Misuse of pronouns
Express your ideas clearly and accurately with these grammar guides.
Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that can be used in place of a noun so that we do not become repetitive.
For example, imagine writing the following sentence:
Afrah put her scarf on because Afrah was cold.
The sentence sounds a bit strange because Afrah is named twice; however, if you use a pronoun, the sentence will be shorter and less repetitive. A better sentence avoids repetition:
Afrah put her scarf on because she was cold.
She refers to Afrah, so you do not have to write the name twice.
There are different types of pronouns:
- Subject Pronouns
- Object Pronouns
- Possessive Pronouns
- Pronouns with compound subjects
Subject pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Subject pronouns are often the subject of a sentence: “who” and “what” the sentence is about.
Object pronouns
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Object pronouns come after either a verb or a preposition.
Possessive pronouns
my (mine), your(s), his, hers, its, our(s), their(s)
A pronoun that shows possession or ownership is called a possessive pronoun.
Using pronouns with compound subjects
The following sentence is incorrect:
Me and Harriet visited the Grand Canyon last summer.
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 (eg. Harriet), leave only the pronoun. Does it make sense? For example, Me visited the Grand Canyon last summer sounds immediately incorrect.
Using pronouns with compound objects.
Compound object pronouns are two or more pronouns joined by a conjunction or a preposition that act as the object of the sentence.
Correct:
I have a good feeling about Janice and me.
Incorrect:
I have a good feeling about Janice and I.
It is correct to write Janice and me, as opposed to me and Janice, as it is more polite to refer to yourself last.
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 be able to correct yourself.
Common pronoun errors
Some students are often perplexed by when to use which pronouns. Which pronoun should be used? How do you know it?
These activities will help you better grasp how to use which pronouns.
References
Attributions
