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Some of the most common mistakes people make when writing or speaking have to do with pronouns. A pronoun, of course, is a word that takes the place of a noun. If we didn't use pronouns, a sentence might look like this: As Mr. Perkins entered the conference room, Mr. Perkins thought to Mr. Perkins, "These meetings are such a waste of Mr. Perkins' time." It is almost exhausting to read even a short sentence worded this way! But substitute some of the nouns with pronouns and it looks like this: As Mr. Perkins entered the conference room, he thought to himself, "These meetings are such a waste of my time." The second sentence is much easier to read and comprehend, right? Here is a brief refresher course on the different types of pronouns, how they are often used incorrectly, and how they should be used. Types of Pronouns Personal pronouns substitute for people or things: you, I, me, him, her, he, she, it, us, them, we, they. Example: I went to San Diego last weekend. Possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession: yours, mine, ours, hers, his, theirs. Example: "The blue notebook is mine, yours is the green one," Susan said to Tom. Demonstrative pronouns point out a specific person or thing: this, that, these, those. Example: These shoes are much more comfortable than my old ones. Relative pronouns show a relationship between one part of a sentence and another: who, whom, that, which, whose. Use who, whom or whose to refer to people, and which or that to refer to animals or things. Example: The woman in the green dress, whom I've known for years, is in charge of the campaign. Example: The living room, which has floor to ceiling windows, gets the most sunlight. Reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize a noun: yourself, myself, herself, himself, itself, yourselves, themselves, ourselves. In the following example, the pronoun himself emphasizes the noun George. Example: George asked himself, "What would I do in the same situation?" A Few Common Mistakes Some of the most common pronoun mistakes made in conversation have to do with using two personal pronouns together. Incorrect: Her and her friend went roller skating. Try breaking this sentence down into two sentences that separate the actions of the two people: Her went roller skating. Her friend went roller skating. You would not say "her went roller skating," you would say "she went roller skating." When you break it down in this way, you can see, and hear, the correct way of saying this sentence. Correct: She and her friend went roller skating. What about this example? Incorrect: For Annie and I, planning the trip to Japan was almost as exciting as the trip itself. To determine whether to use I or me in a sentence like this, take out Annie and, leaving this: For I, planning the trip to Japan was almost as exciting as the trip itself. You would not say for I, you would say for me, and that is how you say it when you add the words Annie and back in: Correct: For Annie and me, planning the trip to Japan was almost as exciting as the trip itself. Readers become confused when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, as in the following: "Cleaning products can be harmful to young children. Make sure you keep them in a locked cabinet." Should we lock the children in a cabinet, or the cleaning products? Common sense tells us that it is the cleaning products that should be locked up, but always be aware that your writing can be misunderstood when a reader is forced to guess what the pronoun refers to. Incorrect: When Tim set the bottle on the glass-topped table, it broke. What broke, the bottle or the table? Correct: The bottle broke when Tim set it on the glass-topped table. One mistake that people often make is to use a reflexive pronoun in the place of a simple personal pronoun. Incorrect: Please let Joan or myself know when you leave the office. Correct: Please let Joan or me know when you leave the office. Again, taking out the words Joan or allows us to hear the correct way to speak or write this sentence. The pronouns it and they are often used incorrectly, both in speech and in writing. Always use it or they to refer to a specific noun, and not to convey a general idea. Incorrect: It says in the article that there are 90 calories in one small banana. Correct: The article states that there are 90 calories in one small banana. Incorrect: In California, they have strict auto emissions regulations. Correct: California has strict auto emissions regulations. This is just a small sampling of the available information on pronouns and how to use them. A good grammar guide, such as Diane Hacker's Rules For Writers, can be purchased at any bookstore, and is an invaluable resource for students, writers, or anyone interested in writing or speaking well. our process
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