Questions tagged [pronouns]
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun or noun phrase.
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What seems more accurate "You and your kid discover their true capability" or "You and your kid discover his/her true capability"? [duplicate]
I have been asked to look at some old admission response forms that our school mails back to applying students. This letter consists of their test scores and the programs that is offered to them.
Now, ...
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About pronouns and relative pronouns [closed]
State the problems with the use of pronouns with two examples each
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Does this sentence need "me" or "I"? [duplicate]
Here is the sentence. Which one is correct?
Dec. 21st from 9:30-10:30 can work for both I-SHEA and I.
Dec. 21st from 9:30-10:30 can work for both I-SHEA and me.
I think it should be I-SHEA and me ...
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Why is "it" used instead of "he/she" for human being in "it becomes a wise and virtuous man…"?
Now this relaxation of the mind from work consists on playful words or deeds. Therefore it becomes a wise and virtuous man to have recourse to such things at times.
—Thomas Aquinas
Is the bold phrase ...
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The "editorial we" - pronouns and number agreement
I am wondering if the esteemed members of this forum can help me with these questions, which have bothered me for a long time and are what have brought me to this forum.
One thing I struggle to ...
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Where better to whet one's grammar?
I wonder if all interrogative pronouns can be used in structures like
Where better to learn about the resilience of life?
For example,
Who better to repair my car?
How better to cook potatoes than ...
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Object / accusative personal pronouns replacing actor in certain clauses [duplicate]
I'm a native English speaker, and I noticed that I sometimes use accusative pronouns (him, her, me) to replace actors in certain clauses. I have a feeling this is prescriptively considered incorrect ...
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Subjective and objective case? [duplicate]
Is it correct to say
I am faster than him at swimming
Or
I am faster than he at swimming
I've heard that the first sentence is wrong because you can't compare the subjective case with the ...
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Is it normal to say "Allow myself to introduce myself"?
When Austin Powers says this phrase? Is it considered to be somewhat of an exception to normal use, like with,
Myself is often used where I or me might be expected,
Or was it more abnormal than that,...
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Who is your favorite singer? It is [duplicate]
A Japanese friend of mine recently asked me a question that I could not quite explain.
A. Who is your favorite singer?
B. It is Ed Sheeran.
A. Who is the president of the United States?
B. ...
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Is it correct to say "None can stop me" without mentioning a specific group of people? [closed]
Is it correct to say "None can stop me?" I feel like "No one can stop me" is the one I've seen used most often, but I'm not sure if "none" works too? Does there have to ...
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Can the pronoun 'its' referring to a clause as a whole be placed at the beginning of the next sentence? [closed]
(1)Bill doesn't want to go and that's the problem.
(2)Bill doesn't want to go and it's the problem.
I understand (1) is good, but (2) is not natural,
because it referring to the entire clause cannot ...
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Can you write "... me's" (the possessive)?
Could you use me's as in something like this?
The person behind me's phone keeps ringing.
The person behind me's breathing sounds laboured.
I've tried looking at other questions but I couldn't find ...
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Why does emphasis of "it" allow phrasal verb syntax that would otherwise not be grammatical?
Edit: the answer cited with the closure doesn't answer the question I posed; it merely reinforces the usual placement of the pronoun.
Consider the phrase dash it off.
I dashed it off without thinking ...
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Case assignment to conjoined nouns/pronouns [duplicate]
I suspect that this subject has been addressed already, but I've been unable to find this specific issue with the search terms I've used.
My concern is the assignment of accusative (or objective, if ...
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Usage of "you" in scientific papers
According to numerous questions (e.g Is it recommended to use "we" in research papers?), one should use "we" instead of "I" while writing a scientific paper.
However, it'...
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First and second person pronouns in academic writing [closed]
I've been told numerous times in high school that "first and second person pronouns in academic writing" should be avoided. This supposed wisdom is echoed in various style manuals as well. ...
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Each other’s nose or each other’s noses?
Should it be singular or plural after “each other’s” here.
They touched each other’s nose.
They touched each other’s noses.
Are both correct?
John Lawler notes in another post that each other can ...
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Using the word "he" twice in the same sentence - is this grammatically correct? If not, why are there published books that break this rule? [closed]
So, I was reading some books by Stephen King, S.D. Perry, and a couple authors I really love. I notice they'll use pronouns or certains words twice in the same sentence. When I read it, it's pleasant ...
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Is it necessary to insert the pronoun here? "…after which [she] looked out at the tall grasses" [closed]
Is it necessary to insert "she" after "after which" in the following sentence?
Claire did not reply until she had finished cutting all the salted meat into slices, after which ...
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What does “it” refer to in this sentence?
I have two things to say. I lost my car keys after school. But it isn’t all bad news (all of it isn’t bad news). I got an A on my math test.
What does “it” refer to in the second sentence?
I thought “...
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How to write s/he at the beginning of a sentence? [closed]
In a document I want to use the gender form of personal pronouns. But if I use "s/he" at the beginning of a sentence, are both "s" and "h" to be written in capitals? It ...
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What is the corrrect form of pronoun to use for note taking? [duplicate]
I am trying to take notes on a lecture that others can access online.
Should I write:
To understand depression, one must understand both biology and
psychology.
or
You must understand both ...
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As (It) Was Explained to You
Is that it wrong, or is it just unnecessary but still correct? I have found some questions about that, by which I've been able to understand that it's unnecessary, but I still wonder if it must be ...
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Subjective or Objective pronouns in dialogues?
Let's say I'm quoting a dialogue between me and my friend, should I use subjective pronouns (I / He) or objective pronouns (Me / Him)?
For example:
Me: What's up?
Him: The sky.
Or:
I: What's up?
He:...
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Yourself vs. yourselves when speaking to individuals in a group
What you should expect from yourselves and each other
This phrase is spoken to a group of people, but to each person individually. Particularly because it includes "and each other," it ...
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Whomever from the show "The Office"
So there is an infamous comedy sketch with "whomever" vs "whoever" in the show "the Office". The correct answer there is that you cannot tell which is the correct answer ...
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Usage of they/them as a pronoun in confusing sentences [duplicate]
Pronouns are an integral part of the english language. However, they can also cause confusion and problems within communication, especially in the modern era, as some people choose to use ...
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What does "some" refer to in the context? [closed]
In this article from The Economist it says:
As Britons took to holidaying in the actual Mediterranean, some began to decline; austerity and covid-19 finished them off.
The short line " some ...
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When referring to oneself using pronouns only, would it be appropriate to use "me" instead of "myself"?
When you refer to yourself without saying your name, (without gendered pronouns) would it be of appropriate use to say "me" instead of "myself"?
for example:
I would give me a big ...
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How should I refer to a person without identifying them? Can I use 'one'? [closed]
If I wish to refer to an individual person but without describing that person or drawing attention to the characteristics of that person or without identifying that person - how should I do it ?
The ...
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*That is/those are* my rifle and the bullets
Which is correct?
My research: I found a lot of questions related to using that and those, but none of those were about what I'm trying to find out. Then I found information about those in Cambridge ...
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Using plural or singular noun when talking in first person using pronoun 'we' [duplicate]
Is it head or heads in the second sentence?
On the one hand, 'we' don't all share the same head; on the other, each one of us doesn't have multiple heads.
When it's warm, you may notice that your ...
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Which demonstrative pronoun should be used in the following example?
I've made a story on Instagram, on which I've put a link to an image with music.
There you see a T-shirt with the titles of songs from the Untitled blink-182 album. On my story I wrote: "I love ...
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Is the pronoun "it" gender-neutral pronoun? [closed]
Is the pronoun "it" a gender-neutral one? If so, then is it okay to use it to refer to supernatural entities?
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Did King Charles III use the pronoun "myself" correctly?
In his first televised Christmas message, the King said:
I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which
so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you
...
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What is it called when the pronoun "you" actually refers to me (reflexively)?
What is it called when the pronoun "you" actually refers to me (reflexively) or simply others in general?
Example:
You know what makes them look foolish? When they accuse you of being
...
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Does the pronoun 'we' contain the listener? [closed]
I know that the pronoun WE is first person plural.
Does it contain the listener?
When I am referring to a group of people, sometimes it seems to have the listener in the group. Sometimes doesn't.
Can ...
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Pronoun Reference usage [duplicate]
Is it correct to use the pronoun reference her before introducing/specifying the name?
Is it called a vague pronoun reference?
Example:
In her article, Jane provides a really good example of...
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Should the "F" in "Farmer John" be capitalized mid-sentence?
I'm writing story-generating software. One specific story involves a farmer with a variable name. I'll use "John" as an example. For a "folksy" or "old-timey" or "...
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Is it "She is whom he fights for", "She is who he fights for" or neither?
Another way to say nearly the same thing would be "He fights for her" which makes me think of two things in particular:
Because "her" is used, the correct choice should be "...
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'It's for your good' versus 'It's for your own good'
I'm wondering whether for your good is commonly used in English-speaking countries. For example,
Take the medicine. That's for your good.
If that is not grammatical or idiomatic for some reason, why ...
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What are other forms of using the "people in general" pronoun, the equivalent of the French On?
Which phrases (which are parallel to phrases in other languages, for example) would be correct and which not?
For example is it Ok to use "you can get x for free" when you refer to other ...
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If the customer often updates * their * file? gender-neutral pronoun for client/customer [duplicate]
This is a bit like Could I use the gender-neutral “their” for the antecedent “account”?
In business language, should you use singular or plural pronouns for a client or customer that stands for a ...
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Objective vs Subjective Pronouns [duplicate]
While reading The Rose of Battle (W.B Yeats) I came across this line
For him who hears love sing and never cease
My question is whether the pronoun here should be subjective or objective (as in for ...
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Can we use the indefinite pronoun “someone” as a possessive pronoun “someone’s”? (not only as a possessive determiner)
We can use personal pronouns in the possessive case:
The book is mine. / Mine is missing.
The shirt is yours. / Yours is missing.
Can we use the indefinite pronoun someone like this?
The book is ...
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Possessive pronoun + gerund confusion
I am confused over whether the following sentence contains a gerund and, therefore, whether I can precede that gerund with a possessive pronoun:
"I can't prevent your being offended."
Is &...
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Scientists developed the first computer program. It took 25 minutes to complete one calculation. It refers to...? [closed]
What does the pronoun it refer to in this paragraph?
During that decade, scientists in England developed the first computer program. It took 25 minutes to complete one calculation.
Does it refer to &...
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Choice of “it” versus “he/she”
I am not sure what is the underlying rule for when the use of “it” is appropriate and when “he / she”. Consider the following two examples:
There is a lady at the door. It is my aunt.
Do you know ...
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Talking about a third person, formally [closed]
I am talking about my professor to his secretary. Is it polite and formal to refer to him as "he"? or should I use "they"?
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