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