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Will chooses the wrong pronoun

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"There are many parallels between my son and I. We both wear diapers. I don't have a problem, but I'm too lazy to go to the bathroom. It saves me time." - Will Ferrell, in In Touch Weekly

Will has incorrectly used a subjective pronoun as the object of a preposition. This particular error, which involves the preposition "between" and a first person singular pronoun, is quite common; it is important to recognize this error because it often appears in questions on standardized examinations.

In the first sentence of Will's statement, the preposition "between" has a compound object: "my son and I." To understand the nature of this error, replace the preposition with one that does not require two objects and pair it with each of the components of the compound object.

  • for my son and I: for my son/for I
  • to my son and I: to my son/to I
  • by my son and I: by my son/by I

These examples demonstrate that using the subjective first person singular pronoun "I" as the object of a preposition does not make sense. Replace the subjective pronoun with an objective pronoun to correct this error:

  • for me
  • to me
  • by me

These prepositional phrases make sense.

This version of Will's statement replaces the subjective first person singular pronoun "I" with the objective first person singular pronoun "me."

"There are many parallels between my son and me."

agreement shifts

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The number of nouns and pronouns and the person of pronouns must remain consistent within a sentence. Standardized examinations will present questions that contain agreement shifts, making instant recognition of these errors essential.

All of my friends want to be a rock star.

"All of my friends" is a noun phrase that is plural. "Rock star" is a singular noun. All of my friends cannot be one rock star. The sentence has an agreement shift in number. To correct the sentence, make both nouns either singular or plural.

Each of my friends wants to be a rock star.

or

All of my friends want to be rock stars.

"Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun and agrees with the singular "rock star." "All" is an indefinite pronoun that can be singular or plural depending on the object of the preposition. Since "friends" is a countable noun, "all" is plural and it agrees with the plural "rock stars."

Anyone can play the guitar; all you have to do is practice.

"Anyone" is a singular indefinite pronoun and is in the third person. "You" is a personal pronoun in the second person. This sentence has an agreement shift in person. Correct the error by using two pronouns in the same person.

Anyone can play the guitar; all one has to do is practice.

or

You can play the guitar; all you have to do is practice.

indefinite pronouns

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A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Indefinite pronouns refer to unspecified people or things. These pronouns can be singular or plural; some are always singular, some are always plural, and the number of some depends on the object of the preposition associated with the pronoun.

These are singular indefinite pronouns:

  • each, either, neither, one
  • no one, nobody, nothing
  • anyone, anybody, anything
  • someone, somebody, something
  • everyone, everybody, everything

A singular indefinite pronoun takes a singular verb.

  • Everyone is happy.
  • No one knows what to do in this situation.

When a singular indefinite pronoun serves as an antecedent in a sentence, it must take a singular pronoun referent.

  • Everyone brought his book.
  • No one forgot her homework.
These are plural indefinite pronouns:

  • several, few, both, many

A plural indefinite pronoun takes a plural verb.

  • Both are acceptable.
  • Few are going to the party.

When a plural indefinite pronoun serves as an antecedent in a sentence, it must take a plural pronoun referent.

  • Both passed their tests.
  • Few did not understand their assignments.
These are indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural depending on how they are modified by a prepositional phrase:

  • some, any, most, all, none (Use this mnemonic device: SAMAN)

The number of the verb or the pronoun referent depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

When the object of the preposition is uncountable, use a singular verb.

  • All of my knowledge was useful during the test. (Knowledge cannot be counted: how many knowledge? This does not make sense.)
  • None of the ice cream was eaten. (How many ice cream? Ice cream cannot be counted.)

When the object of the preposition is uncountable, use a singular pronoun referent.

  • All of her work made its impact on her grades. (Work cannot be counted: how many work?)
  • Some of the water left its mark on the wooden table. (How many water? Water cannot be counted.)

When the object of the preposition is countable, use a plural verb.

  • Most of the words were on the vocabulary test. (Words can be counted.)
  • None of these sentences are hard to understand. (Sentences can be counted.)

When the object of the preposition is countable, use a plural pronoun referent.

  • All of the books were useful in their own ways. (Books can be counted.)
  • Some of my friends drove their cars to the beach. (Friends can be counted.)

Note: Some indefinite pronouns are identical to the indefinite adjectives. The part of speech of each word is determined by its function in the sentence.

  • Many books are wonderful. [In this sentence, "many" is an indefinite determiner that modifies the noun "books."]
  • Many have become my favorites. [In this sentence, "many" is an indefinite pronoun functioning as the subject.]

Usage: Colin makes two pronoun errors

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"Fatherhood only changes you if you allow it to change you. I kind of avoided changing me for a while. I just know that I have somebody who, for the first time in my life, I'm in love with, and it's going to last." - Colin Farrell, in OK Magazine

Colin has made two pronoun errors. He has also used a colloquialism that is considered to be an error by the writers of standardized examinations.


This entry continues with an analysis and description of errors in the quote.


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Usage: Christina chooses the wrong pronoun and makes an error in parallelism

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly misused. Understanding grammar errors can make them easier to identify and avoid.

"I was not the kind of artist that had my mommy hold my hand and my daddy managing my career." - Christina Aguilera in GQ

This sentence contains two errors: an error in pronoun choice and an error in parallelism.

This entry continues with an analysis and description of errors in the quote.


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Jack uses the wrong verb and chooses the wrong kind of noun

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly misused.

"There's only two people in the world you should lie to: the police and your girlfriend." - Jack Nicholson in In Touch Weekly

This sentence contains an error in subject/verb agreement and an error in diction.

The subject in this sentence is "two people," which is plural. The verb (the contraction form of "is") is singular. Change the number of the verb to plural ("are") to correct this error in agreement.

Jack refers to two people in this quote. However, while "your girlfriend" is a person, "the police" is not a person. "The police" is a group of people. "Police" is a special kind of collective noun, like "people" and "cattle," that is always plural.

To correct this error, replace "the police" with a singular noun ("a policeman") or restructure the sentence to remove the reference to two people:

"The only people in the world you should lie to are the police and your girlfriend."

Usage: Courtney chooses the wrong relative pronoun

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly confused.

"I always thought I'd be that girl that lives with no regrets. I have regrets." - Courtney Love

Courtney has used an incorrect relative pronoun.

In the noun phrase "girl that lives with no regrets," the relative pronoun "that" refers to "girl." This is incorrect because "that" should be used to refer only to animals and things. The subjective relative pronoun "who" should be used to refer to a person.

This version of Courtney's statement corrects the pronoun error:

"I always thought I'd be that girl who lives with no regrets."

Note: In the first instance of "that," the word is a demonstrative adjective modifying "girl."

Simon uses the wrong pronoun

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"What luxury item would I take to a desert island? A mirror. It's true. I'd miss me." - Simon Cowell, in In Touch

Simon has used an incorrect pronoun. He chose the pronoun "me" to refer to the subject "I." When the subject and the object in a sentence are the same, a reflexive pronoun should be used. Since the subject is in the first person, the proper pronoun to use in this case is "myself."

This version of Simon's quote features a reflexive pronoun that refers to the first person subject:

"I'd miss myself."

reflexive and intensive pronouns

A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and an object in a sentence or clause are the same person or thing. Intensive pronouns are used to emphasize their antecedents.


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interrogative pronouns

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A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.


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relative pronouns

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A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Relative pronouns create relationships by connecting phrases and clauses to other phrases and clauses.


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Demonstrative Pronouns

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A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Demonstrative pronouns identify people or things by directing attention to them.


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Personal Pronouns

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A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are classified into 6 types: personal pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; indefinite pronouns; relative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; and reflexive and intensive pronouns.

Personal pronouns designate specific people or things.


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whoever/whomever

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The usage of the indefinite relative pronouns "whoever" and "whomever" can be confusing, especially in sentences in which one of these pronouns is part of the object of a preposition. When you are determining which pronoun to use in a sentence, remember that "whoever" is in the subjective case and "whomever" is in the objective case.

Should the pronoun in the following sentence be "whoever" or "whomever"?

He will give his extra ticket to [whoever/whomever] I choose.

This sentence contains a prepositional phrase: "to [whoever/whomever] I choose." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "[whoever/whomever] I choose."

These are the components of the noun clause:

  • subject: "I"
  • verb: "choose"
  • direct object: "[whoever/whomever]"

Follow these steps to determine which pronoun to use:

1. Rearrange the words so that the subject is at the beginning of the clause.

  • I choose [whoever/whomever]

2. Replace the subjective relative pronoun "whoever" with the subjective personal pronoun "he" and the objective relative pronoun "whomever" with the objective personal pronoun "him."(It is helpful to use "he" and "him" even if the person is female or the gender is unknown because both "him" and "whomever" contain "m" and both of these pronouns are objective.)

  • I choose [he/him]

3. Recognize that "I choose him" makes sense because the objective personal pronoun "him" is the direct object in this clause.

4. Replace the objective personal pronoun "him" with the objective relative pronoun "whomever" and return the words to their original order.

  • whomever I choose

He will give his extra ticket to whomever I choose.

Remember: the object of the preposition is not just the relative pronoun "whomever." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "whomever I choose."

Should the pronoun in the following sentence be "whoever" or "whomever"?

He will give his extra ticket to [whoever/whomever] wants it.

This sentence contains a prepositional phrase: "to [whoever/whomever] can drive him to the show." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "[whoever/whomever] wants it."

These are the components of the noun clause:

  • subject: "[whoever/whomever]"
  • verb: "wants"
  • direct object: "it"

Follow these steps to determine which pronoun to use:

1. Replace the subjective relative pronoun "whoever" with the subjective personal pronoun "he" and the objective relative pronoun "whomever" with the objective personal pronoun "him."

  • [he/him] wants it

3. Recognize that "he wants it" makes sense because the subjective personal pronoun "he" is the subject in this clause.

4. Replace the subjective personal pronoun "he" with the subjective relative pronoun "whoever."

  • whoever wants it

He will give his extra ticket to whoever wants it.

Remember: the object of the preposition is not just the relative pronoun "whoever." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "whoever wants it."

Should the pronoun in the following sentence be "whoever" or "whomever"?

He will give his extra ticket to [whoever/whomever] I think should go.

This sentence contains a prepositional phrase: "to [whoever/whomever] I think should go." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "[whoever/whomever] I think should go."

These are the components of the noun clause:

  • subject: "[whoever/whomever]"
  • verb: "should go"

The clause "I think" functions as an adjective modifying the noun clause "[whoever/whomever] should go." Ignore this type of clause when you are determining which pronoun to use in a sentence. Similar adjective clauses that you may encounter in other sentences include "we believe," "you feel," and "he considers."

Follow these steps to determine which pronoun to use:

1. Replace the subjective relative pronoun "whoever" with the subjective personal pronoun "he" and the objective relative pronoun "whomever" with the objective personal pronoun "him."

  • [he/him] should go

3. Recognize that "he should go" makes sense because the subjective personal pronoun "he" is the subject in this clause.

4. Replace the subjective personal pronoun "he" with the subjective relative pronoun "whoever" and insert the adjective clause "I think."

  • whoever I think should go

He will give his extra ticket to whoever can go.

Remember: the object of the preposition is not just the relative pronoun "whoever." The object of the preposition is the entire noun clause "whoever I think should go."

your/you're

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly confused.

The words “your” and “you're” are homophones: they sound alike, but they have different meanings. Keep the different definitions in mind when you spell these words.

The word "your" is a personal possessive adjective that means "belonging to you."

The word "you're" is a contraction of "you are."

Watch your step when you're walking through the kitchen. You're not going to believe this, but your sister spilled an entire bottle of olive oil on the floor.

Replace "your" and "you're" with their definitions to see how these words fit into the sentences.

Watch [the] step belonging to you when you are walking through the kitchen. You are not going to believe this, but [the] sister belonging to you spilled an entire bottle of olive oil on the floor.

Test the usage of "your" and "you're" in the following sentences by replacing these words with their definitions.

  • Your coming with us.
  • Belonging to you coming with us.

This does not make sense. Replace "your" with the definition of "you're" to see how it makes sense in the sentence.

  • You are coming with us.
  • You're coming with us.

This makes sense. The use of "you're" in this context is correct.

Jennifer Love makes an error in pronoun case

“I was talking to a fan and she told me how her and her husband always sit down to have dinner together and watch the show and hold hands. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation that I realized that the woman’s husband was dead.” - Jennifer Love Hewitt, on the impact of her show, Ghost Whisperer

Jennifer has made an error in pronoun case. She has used the pronoun "her," which can be either objective or possessive, as the subject of a clause.

In the clause "her and her husband always sit down," the subject is "her and her husband." Separate the two parts of the subject and change the number of the verb to test the case of the pronoun:

  1. her husband sits down [This makes sense.]
  2. her sits down [This does not make sense.]

To correct the error, change the case of the pronoun to subjective.

“I was talking to a fan and she told me how she and her husband always sit down to have dinner together and watch the show and hold hands."

their/there/they're

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly confused.

The words "their," "there," and "they're" are homophones: they sound alike, but they have different meanings. Keep the different definitions in mind when you spell these words.

"Their" is a personal possessive adjective that means "belonging to them."

My friends brought their dog with them. [The dog belongs to them.]

"There" is a word that takes several parts of speech. It is most commonly used as an adverb meaning "in that place."

I put your book there. [I put your book in that place. The adverb "there" modifies the verb "put" and answers the question "Where?"]

As a noun, "there" means "that place; that point."

If you drive halfway, I will take it from there. [I will take it from that point.]

As an adjective, "there" means "able to be relied upon; fully conscious or aware." These meanings are usually part of the idioms "there for (someone)" and "all there."

My sister is dependable and she is always there for me. My brother is a flake; he's not all there. [My sister is able to be relied upon and my brother is not fully aware of things.]

"They're" is a contraction of "they are."

They're my siblings and I love them both. [They are my siblings.]

its/it's

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Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly confused.

The words "its" and "it's" are homophones: they sound alike, but they have different meanings. Keep the different definitions in mind when you spell these words.

"Its" is a personal possessive pronoun that means "belonging to it."

"It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has."


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Janet uses the wrong pronoun

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"For now, it's just nice for me to get back down to where I feel more comfortable with me." - Janet Jackson, on her recent weight loss

This quote contains an error in pronoun choice. In the adverb clause "where I feel more comfortable with me," Janet uses the pronoun "me" to refer back to the subject "I." When the subject and the object (or, as in this case, the object of the prepositional phrase that refers back to the subject) in a sentence are the same, a reflexive pronoun should be used. Since the subject is in the first person, the proper pronoun to use in this case is "myself."

This version of Janet's statement corrects the pronoun error:

"For now, it's just nice for me to get back down to where I feel more comfortable with myself."

pronoun/antecedent agreement

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An antecedent is the noun, compound noun, or pronoun to which a pronoun refers. The referent pronoun and its antecedent must agree in person, number, and gender.

To check for pronoun/antecedent agreement, first find the referent pronoun. Then figure out to which word the pronoun refers; this is the antecedent. Finally, confirm that the pronoun and antecedent are in agreement.


This entry continues with an analysis and description of the grammatical rules related to this concept.


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possessive forms and gerunds

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When a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund in a sentence, the noun or pronoun must be in the possessive form. A common error in colloquial speech, and one that is commonly seen on standardized examinations, is the use of the objective form of a noun or pronoun that precedes a gerund in a sentence.

A gerund is a verb ending in "-ing" that acts as a noun.

Eating cake is the best part of my birthday.

I like to visit my friend, but driving to her house can take a long time.

He enjoys listening to music.

When a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund in a sentence, it must take the possessive form. The possessive form of a noun includes an apostrophe and the letter "s," and the possessive forms of pronouns are my, your, his, her, its, our, their and whose.

My eating all that cake made me sick to my stomach.

Bob's driving is rather reckless.

His listening to loud music all night drove me crazy.

Examination questions may present a gerund preceded by a noun or pronoun in the objective form. Objective forms of nouns do not have an apostrophe and an "s," and the objective forms of pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, them, and whom. (Notice that the third person feminine pronoun is "her" in both the possessive and objective form.)

I attributed his stomach ache to him eating all that cake.

We appreciate Bob driving us to her house.

I cannot take him listening to loud music anymore.

These sentences are all incorrect because the noun and pronouns preceding the gerunds are in the objective case. Remember that gerunds are nouns. We do not use objective forms with nouns:

  • me cake (so it should never be "me eating")
  • Bob car (so it should never be "Bob driving")
  • him music (so it should never be "him listening")

These are the corrected versions of the above sentences:

I attributed his stomach ache to his eating all that cake.

We appreciate Bob's driving us to her house.

I can't take his listening to loud music anymore.

plural pronouns with singular antecedents

A grammar rule: Pronouns should agree in number with their antecedents.

One of the limitations of the English language is its lack of gender-neutral singular pronouns that refer to people. Singular pronouns are either masculine (he/him/his/himself) or feminine (she/her/herself), or they refer to things, not people (it/its/itself).

Anyone who wants to go swimming should bring their bathing suit.

This type of sentence structure is extremely common in informal speech and writing, but according to the rules of standard American English, it contains an error in pronoun/antecedent agreement.


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