English is so simple - 8

  Chapter Two

Pronoun ???

A pronoun is called a pronoun because a pronoun is used instead of a noun.

Applying the above definition, we rewrite the above sentence as

A pronoun is called so because it is used instead of a noun.

The sentence now looks better, doesn’t it? And the credit for this goes to the pronoun so and it which spare us the repetition of a noun (the word pronoun, which itself is a noun because it is the name of one of the parts of speech).

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are those which stand for the three persons. You may ask: which three? Well, here are the three persons grammar knows:

1.       First Person: the person speaking.

Pronouns used: I, we.

2.       Second Person: the person spoken to.

Pronoun used: you.

3.       Third Person: the persons other than the above two.

Pronouns used: He, she, it, they.

Forms of personal pronouns

	Nominative		Accusative		Possessive
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
First Person	I	we	me	us	my, mine	our, ours
Second Person	you	you	you	you	your, yours	your, yours
Third Person	he, she, they	they	him, her, it	them	his, her, hers, its	their, theirs

Rule: A personal pronoun must be the same number, gender and person as the noun for which it stands.

Incorrect: Every man must love their own country.

Obviously, the personal pronoun used here is their. Is it correct? For this, let us first see which noun the pronoun stands for. We find that the noun is man. Now, man is

1.      Masculine.

2.      Singular. We are talking of every man, not of all men.

3.      In the third person. It is neither the speaker himself (first person) nor the man being addressed (second person).

4.      Apart from the above three, we must also take the case into account. Obviously, the pronoun here is not to act as a subject or an object, but one that will show a relationship to “own country”. So possessive case should be used.

Correct: Every man must love his own country.

Rule: A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and gender.

What is an antecedent? Antecedent is something that goes before. In the above example, it was a noun – man. But it may as well be a pronoun. So, in fact, this rule is only an extension of the previous one.

Incorrect: I am not one of those who believe everything I see.

The error is due to the hurry to conclude that “I do not believe everything I see.” The sense is this, true. But look at the structure. The given sentence may be simplified as “I am not one of X” where X stands for “those who believe everything I see.” Now you may see something is wrong with that pronoun in bold letters. I does not fit there because this pronoun has to be in the nominative case because we need a subject for the verb see. These requirements are fulfilled by they (from the table). So,

Correct: I am not one of those who believe everything they see.

Rule: When a plural noun stands for a collective noun, it must be in the neuter gender and

1.      Singular number, if the collective is viewed as a whole.

2.      Plural number, if the collective noun conveys the idea of separate individuals.

 Incorrect: The committee decided the matter without leaving its seats.

Now all the members of a committee do not share a common seat. Each member is allotted one of his own. Hence, the pronoun should convey the idea of plurality.

Correct: The committee decided the matter without leaving their seats.

Rule: When two or more singular nouns are joined by “and” refer to

1.      Separate persons, the pronouns used for them must be plural.

2.      The same person, the pronoun used for them must be singular.

Incorrect: Both Manas and Appu showed his fondness for his father.

Now, Manas and Appu are two individuals. When both of them are engaged in the act of showing fondness to father, it has to be their fondness for their father.

Correct: Both Manas and Appu showed their fondness for their father.

Incorrect: The chairman and managing director (CMD) of the company granted their approval to the scheme.

Note that chairman and managing director are nouns used for the same person. There is enough evidence for that. Firstly, the use of the article the. If there were two persons, the sentences would go like this. The chairman and the managing director ….. Secondly, the abbreviation CMD is a clue that both the authorities are in the hands of one person. So,

Correct: The chairman and managing director (CMD) of the company granted his approval to the scheme.

Rule: When two singular nouns joined by “and” are preceded by “each” or “every”, the pronoun must be singular.

Incorrect: Every teacher and every student got their dress ready.

Note that we are not talking of all teachers and all students, but every teacher and every student. The emphasis is on the individual. So, the pronoun should be singular.

Correct: Every teacher and every student got his dress ready.

Rule: When two or more singular nouns are joined by or, either …. Or or neither …. nor, the pronouns is generally singular.

Incorrect: Neither Mani nor Guni has brought has brought their identity card. Each of them must be having a separate identity card. So,

Correct: Neither Mani nor Guni has brought his identity card.

Note: Suppose, in the above example, we replace identity card by ration card. Then the use of their may be justified because if they are from the same household, the ration card will be under joint ownership. Hence, the rule says “ …. Generally singular.”

Correct: Every teacher and every student got his dress ready.

Source: (Book: English is Easy by Chetananand Singh.