Pronoun Reference

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Personal Pronouns Subject Pronoun Object Pronoun Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun Reflexive Pronoun Imemyminemyself weusouroursourselves you youryoursyourself, yourselves hehimhis himself sheher hersherself it its―itself theythemtheirtheirsthemselves one one’s―oneself

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Rules for Using Personal Pronouns Use the pronoun according to the form required The scientist showed us his invention. Use an object pronoun after a preposition Between us, the competition is a non issue.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Rules for Using Personal Pronouns Do not confuse its with it’s its – belonging to it e.g. its engine (the engine of the car) it’s – a contracted form of it is e.g. It’s raining Use the appropriate forms for reflexive pronouns You have to do the assignment yourself. (one person) You have to work among yourselves for this project. (more than one person)

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Reference Use a pronoun to refer to a noun phrase or another pronoun (called the antecedent) mentioned earlier in your writing. Cancer is a major illness, but not everyone who contracts cancer will die from it. Name the highlighted words.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Reference Use a pronoun to refer to a noun phrase or another pronoun (called the antecedent) mentioned nearby in your writing. Cancer is a major illness, but not everyone who contracts cancer will die from it. Cancer is the antecedent of it and it is the pronoun reference for cancer.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Reference The antecedent must be specified before the use of the pronoun. Imaging is an important diagnostic tool for determining the stage and the precise locations of cancer to aid in cancer treatment plans. It can also be used to check if a cancer has returned. What is the antecedent here?

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Reference The antecedent must be clear. Imaging is an important diagnostic tool for determining the stage and its precise locations to aid in its treatment plans. They can also be used to check if a cancer has returned. Do you notice the ambiguous use of its and they?

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Agreement A singular pronoun refers to a singular word or phrase and likewise for the plural form. Computer technology has its pros and cons. Different disciplines are engulfed with their own ethical concerns.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Agreement A possessive adjective agrees in gender with its antecedent, not the noun following it. Marie Curie brought pride to her country by winning the Nobel Prize. Environmentalists showed their displeasure through demonstrations at the recent G8 meeting.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Agreement Singular nouns need singular pronouns  countable noun  collective noun  uncountable noun and  indefinite pronoun

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Agreement Types of Noun/ Pronoun ExamplesPronouns to be used Singular countable noun a person a book he or she it Singular collective noun a troop a collection it Singular indefinite pronoun everyone, someone each, every he or she he, she or it Uncountable noun Information equipment it

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Pronoun Agreement Plural countable nouns, compound noun phrases and some collective nouns need plural pronouns (they, them, their, theirs) Doctors have to abide by their code of ethics. Engineers and scientists think quite differently because of their training. The government want their citizens to support them.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Demonstrative Pronouns Demonstrative pronouns (also function as adjectives) are used to point out what is referred to. This/these indicate proximity in space and time. That/those indicate distance. Demonstrative pronouns cannot be used if there was no mention of the object or concept earlier. The invention shows this principle is true.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Source Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for Student Writers (3 rd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press,