A pronoun is a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase.
8
votes
3answers
389 views
Pronoun immediately following its antecedent
Is placing a pronoun immediately after its antecedent in a sentence valid grammar?
Is there a term for this construction?
Some examples are:
President Obama, he gave a speech last night.
The ...
1
vote
0answers
141 views
Why it is so important capitalize 'i'? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why should the first person pronoun 'I' always be capitalized?
I'd like to understand the phenomen, why writer's person is so important in English, that i can't ...
2
votes
3answers
246 views
Are pronouns optional? [closed]
To resolve an issue on Christianity.SE I'd like to know whether it would be legitimate to forgo ever using pronouns to refer to the Holy Spirit.
So, is it required to use a pronoun when the subject ...
5
votes
2answers
760 views
Pronouns: a word class or a subclass of nouns?
In the recently published ‘Oxford Modern English Grammar’, Bas Aarts classifies pronouns with nouns and not as a separate word class. In this, he follows the authors of ‘The Cambridge Grammar of the ...
3
votes
1answer
571 views
Context to distinguish “we” inclusive versus exclusive [closed]
In English, "we" has no clusivity - context is needed to determine whether it means we-including-you or we-excluding-you.
What context can a speaker provide to disambiguate without sounding awkward?
...
6
votes
2answers
545 views
Which is grammatically correct: “Let he who…” or “Let him who…”
1) "Let he who believes in this prophet speak now what he knows."
2) "Let him who believes in this prophet speak now what he knows."
2
votes
2answers
143 views
Meta Information in Conversations
The following is from the 12th chapter of Psalms in the King James Bible:
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety ...
7
votes
1answer
153 views
What is it called when an antecedent noun follows the pronoun?
Here is the example that raised the question in my mind:
He was splashing, enjoying the jungle's great joys, when Horton the elephant heard a small noise.
Here, He refers to Horton; but one ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
“for which” vs. “for what”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
"Which" vs "what" - what's the difference and when should you use one or the other?
Q: What's the rule-of-thumb on "for which" vs. "for what" ...
2
votes
3answers
284 views
“The great I” vs “The great me”
Are both sentences below grammatically correct?
The great I.
The great me.
What is the grammatical breakdown in each case?
4
votes
4answers
456 views
Why is he saying ”This is us” when it means “This is ours”?
I found two examples of this kind in Harry Potter so far and in both cases, the speaker is Mr. Weasley and the listener is Harry. Does it add some nuance? Is it his habit of saying?
(In a lift of ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
The condition for saying “You’re the door on the right.” etc. and its construction
This question is a spin-off from “Is you’re the door on the right. grammatically correct?” . After the original question, some ideas came to me, about its conditions and construction. I opened this ...
2
votes
1answer
197 views
Is this statement, where the same pronoun refers to two entities, grammatically correct?
I had this conversation with a friend earlier:
Friend (to a group): If you don't like [this show], there's something wrong with you.
Me (to friend): Or you're just a little more mature than you ...
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Difference between “Let us go” and “Let we go”?
Just wanted to know the correct usage of 'us' and 'we' .
Are there any contexts in which they can be used interchangeably?
I know "Let we go" seems wrong..but couldn't explain it.
2
votes
4answers
243 views
“Leadership is our drive. What's your?”
Here, you may find a call to arms of sorts by the Swedish most prominent telco. I was born Russian, and I live in Sweden, so English is just about my third language. And so the following line does not ...
10
votes
7answers
2k views
When is it appropriate or disrespectful to refer to someone as “she”?
My boss has asked me not to refer to her as she because she says it's disrespectful. After I refer to her by her proper name or by her title, isn't it appropriate to refer to her as she?
10
votes
2answers
5k views
How do you make the possessive form with “He and I”-style subjects?
Despite being a native speaker of American English, I cannot find a construction that sounds natural when trying to form a possessive from coordinated subjects including a first person pronoun, like ...
11
votes
5answers
691 views
Where “summat” came from
In Scottish English, I know that the word summat is used in place of standard something. But what's the etymology of this pronoun?
It seems unlikely to me that summat could be merely a variant ...
2
votes
1answer
192 views
Which sentence is more acceptable? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
When do I use "I" instead of "me?"
Which is correct, "you and I" or "you and me"?
Which of the following sentences is more ...
-2
votes
0answers
193 views
Confusion regarding “I” and “me” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
I can run faster than _. (1) him (2) he?
Which one is correct?
He is taller than I.
He is taller than me.
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Why do we say “This is ” instead of “This's”?
It is => It's
I am => I'm
That is => That's
Why do we say "This is " instead of "This's"?
1
vote
1answer
278 views
Third person equivalent of “yours” and “mine” [closed]
What is the third person equivalent of yours or mine? For example,
It's not your book; you should take yours.
It's not my book; I should take mine.
It's not his book; he should take X.
6
votes
1answer
506 views
Origin of “they”, “them”, and “their”
I know that they, them, and their did not exist in Old English. What language are they derived from?
0
votes
1answer
207 views
What’s the meaning of ‘we will emerge’?
One of ‘we’ is under his Invisibility Cloak, not both of them. It seems I can’t see the meaning of ‘emerge’. Or is it ‘we’? I’d like to know the meaning of ‘we will emerge’ in the following context. ...
3
votes
1answer
967 views
In non-spatial contexts, when should I use “this” versus “that”?
I'm always quite confused to choose which word should I put in the sentence like this/that :)
That/This is not a problem at all.
To be or not to be, this/that is the question.
I know which one I ...
7
votes
1answer
203 views
What does ‘One’ in “Detectives slapped handcuffs on her. “You know you did it,” she said one later shouted at her. “Just admit it.” mean?
I felt the article of New York Times N.Y. Region section (July 25) titled “A Revenge Plot So Intricate, the Prosecutors Were Pawns” reporting a woman being framed by her boyfriend into the charge with ...
8
votes
1answer
460 views
What is the possessive form of “y'all”?
I generally hear y'alls's used as the possessive form, but I have also heard yourn. Since y'all is a colloquial pronoun, its possessive form is basically liberated from prescriptive linguistics which ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Gender neutral reflexive pronoun — equivalent to “himself” and “herself”
How would you refer to a gender neutral subject with a reflexive pronoun?
It is unbelievable how a perpetrator will cast oneself in the role of victim.
That does not seem right. Is there a ...
3
votes
2answers
167 views
“Application for Android” versus “application on Android”
Which one is correct/most scientific?
I am developing a certain application for Android.
I am developing a certain application on Android.
I am developing a certain application for the platform ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Is “Them’s fighting words” a right and received English expression?
I came across the phrase ‘Them’s fighting words,’ in the beginning part of a Time magazine (July 12) article in its Swampland section under the title “Don’t mess with the stimulus! It had all your ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
“They don't use either of them” versus “They don't use any of them”?
If there are only two alternatives, which is more correct,
"They don't use either of them"
or
"They don't use any of them"?
I am pretty sure than "any" is more correct, but can I use ...
3
votes
0answers
277 views
Why himself and themselves, not hisself and theirselves? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why “themselves” and “himself”
I = myself you = yourself he = himself she = herself it = itself we = ourselves you = yourselves they = ...
3
votes
2answers
464 views
Subject with multiple verbs
I wrote this sentence:
In both cases, execution is asynchronous, and results in the execution of the command or event handler on the program’s one thread at the next opportunity.
I was told that ...
0
votes
1answer
281 views
What is the answer to the question “Who came yesterday?” — “I” or “Me”? [duplicate]
Duplicate of:
Who wants ice-cream?
What is the answer to the question:
Who came yesterday?
Is it "I" or "Me"?
2
votes
3answers
491 views
Relative pronouns, “that” or “who”, for type of person
A non-native speaker is asking ...
Which should you use, 'which' or 'that,' in the following statement? Since this is mainly talking about the types of persons (within 'her'), you might use 'that,' ...
33
votes
4answers
2k views
How to pronounce “720p” and “1080p”
How do you pronounce 720p and 1080p?
Because I don't live in a country that uses English, I haven't heard it yet.
I guess it doesn't have a rule.
seven hundred twenty p
seven twenty p
seventy two ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Why “themselves” and “himself”
In the earliest grades of elementary schools, students learn that "hisself" and "theirselves" are not words. I do not understand why this is.
If you wanted to refer to 'his' sock, you would say "his ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Pants — “is it” or “are they”?
This question has come straight from this great question title: Pants — why is it plural?
I just thought that if somebody hadn't already edited the title, it is either written right, or all editors ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
What does the “yours” in “yours sincerely” mean?
"Yours" is usually a possessive pronoun with an implicit noun. What is the implicit noun in the case of "yours sincerely"?
1
vote
1answer
2k views
How to use it's vs is?
I've seen that people use "how easy is it to […]?" and "how easy is to […]?"
Another example could be:
I couldn’t ignore the barrage of research showing how easy it is to screw up your kids.
...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
“Me being” versus “my being” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Gerund preceded by possessive pronoun (e.g. “He resents your being more popular than he is”)
Until a few months ago, I had always thought that sentences like ...
5
votes
4answers
141 views
Use of “it” in titles
Is the following question title grammatical or not, despite some missing articles?
Way of obtaining Chomsky normalform, does it influence performance of CYK parser?
P.S.: is there an English ...
1
vote
0answers
457 views
Best practice for reply to thanks? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Response to “Thank you!”
When somebody emails me or sends me thanks, I just reply "You're welcome." So what will be the professional and good alternative ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
'Who all is'…is that grammatically correct?
I often tend to say something like 'Who all is coming to the movies?' and my friends correct me that I should be saying 'Who all are coming to the movies?' So which one is correct?
0
votes
2answers
96 views
Gender question [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Speaking about someone of unknown gender…
Gender neutral pronoun
I'm writing a paper about markets and mention several times providers and their offers. The ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Is using “he” for a gender-neutral third-person correct?
I know there are different opinions on this issue. My question: Is using "he" for a general, gender-neutral third person still in common use for formal writing? By common use I mean, can I expect my ...
4
votes
1answer
166 views
Did English ever have an informal version of “we”
Related question: Did English ever have a formal version of "you"?
In Portuguese (and probably other languages as well), similar to what happens with the second-person, there are two words ...
10
votes
6answers
2k views
“It is me” vs. “It is I”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Which is correct to say: “It's me” or “It's I”?
Tonight I watched a movie (The Gospel of John) in which Jesus said (as quoted from the ...
1
vote
3answers
224 views
What does “which” mean in this sentence?
This sentence is from a transcript of a podcast:
The researchers say that even mammals that breed year round—which should offer protection against seasonal shifts—may still feel the impact of ...
1
vote
4answers
2k views
Using the expression “the same” for a previously mentioned item
I frequently use "the same" as in the following sentence.
I need the details of XYZ project. Could you please send me the same as soon as possible?
Is this grammatically correct? I have not been ...
