Pronoun-2 RULES

               

1.   When a pronoun refers to a noun already stated in the sentence, the replaced noun is called antecedent. The pronoun should be placed close to its antecedent and must agree with it in gender and number.

Example:          The teacher chose those girls because they had performed well .

2.   If a collective noun is used as a unit denoting a unit; as a whole, the pronoun preferred is Singular and in neutral gender.

Example:               The crew revolted and murdered its / their captain.

                               The crew revolted and murdered its captain.(right)

• Note:  If the collective noun denotes separation or division, plural pronoun should be proffered .

Example:               The crew is divided in its opinions. (wrong)

                              The crew were divided in their opinions. (right)

3.  When two or more nouns are joined by ‘and’ the pronoun used would be Plural.

Example:                Jack and Jill went to their school.

  

4.  When two Singular nouns are joined by and preceded by each or every, the Pronoun used would be Singular.

Example:               Every teacher and every student were in their class. (wrong)

                         Every teacher and every student was in his class. (right)

5.   Singular pronoun is preferred when two or more singular nouns are joined by ‘or’, ’Either….or’, or ‘neither…..nor’. 

Example:               Either Jack or Jill has lost their watch.(wrong)

                         Either Jack or Jill has lost his watch. (right)

6.  After “Let”, an objective case of pronoun is preferred. 

Example:               Let you and I decide the matter. (wrong)

                         Let you and me decide the matter.(right).

7.  While comparing two subjects, the same case of pronoun is preferred.

Example:               She is wiser than me.(wrong)

                         She is wiser than I. (right)

• Note:  both ‘she’ and ‘I’ are of subjective or nominative case.

8. The indefinite pronoun’one’ should be used as ‘one’s’ for its possessive case.

Example:              one should obey their parents.(wrong)

                        one should obey one’s parents. (right)

9.  We should not use apostrophes with possessive pronouns.

Example:              Jimmy  took her’s dog for a walk. (wrong)

                        Jimmy  took her dog for a walk. (right)

10.   Pronouns  such as any, anybody, anyone, each, either, enough, everybody, everyone, few, little, many, much, neither, nobody, some, somebody, someone etc., take singular pronouns. 

Example:               Neither is going to the concert, so he or she needs to give the tickets away. (singular pronoun)

                          Nobody ever goes to see her. She’s very lonely.