas to think about. The goal is to get you to think critically about the research that a paper presents and why that research is important.

why the work is/isn't novel/important in terms of data/method/topic
critique certain features of the reading
identify potentially important issues not covered in the reading
how the paper has changed your opinion or outlook on a topic
suggest new research questions inspired by the reading, or think about new ways to improve the work
Check-minus (85%) : Surface-level engagement with the readings, or a repeat of a style of critique that the staff told the class to avoid. Examples of surface-level engagement include: comments about whether the student likes or would use the technology, a summary of the paper rather than a reflections on the ideas, or critiques that engage only obliquely with the paper or indicate that the author didn't fully read it.
Check (100%) : Effective engagement with the readings. Example responses involving check grades often indicate that they understand the main ideas of the papers, and the reflections are reasonably nontrivial observations worth discussing.
Check-plus (105%) : Excellent engagement with the readings. Check-plus grades are reserved for rare instances where a reading response really hits on an interesting, unique, and insightful point of view worth sharing.

Role-Playing Paper Reading & Discussion

More information and details: Role-Playing Seminar

You are the instructor who needs to provide a comprehensive overview of the paper. What did it study? What’s the novelty? What’s the methods and results?

The papers have not been published yet and is currently submitted to a top conference where you’ve been assigned as a peer reviewer. Complete a full review of the paper answering all prompts “strengths, weaknesses, questions”

You’re a researcher who is working on a new project in this area. Propose an imaginary follow-up project not just based on the current but only possible due to the existence and success of the current paper.

You work at a company or organization developing an application or product of your choice (that has not already been suggested in a prior session). Bring a convincing pitch for why you should be paid to implement the method in the paper, and discuss at least one positive and negative impact of this application.

Identify how this paper self-assesses its (likely positive) impact on the world. Have any additional positive social impacts left out? What are possible negative social impacts that were overlooked or omitted?

You’re a hacker who needs a demo of this paper ASAP. Implement a small part or simplified version of the paper on a small dataset or toy problem. Prepare to share the core code of the algorithm to the class and demo your implementation. Do not simply download and run an existing implementation – though you are welcome to use (and give credit to) an existing implementation for “backbone” code.

Presentation

The group works together to deliver a presentation
Work together to well cover the material
Make easy-to-understand slides
Be prepared for Q&As
Please send your draft slides to the instructor/TA 1 day before the class

Grading: 5 points (group), 5 points (each role)

Class Participation

Class participation grades are based on whether you productively contribute to the classroom discussions in lecture. This grade also captures your contributions in the presentation and leading discussion section. Finally, participation grades will also take into account how actively you contribute to the success of your project alongside your teammates.
Please check out the details of the course project here .
Please discuss your project idea with instructor/TA early on in the course.
Literature Review
Experiment Protocol
Final Paper
Literature Review: Due Monday, Jan 30, 5:00PM Thursday, Jan 26, 5:00pm
Experiment Protocol: Due Thursday, Feb 16, 5:00pm
Final Paper: Due Tuesday, March 21, 5:00pm

Academic Honesty

Please familiarize yourself with Stanford's honor code . We will adhere to it and follow through on its penalty guidelines.

It is expected that you accurately represent your own work and the work of others in this class. Ideas should be your own. Any use of tools (e.g., ChatGPT) should be limited to clarity and credited appropriately in your submission.
Each student will have a total of 6 free late (calendar) days applicable to any assignment (including the lit review and project milestone) except the final project paper . Final project papers cannot be turned in late under any circumstances.
Free late days can be used at any time, no questions asked. Each 24 hours or part thereof that a homework is late uses up one full late day. Once these late days are exhausted, any homework or quiz turned in late will be penalized 10% per late day.
If a group's assignment is late n days, then each group member is charged n late days.
Late days are never transferrable between students, even students in the same group.
Late days do not apply to the final submission of the course project/
Reading responses do not have late days (since they are a prerequisite for coming to class, so responses posted after 5pm the day before class will count as not turned in.)

Policy on Submitting Related Final Projects to Multiple Classes

On the one hand, we want to encourage you to pursue unified interdisciplinary projects that weave together themes from multiple classes. On the other hand, we need to ensure that final projects for this course are original and involve a substantial new effort.

To try to meet both these demands, we are adopting the following policy on joint submission: if your final project for this course is related to your final project for another course, you are required to submit both projects to us by our final project due date. If we decide that the projects are too similar, your project will receive a failing grade. To avoid this extreme outcome, we strongly encourage you to stay in close communication with us if your project is related to another you are submitting for credit, so that there are no unhappy surprises at the end of the term. Since there is no single objective standard for what counts as "different enough", it is better to play it safe by talking with us.

Fundamentally, we are saying that combining projects is not a shortcut. In a sense, we are in the same position as professional conferences and journals, which also need to watch out for multiple submissions. You might have a look at the ACL/NAACL policy , which strives to ensure that any two papers submitted to those conferences make substantially different contributions – our goal here as well.

It is very important to us that all assignments are properly graded. The teaching staff works extremely hard to grade fairly and to turn around assignments quickly. We know what you work hard, and we respect that. Occasionally, mistakes happen, and it's important to us to correct them. If you believe there is an error in your assignment grading, please submit an explanation in writing to the staff within seven days of receiving the grade. We will regrade the entire assignment to ensure quality.

No regrade requests will be accepted orally, and no regrade requests will be accepted more than seven days after receipt of the assignment. Regrade requests must be respectful; we will not consider any regrade requests containing disrespectful language.

Names and Pronouns

Use the names and pronouns (e.g., they/them, she/her, he/him, just a name, or something else) indicated by your classmates for themselves. If you don’t want to share a set of pronouns for yourself, that is perfectly acceptable, too. If your name or pronouns change during the course, we invite you to share this with us and/or other students, so we may talk with you and refer to your ideas in discussion as you would wish.

The Colorado Sun

Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state.

Colorado physicians must improve by prioritizing “culturally responsive care,” new report says

The Trust Project

A group of people it in a circle in a bookstore

A transgender man’s medical providers repeatedly used his birth name, even though he changed it during his transition.

A doctor insulted a Latina woman while she was receiving mental health care, telling her she “needs to change her beliefs now” that she’s living in America.

In parts of rural Colorado, there are so few health care providers, and so much turnover, people of color and LGBTQ people struggle to find providers from a similar background who can understand their needs.

Those are just a few of the findings of a new report that highlights gaps in Colorado’s health care system and examines access to “culturally responsive care,” or treatment that provides an inclusive atmosphere where patients’ cultural beliefs and identity are respected and considered.

“Our new report shows us just how much work we have to do across the entire health system to continue expanding access to care that respects and takes into account peoples’ needs related to language access, sexual orientation, culture, disability and experience with trauma,” said Caitlin Westerson, director of state external affairs and partnerships for United States of Care , the national organization that compiled the report and released it Thursday.

The need for culturally responsive care is increasingly important because it humanizes the health care experience and shows patients their providers care about them as a whole person, said Lowell Hamilton, research and community engagement manager, at United States of Care.

☀️ READ MORE

Colorado democrats say property tax relief is coming. there’s no money in the state budget to pay for it., a palisade resident asked federal, state boards to name the jagged ridge above the town. here’s what they’re thinking., these colorado school districts are testing out new ways to boost student attendance after record absences.

Nearly 400,000 Coloradans said they were looking for culturally responsive care to respond to their language, sexual orientation, culture, disability or trauma needs, according to a 2021 report by the Colorado Health Institute .

Several Colorado organizations on Tuesday said they were working to increase access to care for LGBTQ Coloradans, people in rural areas of the state and people of color.

Colorado health care leaders and insurers have made efforts to create a more culturally responsive health care system but more work is needed, according to United States of Care, a nonpartisan organization working to make health care more equitable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

United States of Care conducted interviews from April to September with Coloradans with disabilities, patients who speak English as a second language, people of color and patients who are part of the LGBTQ community.

Those individuals said they have low expectations of the health care system, they feel disrespected when receiving care and they don’t want their gender to continue impeding their access to receiving quality care, according to the report.

Implicit bias among health care providers and insurers, who have little understanding about unique health care needs such as gender-affirming care for transgender people, are negatively affecting Coloradans’ while they seek care, according to the report.

There’s little diversity in Colorado’s health care workforce and providers who are able to practice in underserved and diverse communities face administrative burdens, high cost of living, low compensation and high turnover, according to the report, which also summarizes interviews with leaders at advocacy, government health care and academic organizations.

The “fragmented” health care system is leading to rushed appointments that make patients feel undervalued, confused, overburdened and dismissed, the report says.

Coloradans reported many other frustrations with their health care options and said too much emphasis is placed on providing prescription drugs as a remedy to their health care needs.

Implicit biases held by providers means some patients lose interest in seeking care at all, so they forego needed treatment.

Some patients said they have had to find new providers when they felt disrespected or judged because of their identity, according to the report.

The reported issues are compounded by staffing shortages, which are reaching crisis levels, according to the report. There’s a rapidly declining number of nurses and primary care providers in rural areas. There will be a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians nationwide by 2036 , according to a report compiled by a data analytics consulting firm this year for the Association of American Medical Colleges.

“This sends a large ripple effect throughout the economy but also sets a tone of distrust,” said Liz Hagan, director of policy solutions, at United States of Care.

The 2021 Colorado Health Access Survey showed 25% of Coloradans who sought culturally responsive care were unable to receive it.

The number of Coloradans who experienced disrespectful treatment while receiving medical care nearly doubled since 2021, according to the health access survey released in 2023 .

That survey also showed that 12% of Coloradans said their language, race, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation or disability is a major factor that determines the kind of health care they need.

United States of Care supports the 2021 Colorado Option , the first health care plans designed to improve health equity.

The Colorado Option, which has about 80,000 Colorado members, established culturally responsive health care provider networks that require plans to create provider networks that reflect the diversity of the people they serve.

One part of the Colorado Option that should be implemented by other insurers is the requirement that providers receive anti-bias and culturally responsive training, the report’s authors said.

The report includes a long list of policy recommendations the organization hopes lawmakers, insurers and health care providers will implement in Colorado and across the country.

— Insurers, providers and state leaders should develop programs to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce, the report says.

— The state legislature should increase funding for developing and maintaining culturally competent care training programs.

— Insurers should improve provider directories at non-Colorado Option insurance plans by including information about available translation or interpretation services.

It also said the state should find ways to improve and expand internet access and digital literacy in rural communities so that patients can access telehealth and critical information about their health care.

One Colorado, a Denver-based nonprofit working to advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the state, is partnering with two other organizations to offer training to physicians to increase the number of providers who are equipped to care for the community, said Alex Floyd, health equity director at One Colorado.

In the training, physicians are taught general knowledge such as what the LGBTQIA+ acronym stands for, how to gently ask patients what their pronouns are, how to make intake forms and photos in office spaces welcoming and inclusive and about the biggest gaps in care that most affect people in the LGBTQ community, Floyd said.

One Colorado conducted a statewide study in 2018 and found 48% of LGBTQ Coloradans surveyed said they didn’t know if their provider was open to treating lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender patients or that their provider was not open to it at all.

In 2021, the Denver-based nonprofit Envision:You led a similar survey and found people are struggling to find providers who understand the unique needs of LGBTQ patients and how to provide appropriate care.

“If we are going to providers who don’t understand our needs, that means we might be experiencing microaggressions, bigotry, transphobia and homophobia when we’re trying to seek health care,” Floyd said. “There’s the unintentional missing of our needs to the ill-intended refusal of treatment, or poor treatment, because the physician doesn’t understand me or agree with my lifestyle.”

Health care inequities persist because of systemic issues still faced by people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ Coloradans and others in rural parts of the state, Floyd said.

“It’s going to be an uphill battle for a while,” Floyd added. “There are a lot of attitudes that need to shift and a lot of knowledge people need to gain, in addition to policy changes, to start to see these shifts happen.”

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Tatiana Flowers Equity Reporter

Tatiana Flowers is the equity and general assignment reporter for The Colorado Sun and her work is funded by a grant from The Colorado Trust. She has covered crime, courts, education and health in Colorado, Connecticut, Israel and Morocco.... More by Tatiana Flowers

COMMENTS

Use of Pronouns in Academic Writing
Pronouns are words that make reference to both specific and nonspecific things and people. They are used in place of nouns. First-person pronouns (I, We) are rarely used in academic writing. They are primarily used in a reflective piece, such as a reflective essay or personal statement. You should avoid using second-person pronouns such as ...
What Is a Pronoun?
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, often to avoid the need to repeat the same noun over and over. Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, things, concepts, and places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun. People tend to use "pronouns" to mean personal pronouns specifically, but there are many other kinds of ...
Using Pronouns Clearly
Therefore, pronouns should: 1. Agree in number. If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. INCORRECT: The girls brought her umbrella. CORRECT: The girls brought their umbrella. NOTE: Some find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent and thus ...
Identifying Pronoun Problems
Either use both a masculine and a feminine pronoun as in the first revision or change the noun to plural and use a plural pronoun as in the second revision. Stylistically, pluralizing is preferable. Exercise 3. 1. For each sentence, fill in the blank with an appropriate pronoun (s) and circle the antecedent.
Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that can substitute for a noun or a noun phrase.. There are several common types of mistakes made in pronoun usage. The most frequent mistake, involving pronoun-antecedent agreement, is covered in the Pronoun Agreement section of this tutorial.. This particular section will cover mistakes in the use of relative, personal, and reflexive pronouns, as well as pronoun reference ...
20.6 Editing Focus: Pronouns
Demonstrate knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar. Implement appropriate pronouns in written work. You likely use Pronouns —words that substitute for nouns or noun phrases—in every text that you write, including this portfolio reflection. Pronouns are one of the eight main parts of speech, the others being nouns, verbs ...
Pronouns
Pronouns. A pronoun is a word that can be used in the place of a noun. We use pronouns so we do not have to repeat words. It sounds better if a pronouns are used to replace nouns in the sentence. Knowing just how pronouns work is an important aspect of clear and concise writing. You must introduce the noun first before using a pronoun to refer ...
Using Pronouns Correctly
Some of the trickiest pronoun agreement issues arise with indefinite pronouns, and this is an area where language usage has changed a lot recently: ... In the past: Every student should do his best on this assignment. (We used to always assume a student was male.) A recent, more inclusive formulation: Every student should do his or her best on ...
Unit 17 Pronouns
Unit 17 Pronouns. Learning Objectives. To learn personal, indefinite, and demonstrative pronouns. To understand the common uses of pronouns as in subject, object, possessive, and reflexive forms. To apply the noun-pronoun agreement rule and other uses of pronouns through multiple examples and a variety of writing situations.
Practice Activities: Personal Pronouns
Classifying Pronouns. In the following sentences, identify the person, case, and number of each pronoun: Even though he knew he might regret it, Dirron decided to let himself ignore his responsibilities for a day. Elena knew she should have spent more time on homework this semester, but binge-watching TV had tripped her up again and again.
20.4 Making Pronouns and Antecedents Agree
Recognize pronoun antecedents. Make sure pronouns and antecedents are relatively close together and match in person, number, gender, and human versus nonhuman state. Pronouns can be somewhat confusing, but they can help make your use of language smoother and more compact. For example, if your name were Pete Rando, you could write, "Pete Rando ...
7.5 Pronouns
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.
Writing academically: Personal pronouns
Which to use. First or Third. Second. We. They/Their. Personal pronouns are used to replace people, places or things to make sentences shorter and clearer. Examples of personal pronouns include: I, we, it, they, you, and she. Your choice of personal pronoun will determine if you are writing in the first person or the third person.
Using Pronouns Correctly Assignment Flashcards
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Use the drop-down menus to choose the pronouns that correctly replace the underlined antecedents. Cari and I like to watch scary movies. The yellow house is David and Jessica's house. Later, Mr. Chen will meet with me and Nathan., Use the drop-down menus to choose the pronouns that correctly complete the sentences.
Pronouns
A pronoun is a noun that takes the place of a noun or groups of nouns, and because pronouns are "standing in" for nouns, you have to be sure that the pronoun you choose to "stand in" agrees in number, person, and gender. The menu on the left will take you to the different pronoun types, and there are quite a few: personal, definite ...
What Is a Pronoun in Writing? (Grammar Rules)
A pronoun is basically a word that replaces a noun. For instance, my name is Robert. Robert is a proper noun, but if you wanted to replace my name with a pronoun, you might say "he" instead of "Robert." Here's an example: Noun version: Robert wrote a piece on pronouns. Pronoun version: He wrote a piece on pronouns.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement helps make writing clear, less repetitive, and easier to understand. A pronoun is a word that refers to a noun and can stand in its place. The antecedent is the noun to which the pronoun refers or replaces. While this handout provides general information, always adapt your work to your audience and assignment.
Pronoun Worksheets and Activities
Pronoun Case and Perspective Lesson - This lesson is for students who already have a basic knowledge of pronouns. It explains pronoun cases: subjective, objective, possessive, and reflexive. It provides definitions and examples. It covers pronoun perspective: first-person, second-person, and third-person. And it includes some practice problems.
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Can you use the first person pronouns 'I' and 'we' in a report?
The first person pronouns are 'I', 'me', 'my', 'mine' (singular) and 'we', 'us', 'our', 'ours' (plural). Further and higher education often instruct us to avoid using these words in reports. The goal here is to encourage us to think objectively. And removing the 'I' shifts focus from the writer onto the work ...
What Is a Pronoun?
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, often to avoid the need to repeat the same noun over and over. Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, things, concepts, and places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun. People tend to use 'pronouns' to mean personal pronouns specifically, but there are many other kinds of ...
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PDF Ambassadorial Assignments Overseas 4/3/2024 Office of Presidential
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Stanford CS 224C
Homework (20%): Four assignments, each worth 5%, designed to reinforce core material. Participation (2%): Involvement in discussions, presentations, and project teamwork. Reading Responses (13.5%): 9 responses, each contributing 1.5%, to foster engagement and critical thinking. This is the system we will use at the end of the quarter to map ...
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Nearly 400,000 Coloradans said they were looking for culturally responsive care to respond to their language, sexual orientation, culture, disability or trauma needs, according to a 2021 report by the Colorado Health Institute.. Several Colorado organizations on Tuesday said they were working to increase access to care for LGBTQ Coloradans, people in rural areas of the state and people of color.

Use of Pronouns in Academic Writing

The Antecedent of a Pronoun

Use of First Person Pronouns (I, We) in Academic Writing

Avoiding First Person Pronouns

The Problem with the Editorial We

Use of Second Person Pronouns (You) in Academic Writing

Use of Third Person Pronouns (He, She, They) in Academic Writing

Ensure Consistency Throughout the Text

How to Use Demonstrative Pronouns (This, That, Those, These) in Academic Writing

Frequently Asked Questions

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What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples

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Jack Caulfield

Using Pronouns Clearly

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

Northern Illinois University Effective Writing Practices Tutorial

Relative pronouns

Personal and reflexive pronouns (I, me, myself)

Vague or ambiguous reference

Gender-neutral language

20.6 Editing Focus: Pronouns

Reference, Antecedent, and Case

Types of Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Common Mix-Ups

Unit 17 Pronouns

II. Personal Pronouns and Their Uses

III. Indefinite Pronouns and Their Uses

IV. Demonstrative Pronouns and Their Uses

V. Noun-Pronoun Agreement

VI. Ot her Ru les in Pronouns

VII. Unit Review Practice

Media Attributions

Chapter 20 Grammar

Key Takeaways

7.5 Pronouns

Pronoun Agreement

Agreement in Number

Agreement in Person

Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement

Collective Nouns

Subject and Object Pronouns

Connecting the Pieces: Writing at Work

Who versus Whom

Key Takeaways

Writing Application

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Writing academically: Personal pronouns

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