{"id":1026,"date":"2020-01-17T17:39:39","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T17:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/coreqenglish1\/chapter\/text-pronoun-antecedents\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T22:39:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T22:39:52","slug":"using-pronouns-correctly","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/using-pronouns-correctly\/","title":{"raw":"Using Pronouns Correctly","rendered":"Using Pronouns Correctly"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Correctly match pronouns and antecedents<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Antecedent Clarity<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2297\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\"]<img class=\"wp-image-2297\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/06\/21153634\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-21-at-11.36.04-AM-300x273.png\" alt=\"Two squares with arrows between them, insinuating that one square is being replaced by the other.\" width=\"150\" height=\"273\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Always ensure that the identity of your antecedent is clear before replacing it with a pronoun.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWe've already defined an <strong>antecedent<\/strong> as the noun (or phrase) that a pronoun is replacing.\r\n<p data-start=\"448\" data-end=\"621\">When an antecedent is unclear, it can lead to confusion. The phrase \"antecedent clarity\" simply means that it should be clear who or what the pronoun is referring to.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"448\" data-end=\"621\">Let\u2019s examine two examples where ambiguity creates a problem and see how they can be revised for clarity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Example: Clear Antecedents<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"693\"><strong data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"691\">Example 1:<\/strong> Jason thanked Gautam after he helped him move.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"695\" data-end=\"801\">Who does <em data-start=\"704\" data-end=\"708\">he<\/em> refer to? Did Jason help Gautam move, or did Gautam help Jason? The antecedent is unclear.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"941\"><strong data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"827\">Revised Example 1:<\/strong> Jason thanked Gautam after Gautam helped him move.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"941\">Now it's clear that Gautam was the one who helped.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Example 2: <\/strong>To keep the students from using their cell phones in school, keep them in a plastic bag.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1057\" data-end=\"1196\">What does <em data-start=\"1067\" data-end=\"1073\">them<\/em> refer to? The sentence could be mistakenly interpreted as keeping the students in a plastic bag instead of their phones.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"1198\" data-end=\"1334\"><strong data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"827\">Revised Example 2: <\/strong>To prevent students from using their cell phones in school, the phones should be kept in a plastic bag.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs you write, keep these two things in mind:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Make sure your pronouns always have antecedents.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make sure that it's clear what their antecedents are.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nLet's take a look at an example:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Rafael told Matt to stop eating his cereal.<\/p>\r\nWhen you first read this sentence, is it clear whether the cereal is Rafael's\u00a0or Matt's? Is it clear when you read the sentence again? Not really, no.\r\n\r\nHow would you best revise the sentence above about Rafael and Matt? Type your ideas in the text frame below, and then look at the suggested revisions.\r\n\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"654515\"]<strong>Show Possible Revisions<\/strong>[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"654515\"]Let's assume the cereal is Rafael's:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Rafael told Matt to stop eating Rafael's cereal.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Matt\u00a0was eating Rafael's\u00a0cereal. Rafael told him to stop it.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhat if the cereal is Matt's?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Rafael told Matt to stop eating Matt's cereal.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Matt was eating his own cereal when Rafael told him to stop.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"color: #333333;\">These aren't the only ways to revise the sentence. However, each of these new sentences has made it clear whose cereal it is.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/f1d3e366-899a-42fc-8d15-f22d42baf60a\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Person and Number<\/h2>\r\n<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"331\">One of the trickiest grammar rules in English involves <strong data-start=\"163\" data-end=\"209\">matching pronouns with indefinite pronouns<\/strong> (words like <em data-start=\"222\" data-end=\"248\">everyone, somebody, each<\/em>). These words are <strong data-start=\"267\" data-end=\"279\">singular<\/strong>, but they often refer to people in a general way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3 data-start=\"379\" data-end=\"465\"><span style=\"background-color: #ccd7dd; color: #000000; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 600; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;\">How Pronoun Agreement Has Changed<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"379\" data-end=\"465\">Traditionally, indefinite pronouns were always paired with singular pronouns.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"628\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"561\"><em data-start=\"468\" data-end=\"526\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"493\" data-end=\"500\">his<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em> (Assumes all students are male.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"562\" data-end=\"628\"><em data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"626\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"580\" data-end=\"587\">his<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"630\" data-end=\"735\">Later on, to be more inclusive to women, \"his or her\" became a common alternative.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"879\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"805\"><em data-start=\"738\" data-end=\"803\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"763\" data-end=\"777\">his or her<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"806\" data-end=\"879\"><em data-start=\"808\" data-end=\"877\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"824\" data-end=\"838\">his or her<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"881\" data-end=\"997\">Today, \"they\", \"them\", or \"their\" (referring to a singular person) are now widely used in everyday speech and writing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1131\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1062\"><em data-start=\"1000\" data-end=\"1060\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1034\">their<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1063\" data-end=\"1131\"><em data-start=\"1065\" data-end=\"1129\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1090\">their<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><strong>PRO TIP:<\/strong> The singular <strong data-start=\"1146\" data-end=\"1156\">\"they\"<\/strong> is now recognized by major grammar authorities, including the <strong data-start=\"1219\" data-end=\"1233\">APA (2019)<\/strong> and the <strong data-start=\"1242\" data-end=\"1269\">Chicago Manual of Style<\/strong>[footnote]The University of Chicago Press. \"Grammar &amp; Usage: Singular 'they'. <em>Chicago Manual of Style<\/em>, 2017, p. 241.[\/footnote]. However, some instructors or style guides may still prefer \"his or her,\" so when in doubt, check their preferences.<\/div>\r\nThey\/them are often used as personal pronouns when the gender of the person is unknown (for example, you do not know who the person is) or because they do not identify strictly as male or female. In this case, using <strong data-start=\"1575\" data-end=\"1583\">they<\/strong> as a singular pronoun is gender-neutral, as well as grammatically correct and respectful. For example:\r\n<ul data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1761\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1715\"><em data-start=\"1657\" data-end=\"1713\">Jordan said <strong data-start=\"1670\" data-end=\"1678\">they<\/strong> would bring snacks to the meeting.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1715\"><em>Casey texted me that <strong>they<\/strong> accidentally locked <strong>their<\/strong> keys in <strong>their<\/strong> car, so <strong>they<\/strong> will be late to swim practice today.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1716\" data-end=\"1761\"><em data-start=\"1718\" data-end=\"1759\">Someone forgot <strong data-start=\"1730\" data-end=\"1739\">their<\/strong> notebook in class.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4 data-start=\"1763\" data-end=\"1807\"><strong data-start=\"1768\" data-end=\"1805\">A Simple Trick to Avoid Confusion<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n<p data-start=\"1809\" data-end=\"1932\">If you find sentences with indefinite pronouns awkward, you can rewrite them in plural form to make agreement easier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"1934\" data-end=\"2086\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1934\" data-end=\"2014\"><strong data-start=\"1936\" data-end=\"1948\">Awkward:<\/strong> <em data-start=\"1949\" data-end=\"2012\">Each student should submit <strong data-start=\"1977\" data-end=\"1991\">his or her<\/strong> assignment on time.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"2015\" data-end=\"2086\"><strong data-start=\"2017\" data-end=\"2028\">Better:<\/strong> <em data-start=\"2029\" data-end=\"2084\">Students should submit <strong data-start=\"2053\" data-end=\"2062\">their<\/strong> assignments on time.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2169\">This method avoids the need for a singular \"they\" and keeps the sentence natural.<\/p>\r\nAgain, you should know that many of the words below are singular and \u201ctechnically\u201d require the singular pronoun (his or her).\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>anybody<\/td>\r\n<td>anyone<\/td>\r\n<td>anything<\/td>\r\n<td>each<\/td>\r\n<td>either<\/td>\r\n<td>every<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>everybody<\/td>\r\n<td>everyone<\/td>\r\n<td>everything<\/td>\r\n<td>neither<\/td>\r\n<td>no one<\/td>\r\n<td>nobody<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>nothing<\/td>\r\n<td>one<\/td>\r\n<td>somebody<\/td>\r\n<td>someone<\/td>\r\n<td>something<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Technically correct:<\/strong> Anyone going on this hike\u00a0should plan on being in the canyon\u00a0for at least seven hours; he or she should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Now acceptable: <\/strong> Anyone going on this hike should plan on being in the canyon for at least seven hours; they should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nRemember, there are workarounds.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Clunky, but correct:<\/strong> The way each individual\u00a0speaks can tell us so much about him or her.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>The workaround:<\/strong> The way individuals speak can tell us so much about them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nHere's a paragraph that uses \"he or she\" liberally:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Every writer will experience writer's block at some point in his or her career. He or she will suddenly be unable to move on in his or her work.\u00a0A lot of people have written about writer's block, presenting different strategies to \"beat the block.\" However, different\u00a0methods work for different people. Each writer must find\u00a0the solutions that work best for him or her.<\/p>\r\nHow would you best revise this paragraph? Type your ideas in the text frame below, and then look at the suggested revisions.\r\n\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"725756\"]Show Possible Revisions[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"725756\"]There are a couple of different ways you could revise this paragraph:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>All writers will experience writer's block at some point in their\u00a0careers. They\u00a0will suddenly be unable to move on in their\u00a0work. A lot of people have written about writer's block, presenting different strategies to \"beat the block.\" However, different methods work for different people. Writers must find the solutions that work best for them.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>As a writer, you\u00a0will experience writer's block at some point in your\u00a0career. You\u00a0will suddenly be unable to move on in your\u00a0work. A lot of people have written about writer's block, presenting\u00a0different strategies to \"beat the block.\" However, different methods work for different people. You\u00a0must find the solutions that work best for you.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWere those revisions what you expected?\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2><em>You and I<\/em> versus\u00a0<em>You and Me<\/em><\/h2>\r\nSome of the most common pronoun mistakes occur with the decision between \"you and I\" and \"you and me.\" \u00a0People will often say things like, \"You and me should go out for drinks.\" Or\u2014thinking back on the rule that it should be \"you and I\"\u2014they will say, \"Siobhan assigned the task to both you and I.\" However, both of these sentences are wrong. There\u2019s a pretty easy way to figure this out without having to understand pronoun cases.\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Example: You and I vs. YOu and ME<\/h3>\r\nLet's take a closer look at those examples:\r\n\r\n<strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> You and me should go out for drinks.\r\n<strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Me should go out for drinks. (remove the<em> You and<\/em>)\r\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> I should go out for drinks.\r\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> You and I should go out for drinks. (put <em>You and me<\/em> back in)\r\n\r\n<strong>Incorrect<\/strong>: Siobhan assigned the task to both you and I.\r\n<strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to I. (remove <em>both you and<\/em>)\r\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to me.\r\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to both you and me. (put <em>both you and<\/em> back in)\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> This rule is likely to change soon. Former President Barack Obama often makes this particular error, saying things like, \u201cThis is a very special moment to Michelle and I.\u201d That\u2019s incorrect. It should be Michelle and me!<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nReview what you've learned about pronoun agreement and check your understanding in the following interactive.\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1290909917278291538\/embed\" width=\"1089\" height=\"638\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><script src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/js\/h5p-resizer.js\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Correctly match pronouns and antecedents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Antecedent Clarity<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_2297\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2297\" class=\"wp-image-2297\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/06\/21153634\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-21-at-11.36.04-AM-300x273.png\" alt=\"Two squares with arrows between them, insinuating that one square is being replaced by the other.\" width=\"150\" height=\"273\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Always ensure that the identity of your antecedent is clear before replacing it with a pronoun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>We&#8217;ve already defined an <strong>antecedent<\/strong> as the noun (or phrase) that a pronoun is replacing.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"448\" data-end=\"621\">When an antecedent is unclear, it can lead to confusion. The phrase &#8220;antecedent clarity&#8221; simply means that it should be clear who or what the pronoun is referring to.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"448\" data-end=\"621\">Let\u2019s examine two examples where ambiguity creates a problem and see how they can be revised for clarity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Example: Clear Antecedents<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"693\"><strong data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"691\">Example 1:<\/strong> Jason thanked Gautam after he helped him move.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"695\" data-end=\"801\">Who does <em data-start=\"704\" data-end=\"708\">he<\/em> refer to? Did Jason help Gautam move, or did Gautam help Jason? The antecedent is unclear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"941\"><strong data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"827\">Revised Example 1:<\/strong> Jason thanked Gautam after Gautam helped him move.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"941\">Now it&#8217;s clear that Gautam was the one who helped.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Example 2: <\/strong>To keep the students from using their cell phones in school, keep them in a plastic bag.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1057\" data-end=\"1196\">What does <em data-start=\"1067\" data-end=\"1073\">them<\/em> refer to? The sentence could be mistakenly interpreted as keeping the students in a plastic bag instead of their phones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1198\" data-end=\"1334\"><strong data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"827\">Revised Example 2: <\/strong>To prevent students from using their cell phones in school, the phones should be kept in a plastic bag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As you write, keep these two things in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure your pronouns always have antecedents.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure that it&#8217;s clear what their antecedents are.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at an example:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Rafael told Matt to stop eating his cereal.<\/p>\n<p>When you first read this sentence, is it clear whether the cereal is Rafael&#8217;s\u00a0or Matt&#8217;s? Is it clear when you read the sentence again? Not really, no.<\/p>\n<p>How would you best revise the sentence above about Rafael and Matt? Type your ideas in the text frame below, and then look at the suggested revisions.<\/p>\n<p><textarea aria-label=\"Your Answer\" rows=\"4\"><\/textarea><\/p>\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><span class=\"show-answer collapsed\" style=\"cursor: pointer\" data-target=\"q654515\"><strong>Show Possible Revisions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"q654515\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">Let&#8217;s assume the cereal is Rafael&#8217;s:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rafael told Matt to stop eating Rafael&#8217;s cereal.<\/li>\n<li>Matt\u00a0was eating Rafael&#8217;s\u00a0cereal. Rafael told him to stop it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What if the cereal is Matt&#8217;s?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rafael told Matt to stop eating Matt&#8217;s cereal.<\/li>\n<li>Matt was eating his own cereal when Rafael told him to stop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333;\">These aren&#8217;t the only ways to revise the sentence. However, each of these new sentences has made it clear whose cereal it is.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_f1d3e366-899a-42fc-8d15-f22d42baf60a\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/f1d3e366-899a-42fc-8d15-f22d42baf60a?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_f1d3e366-899a-42fc-8d15-f22d42baf60a\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Person and Number<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"331\">One of the trickiest grammar rules in English involves <strong data-start=\"163\" data-end=\"209\">matching pronouns with indefinite pronouns<\/strong> (words like <em data-start=\"222\" data-end=\"248\">everyone, somebody, each<\/em>). These words are <strong data-start=\"267\" data-end=\"279\">singular<\/strong>, but they often refer to people in a general way.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3 data-start=\"379\" data-end=\"465\"><span style=\"background-color: #ccd7dd; color: #000000; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 600; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;\">How Pronoun Agreement Has Changed<\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"379\" data-end=\"465\">Traditionally, indefinite pronouns were always paired with singular pronouns.<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"628\">\n<li data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"561\"><em data-start=\"468\" data-end=\"526\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"493\" data-end=\"500\">his<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em> (Assumes all students are male.)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"562\" data-end=\"628\"><em data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"626\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"580\" data-end=\"587\">his<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"630\" data-end=\"735\">Later on, to be more inclusive to women, &#8220;his or her&#8221; became a common alternative.<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"879\">\n<li data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"805\"><em data-start=\"738\" data-end=\"803\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"763\" data-end=\"777\">his or her<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"806\" data-end=\"879\"><em data-start=\"808\" data-end=\"877\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"824\" data-end=\"838\">his or her<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"881\" data-end=\"997\">Today, &#8220;they&#8221;, &#8220;them&#8221;, or &#8220;their&#8221; (referring to a singular person) are now widely used in everyday speech and writing.<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1131\">\n<li data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1062\"><em data-start=\"1000\" data-end=\"1060\">Every student should do <strong data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1034\">their<\/strong> best on this assignment.<\/em><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1063\" data-end=\"1131\"><em data-start=\"1065\" data-end=\"1129\">If nobody lost <strong data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1090\">their<\/strong> scarf, then where did this come from?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><strong>PRO TIP:<\/strong> The singular <strong data-start=\"1146\" data-end=\"1156\">&#8220;they&#8221;<\/strong> is now recognized by major grammar authorities, including the <strong data-start=\"1219\" data-end=\"1233\">APA (2019)<\/strong> and the <strong data-start=\"1242\" data-end=\"1269\">Chicago Manual of Style<\/strong><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"The University of Chicago Press. &quot;Grammar &amp; Usage: Singular 'they'. Chicago Manual of Style, 2017, p. 241.\" id=\"return-footnote-1026-1\" href=\"#footnote-1026-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a>. However, some instructors or style guides may still prefer &#8220;his or her,&#8221; so when in doubt, check their preferences.<\/div>\n<p>They\/them are often used as personal pronouns when the gender of the person is unknown (for example, you do not know who the person is) or because they do not identify strictly as male or female. In this case, using <strong data-start=\"1575\" data-end=\"1583\">they<\/strong> as a singular pronoun is gender-neutral, as well as grammatically correct and respectful. For example:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1761\">\n<li data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1715\"><em data-start=\"1657\" data-end=\"1713\">Jordan said <strong data-start=\"1670\" data-end=\"1678\">they<\/strong> would bring snacks to the meeting.<\/em><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1655\" data-end=\"1715\"><em>Casey texted me that <strong>they<\/strong> accidentally locked <strong>their<\/strong> keys in <strong>their<\/strong> car, so <strong>they<\/strong> will be late to swim practice today.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1716\" data-end=\"1761\"><em data-start=\"1718\" data-end=\"1759\">Someone forgot <strong data-start=\"1730\" data-end=\"1739\">their<\/strong> notebook in class.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 data-start=\"1763\" data-end=\"1807\"><strong data-start=\"1768\" data-end=\"1805\">A Simple Trick to Avoid Confusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"1809\" data-end=\"1932\">If you find sentences with indefinite pronouns awkward, you can rewrite them in plural form to make agreement easier.<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1934\" data-end=\"2086\">\n<li data-start=\"1934\" data-end=\"2014\"><strong data-start=\"1936\" data-end=\"1948\">Awkward:<\/strong> <em data-start=\"1949\" data-end=\"2012\">Each student should submit <strong data-start=\"1977\" data-end=\"1991\">his or her<\/strong> assignment on time.<\/em><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2015\" data-end=\"2086\"><strong data-start=\"2017\" data-end=\"2028\">Better:<\/strong> <em data-start=\"2029\" data-end=\"2084\">Students should submit <strong data-start=\"2053\" data-end=\"2062\">their<\/strong> assignments on time.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2169\">This method avoids the need for a singular &#8220;they&#8221; and keeps the sentence natural.<\/p>\n<p>Again, you should know that many of the words below are singular and \u201ctechnically\u201d require the singular pronoun (his or her).<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>anybody<\/td>\n<td>anyone<\/td>\n<td>anything<\/td>\n<td>each<\/td>\n<td>either<\/td>\n<td>every<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>everybody<\/td>\n<td>everyone<\/td>\n<td>everything<\/td>\n<td>neither<\/td>\n<td>no one<\/td>\n<td>nobody<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>nothing<\/td>\n<td>one<\/td>\n<td>somebody<\/td>\n<td>someone<\/td>\n<td>something<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Technically correct:<\/strong> Anyone going on this hike\u00a0should plan on being in the canyon\u00a0for at least seven hours; he or she should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Now acceptable: <\/strong> Anyone going on this hike should plan on being in the canyon for at least seven hours; they should prepare accordingly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember, there are workarounds.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clunky, but correct:<\/strong> The way each individual\u00a0speaks can tell us so much about him or her.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The workaround:<\/strong> The way individuals speak can tell us so much about them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a paragraph that uses &#8220;he or she&#8221; liberally:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Every writer will experience writer&#8217;s block at some point in his or her career. He or she will suddenly be unable to move on in his or her work.\u00a0A lot of people have written about writer&#8217;s block, presenting different strategies to &#8220;beat the block.&#8221; However, different\u00a0methods work for different people. Each writer must find\u00a0the solutions that work best for him or her.<\/p>\n<p>How would you best revise this paragraph? Type your ideas in the text frame below, and then look at the suggested revisions.<\/p>\n<p><textarea aria-label=\"Your Answer\" rows=\"4\"><\/textarea><\/p>\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><span class=\"show-answer collapsed\" style=\"cursor: pointer\" data-target=\"q725756\">Show Possible Revisions<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"q725756\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">There are a couple of different ways you could revise this paragraph:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All writers will experience writer&#8217;s block at some point in their\u00a0careers. They\u00a0will suddenly be unable to move on in their\u00a0work. A lot of people have written about writer&#8217;s block, presenting different strategies to &#8220;beat the block.&#8221; However, different methods work for different people. Writers must find the solutions that work best for them.<\/li>\n<li>As a writer, you\u00a0will experience writer&#8217;s block at some point in your\u00a0career. You\u00a0will suddenly be unable to move on in your\u00a0work. A lot of people have written about writer&#8217;s block, presenting\u00a0different strategies to &#8220;beat the block.&#8221; However, different methods work for different people. You\u00a0must find the solutions that work best for you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Were those revisions what you expected?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><em>You and I<\/em> versus\u00a0<em>You and Me<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Some of the most common pronoun mistakes occur with the decision between &#8220;you and I&#8221; and &#8220;you and me.&#8221; \u00a0People will often say things like, &#8220;You and me should go out for drinks.&#8221; Or\u2014thinking back on the rule that it should be &#8220;you and I&#8221;\u2014they will say, &#8220;Siobhan assigned the task to both you and I.&#8221; However, both of these sentences are wrong. There\u2019s a pretty easy way to figure this out without having to understand pronoun cases.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Example: You and I vs. YOu and ME<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a closer look at those examples:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> You and me should go out for drinks.<br \/>\n<strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Me should go out for drinks. (remove the<em> You and<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> I should go out for drinks.<br \/>\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> You and I should go out for drinks. (put <em>You and me<\/em> back in)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incorrect<\/strong>: Siobhan assigned the task to both you and I.<br \/>\n<strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to I. (remove <em>both you and<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to me.<br \/>\n<strong>Correct:<\/strong> Siobhan assigned the task to both you and me. (put <em>both you and<\/em> back in)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> This rule is likely to change soon. Former President Barack Obama often makes this particular error, saying things like, \u201cThis is a very special moment to Michelle and I.\u201d That\u2019s incorrect. It should be Michelle and me!<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>Review what you&#8217;ve learned about pronoun agreement and check your understanding in the following interactive.<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1290909917278291538\/embed\" width=\"1089\" height=\"638\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><script src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/js\/h5p-resizer.js\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1026\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Text: Pronoun Antecedents. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Image of two squares. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Didzis Gruznovs. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Noun Project. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=replace&#038;i=201238\">https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=replace&#038;i=201238<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of handshake. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Lauren Manninen. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Noun Project. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=agree&#038;i=11865\">https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=agree&#038;i=11865<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Pronoun Practice. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Excelsior Online Writing Lab. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/pronoun-agreement-reference\/\">https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/pronoun-agreement-reference\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-1026-1\">The University of Chicago Press. \"Grammar &amp; Usage: Singular 'they'. <em>Chicago Manual of Style<\/em>, 2017, p. 241. <a href=\"#return-footnote-1026-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Text: Pronoun Antecedents\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of two squares\",\"author\":\"Didzis Gruznovs\",\"organization\":\"The Noun Project\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=replace&i=201238\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of handshake\",\"author\":\"Lauren Manninen\",\"organization\":\"The Noun Project\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/search\/?q=agree&i=11865\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Pronoun Practice\",\"author\":\"Excelsior Online Writing Lab\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/pronoun-agreement-reference\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"167489ca-d9ba-43ae-9b15-5f6206314e8b, 6c29c5e8-e6c6-442e-8686-903ba8bbd064","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1026","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1021,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6346,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1026\/revisions\/6346"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1021"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1026\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}