Pronoun Reference Personal Pronouns Subject Pronoun Object Pronoun
Pronoun Reference
Personal Pronouns Subject Pronoun Object Pronoun Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun Reflexive Pronoun I me my mine myself we us ourselves you yourself, yourselves he him his himself she her herself it it its ― itself they them theirs themselves one one’s ― oneself eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Rules for Using Personal Pronouns n Use the pronoun according to the form required The scientist showed us his invention. n Use an object pronoun after a preposition Between us, the competition is a non issue. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Rules for Using Personal Pronouns n 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 n 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) eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Reference n 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. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Reference n 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. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Reference n 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? eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Reference n 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? eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Agreement n 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. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Agreement n 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 G 8 meeting. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Agreement n Singular nouns need singular pronouns ¡ ¡ countable noun collective noun uncountable noun and indefinite pronoun eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Pronoun Agreement Types of Noun/ Pronoun Examples Pronouns to be used Singular countable noun Singular collective noun a person a book a troop a collection he or she it it it Singular indefinite pronoun everyone, someone each, every he or she Uncountable noun Information equipment eg 1471/jc/dec 2008 he, she or it it it
Pronoun Agreement n Plural countable nouns, compound noun phrases and some collective nouns need plural pronouns (they, them, 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. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Demonstrative Pronouns n n 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. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
Source Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for Student Writers (3 rd ed. ). New York: Cambridge University Press, 106 -113. eg 1471/jc/dec 2008
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