Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns.

Nouns: Person, place, or thing. Brian, Sarah, tree, house, Rexburg, etc.

Pronouns: he, she, it, they, these, this, etc.

When writing sentences and essays, there are some common errors that we want to avoid.

Shifts in Person

When writing essays, we write from a certain point of view. That point of view is referred to as the "person."

1st person singular: I, my, me

1st person plural: we, our, us

2nd person singular: you, your

2nd person plural: you (Informally expressed “you guys”), your

3rd person singular: he, she, his, her, him, it, its

3rd person plural: they, their, them

Avoid changing the "person" in sentences or paragraphs. If you write in 1st person, stick to 1st person. If you write in 3rd person, stick to 3rd person.

The General "You"

In formal writing, avoid referring to the audience by using the word "you." This is because it can come across as accusatory.

Accusatory: Once you understand the causes of obesity, you can start changing your lifestyle.

Better: Once people understand the causes of obesity, they can start changing their lifestyle.

Pronoun Agreement in Number

A common error is to use "they" a plural pronoun when referring to a singular noun. While this may be considered normal, everyday speech, avoid it in formal writing.

Incorrect: I hate it when a customer doesn't know what they want. Correct: I hate it when customers don't know what they want.

Correct: I hate it when a customer doesn't know what he or she wants.

Vague Pronouns

Problems with pronouns arise when it isn't clear which noun the pronoun refers to.

Vague: My roommate dropped off his car and computer so that I could fix it. (What is "it"referring to? The car or the computer?

Better: My roommate dropped off his car and computer so that I could fix them. (specify what "it" is referring to. Remember that there are multiple ways to fix this).

Vague: My mom bought my sister new shoes, but she didn't like them once arriving home.

Better: My mom bought my sister new shoes, but my sister didn't like them once arriving home.