PRONOUNS

What would you think if you heard something like this?

One day the doctor asked the doctor's assistant for the doctor's calendar. Then the doctor checked the doctor's
calendar to see what appointments the doctor had that day. Then the doctor returned the doctor's calendar to
the doctor's assistant for the doctor's assistant to use to schedule the doctor's patients' appointments.
It doesn't sound like we normally speak, does it? That's because this paragraph has no pronouns. We use
pronouns to replace nouns to avoid unnecessary repetition.
One day the doctor asked her assistant, James, to hand her the appointment calendar. Then she checked it to
see how many appointments she had that day. After that, she returned the calendar to James and asked him to
use it to schedule her other patients' appointments.
That sounds a lot better.
What are pronouns?
- Pronouns replace nouns.

Personal pronouns
- replace nouns that refer to people or things

 Number

 singular
 plural

 Person

 1st person is the person speaking

 2nd person is the person being spoken to
 3rd person is the person being spoken about.

 Usage
 Subject – used as the subject of a sentence
 Object - used as a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition
 Possessive - show ownership

Personal Pronouns

Subject Object Possessive

Singular Plura Singular Plural Singular Plural

l

1st Person I we me us my, mine our, ours

2nd Person you you you you your, yours your, yours

 Personal Pronouns

Subject Object Possessive

Singular Plura Singular Plural Singular Plural

l

3rd Person he, she, it they him, her, them his, her, hers, its their, theirs
it

A. Subject Pronoun (also called a nominative pronoun)

- used as the subject of a sentence or as a subject complement
Hint:
Subject Pronoun as the Subject of a Sentence

I bit the He bit the It bit the They bit the

monster. monster. monster. monster.

You bit the She bit the We bit the

monster. monster. monster.

Hint: Subject Pronoun as a Subject Complement

Subject pronouns that are used as subject complements tell us more information about the subject

The superhero The superhero The superhero was it. The superheroes

was I. was  he. were they.

The superhero The superheroes

was  she.
The superhero were we.
was you.

B. Object Pronoun (also called an objective pronoun)

- used as a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.
Ex.

1. Direct object: Brandon sent it. (What did Brandon send? He sent it.)

2. Indirect object: Brandon sent her the package. (Who was the package for? Her.)

3. Object of a preposition: Brandon sent the package to her. (Her is the object of the preposition to.)

C. Possessive Pronouns 
- show ownership
There are two sets of possessive pronouns. My, your, his, her, its, our, your, and their are usually classified as
possessive pronouns, but they are more accurately described as possessive adjectives because they always
modify nouns.
My  pencil fell on the floor, and his pencil ended up on her  desk.

The second set of possessive pronouns consists of the words mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs. These
pronouns are different from the others because they don't modify nouns. They completely replace the nouns
they refer to.
Hey! That's mine, not yours!
Hint:
Note that there are no apostrophes in the possessive pronouns. They are born showing ownership, so it's
not necessary to add 's to show ownership. Remember that it's is the contraction for it is while its is the
possessive pronoun.
It's  a good idea to give your dog its dinner on time!
It's  ⇒ It is a good idea ... (contraction)
its dinner ⇒ the dog's dinner (possessive)

There are several types of sentences that cause confusion about whether to use a subject or object pronoun:
sentences with a compound subject or object; sentences with a pronoun followed directly by a noun; and
sentences that use pronouns after than or as. After this lesson, you'll be much more confident about which
pronouns to use in these tricky situations.

Pronouns in Compounds
In sentences that use two pronouns or a noun and a pronoun together, it's easy to become confused about which
pronoun to use. If you're not sure which one is correct, consider whether it's part of the subject (doing the
action) or part of the object (either receiving the action or after a preposition). Sometimes a pronoun may sound
right to you, but you can't always trust your ears. Be especially careful with I and me, which are two of the most
common offenders.

Common Error #1: Using Object Pronouns in Place of Subject Pronouns

Error Correction

Jesse and  me  went to school. Jesse and  I went to school.

Him  and  me bought a new puppy last He  and  I bought a new puppy last
week. week.

Me  and  them took the bus. We took the bus.

Notice how in the last example it would sound strange to say they and I, so the best solution is to combine the
two pronouns into the single pronoun we.

Common Error #2: Using Subject Pronouns in Place of Object Pronouns

 Error Correction

He met Jeremy and  I. He met Jeremy and  me.

Nancy hit Will and  I. Nancy hit Will and  me.

Is that hot fudge sundae for Carlos Is that hot fudge sundae for Carlos
and  I? and  me?

My brother sat right between you and  I. My brother sat right between you and  me.

The last two examples use object pronouns because they come after prepositions (for and between).
Hint:
To decide whether you need to use a subject pronoun or an object pronoun, cross out the other pronoun
or noun, and use the pronoun that sounds correct when it stands alone.
Jesse and  I went to school. (You would say I went, not me  went.)
Nancy hit  you and  me. (You would say Nancy hit me, not Nancy hit  I.)
Is that hot fudge sundae for Carlos and  me? (You would say for me, not for I.)
Pronoun order can be another tricky topic when dealing with compounds. Writing convention suggests that, out
of courtesy, when using the first person pronouns I or me, we generally put these pronouns last, allowing the
other names and pronouns to go first.
Sam and I saw a movie on Saturday.
I wrote a story about my cat and me. (Not me and my cat.)

Pronouns Before Nouns

Sometimes for clarity or emphasis, writers use a pronoun and a noun together. People often use an object
pronoun when they mean to use a subject pronoun, and vice versa.

Error Correction

Us writers enjoy writing fiction. We writers enjoy writing fiction.

The teacher explained the lesson The teacher explained the lesson
to we students. to us students.

Hint:
To decide whether you are using the correct pronoun, ignore the noun and see whether the pronoun is
correct on its own.
We  writers enjoy writing fiction. (Not Us enjoy writing fiction.)
The teacher explained the lesson to us students. (Not explained the lesson to we.)
Pronouns After Than or As
When sentences use than or as to compare, it can be difficult to choose the correct pronoun.

Error Correction

Diana is a better speller than me. Diana is a better speller than I.

He knows a lot more than her. He knows a lot more than she.

She plays basketball just as well She plays basketball just as well
as me. as I.

We grew as much as them. We grew as much as they.

At this point you might be wondering why the left column of this chart sounds correct while thinking that the
right side sounds a little strange. That's because it's perfectly acceptable to talk that way in casual conversation.
However, in formal writing you must follow the examples in the right column. (There are cases in which it's
okay to use an object pronoun after than or as, but doing so completely changes the meaning of the sentence.)
Hint:
Ask yourself what is missing in the sentence. That will guide you in choosing the correct pronoun.
Diana is a better speller than  I (am).
He knows a lot more than she (does).
She plays basketball just as well as I (do).
In sentences with than or as, different pronouns can create different meanings.
Imaginary monsters scare my little brothers more than (they scare) me.
(The monsters don't scare me as much as they scare my little brothers.)
Imaginary monsters scare my little brothers more than I (scare them).
(I don't scare my little brothers as much as the monsters do.)
She likes him as much as (she likes) me.
(She likes both him and me equally.)
She likes him as much as I (do).
(Both she and I like him the same amount.)

Reflexive Pronouns
Definition: Reflexive sounds like reflection, the image in the mirror that bounces back at you. A reflexive
pronountells us that whoever performs the action in a sentence is also the one on the receiving end of that
action. In other words, the reflexive pronoun reflects back to the subject. A reflexive pronoun can be used as
the direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition in a sentence.
 Reflexive Pronouns

Singular Plural

myself ourselves

yourself yourselves

himself themselves
herself
itself

The puppy saw itself in the mirror.

Itself is the direct object in the sentence. The pronoun itself refers back to the subject. The puppy saw the
puppy in the mirror.
Hint:
If you're still not sure whom the pronoun is referring to, ask yourself questions to break down the
sentence.
Find the subject (doer) and the verb (action): Who saw? The puppy saw.
(The puppy is doing the action.)
Find the object: What did the puppy see? Itself, the puppy.
(The puppy is also receiving the action.)
Know When not to Use Reflexive Pronouns ...
Do not use reflexive pronouns instead of subject or object pronouns.

Error Correction

Mark and  myself went to the movies. Mark and I went to the movies.

Our teacher gave Sara and myself  an award for Our teacher gave Sara and me an award for
the best project. the best project.

...And Recognize the Reflexives That Don't Actually Exist!

There are several nonexistent reflexive pronouns that people commonly use, such
as hisself, ourself, theirself, themself, and theirselves. If you use any of these pronouns, here is a simple chart to
show you which pronouns to use instead.
 Error Correction

hisself himself

ourself ourselves

theirself, theirselves, themselves
or themself

Intensive vs. Reflexive Pronouns

Definition: Intensive is like intense. Something intense is very strong. An intensive pronoun emphasizes a
preceding noun, which is often (but not always) the noun immediately before the pronoun. Intensive pronouns
look exactly the same as reflexive pronouns, but they are only used for emphasis.
The queen  herself gave the knight the award.
The queen gave the knight the award herself.
Herself refers to the queen. Using an intensive pronoun tells the reader (or listener) that it's a big deal that the
queen gave the award. After all, she's not just anybody—she's the queen!
Because intensive pronouns are used only for emphasis, they can be removed from a sentence without affecting
its meaning. The same is not true of reflexive pronouns, which do cause a change in meaning when removed
from a sentence. Look at the following comparison to understand the difference.

Reflexive Intensive

The queen bought  herself a dog. The queen bought the dog herself.
The queen bought something for herself. She is The intensive pronoun herself merely emphasizes
both completing and receiving the action in the the fact that the queen (not someone else) was the
sentence. one who bought the dog.

Notice how the meaning changes when we If the intensive pronoun is removed, the meaning
remove the reflexive pronoun: doesn't change:
The queen bought  herself a dog. The queen bought the dog herself.
Did the queen buy the dog for herself, or did she The queen still bought the dog regardless of
buy it for someone else? Without the reflexive whether the intensive pronoun is in the sentence or
pronoun, there's no way to know for sure. not.

Definition: To interrogate is to ask someone questions. Interrogative pronouns ask questions.

 Interrogative Pronouns

Things Things or People People

What Which Wh Whom Whose

o

What is used to ask about things. Do not use it to ask about people.
There's a really strange mixture in that pot. What did you put in there?
What is being used to ask about the ingredients in the pot.

Which is used to show a choice among two or more items.

Of all the items on the menu,  which do you recommend?
In this scenario, the waiter is being asked to choose which menu item he likes best.
Note:
Which can also be used to indicate a choice or distinction among two or more people.
I see two girls making a sand castle. Which is your sister and which is your cousin?
Whose is a possessive pronoun used to find out whom something belongs to.
I see a stray flip flop on the floor. Whose is it?
Using whose is a shorter way to ask questions such as Who owns the flip flop? or Whom does the flip flop
belong to?
Hint:
Do not confuse the possessive pronoun whose with the contraction who's, which is short for who is.
Remember, if you are trying to show possession, use whose, but if you want to say who is, use who's.
Who's going to the concert? ⇒ Who is going to the concert?
Use who's because you are not trying to indicate possession.
I found some concert tickets on the ground. Whose are they?
The tickets belong to someone, so use whose.
Each of these interrogative pronouns can be used as either singular or plural. Most of the examples in this lesson
are singular, but below are a few plural examples.
What  are these bugs called?
Of all these brand names,  which are the best quality?
There are five cars parked in front of this house. Whose could they be?
Note:
When what, which, and whose are used in front of a noun, they are no longer interrogative pronouns, but
interrogative adjectives. For example, in the question What time is it? the interrogative what is not a
pronoun because it is followed by the noun time.
Who vs. Whom
Who is a subject pronoun. You use it ask for information about what people are doing or who they are.
Who wants to go hiking this weekend?
Who is the man with the long beard?

Whom is an object pronoun. It is used to find out whom an action is being done to, not who is doing an action. It
is also used with prepositions.
Whom  do you know in this class?
Whom is the object of the verb know.
 Whom  are you wrapping that gift for?
Whom is the object of the preposition for.
The preposition for tells us that someone is receiving the gift (not giving it), so it is necessary to use whom and
not who. (Traditionally it was never acceptable to use a preposition at the end of a sentence or question, but this
rule has been relaxed in recent years. For more information, see Prepositions, Lesson 9.)

Do the examples of whom sound a little odd to you? You're not alone! Using whom in casual conversation can
sound formal and stuffy, so when we talk to each other we often use who instead. It's all right to continue to
use who during informal conversation or even in informal writing, but with all formal writing you must
use whom for the objective case and who for the subjective case.
Hint: 
Use who in a question when you would answer it with I, he, she, we, or they. Use whom when you would
answer the question with me, him, her, us, or them. In other words, use who in a question if you would
answer it with a subject pronoun, and use whom in a question if you would answer it with an object
pronoun.
Who would like some ice cream? I would like some ice cream.
Who went to the fair? They went to the fair.
Who, I, and they are all subject pronouns. You wouldn't say me would like some ice
cream or them went to the fair.
Whom  did you ask for cookies? You asked him for cookies.
To  whom did you wave? You waved to me.
Whom, him, and me are all object pronouns. You wouldn't say you asked he for cookies or you
waved to  I.

Who Whom

Subject pronoun Direct or indirect object pronoun

Never use as the object of a preposition Must use with prepositions

Definition: To demonstrate is to show something. Demonstrative pronouns show or point to objects or

people.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Close to Speaker Far from Speaker

Singula This That

r

Plural These Those

This and that refer to singular objects or people.

 This  is an expensive store.
That is a very tall building.
These and those refer to plural objects or people.
These are very expensive shoes.
Those  are the tallest skyscrapers in the city.

In addition to providing information about whether something is singular or plural, demonstrative pronouns
indicate whether something is close to or far from the speaker. This and these refer to objects or people that are
close to the speaker. That and those refer to objects or people far from the speaker.

Comparison 1: This vs. That

Example Context

This  is my best friend. The friend is close to the speaker. The speaker is likely introducing the
friend to another person.

That is my best friend. The friend is far away from the speaker (across the room, for
example). The speaker is probably talking about the friend, not
introducing him or her.

Comparison 2: These vs. Those

Example Context

These are amazing cookies! The speaker is holding or eating the cookies, or the cookies are
close by.

Those  are amazing cookies! Someone other than the speaker is holding the cookies, or the
cookies are not near the speaker.

It is never correct to combine this with here or those with there. Here and there are understood in the pronouns.

This  here is my favorite movie.
That there is the best movie ever.

Definition: A relative is someone who has a relationship with you. Relative pronouns show a relationship
between a noun and a clause. The clause provides describing information about the noun. You can also use
relative pronouns to combine two sentences into one.
 Relative Pronouns

Tha Which Who Whom Whose

t

Note:
Some relative pronouns may look like interrogative or demonstrative pronouns, but that doesn't mean all
three types of pronouns do the same job. You'll learn more about the differences among the three types
later in this lesson.
Who, whom, and whose relate to people (or pets if you refer to them by name). Which is used with
objects. That is preferably used only with objects, but you will see it used with people. Try to get in the habit of
using who with people instead of that. It is more polite. (More information on that vs. which can be found here.)

Examples of Relative Pronouns

I like roller coasters that have lots of loops.
(that = roller coasters)
Ice cream, which is my favorite dessert, tastes very refreshing on a hot summer day.
(which = ice cream)
Teachers who have a sense of humor are easy to get along with.
(who = teachers)
My cousin, who is from Illinois, visits me every year.
(who = my cousin)
The friend whom you saw yesterday wants to go out again tonight.
(whom = friend)
The man whose shirt was stained rushed home for a change of clothes.
(whose = the man's)
In each of these sentences, you can see that the relative pronoun introduces additional information about the
noun.

You can also use relative pronouns to combine two sentences. This feature makes relative pronouns an excellent
tool for improving your writing. Take a look at the following two sentences:
The team won the championship.  The team went to Disneyland to celebrate.
They sound a little choppy and mechanical, don't they? You can fix that problem by using the relative
pronoun that to replace the noun team in the second sentence. Doing so will allow you to combine both
sentences into one.
The team that won the championship went to Disneyland to celebrate.
Now you have a single concise sentence instead of two choppy sentences. Also notice how won the
championshipgives us additional information about the team. We wouldn't know which team went to
Disneyland without using a relative pronoun to give us more information. (For more information, look here.)
Note:
Even though relative pronouns can be used to connect clauses, they are not the same as conjunctions. A
relative pronoun fulfills two roles: it serves as both a pronoun and a connector. On the other hand, a
conjunction's one and only role is to connect two clauses. Conjunctions can never be pronouns.
As you have probably already noticed, many interrogative, demonstrative, and relative pronouns look exactly
the same. In order to tell the difference, you must analyze how these pronouns are being used in a sentence. If
they are being used to ask a question, they are interrogative. When you use them to show or point to something,
they are demonstrative. You will know if a pronoun is relative if 1) the pronoun introduces describing
information about a noun or 2) the pronoun is acting like a conjunction. Below you'll see some examples to help
you understand the differences.
Interrogative: Whom did you ask about the movie times?
(The pronoun whom is being used to ask a question.)
 Relative: Dave is the person whom you asked about the movie times.
(The pronoun whom is being use to introduce additional information about Dave.)
Demonstrative: That is the book I found.
(The pronoun that shows which book I found. It may help you to imagine someone pointing to the book.)
Relative: I found the book that  you lost. (book I found = book you lost)
(The pronoun that connects the two sentences You lost the book and I found the book. It also gives us some
describing information about the book.)

Definition: If your plans for this weekend are indefinite, or not definite, then you are not sure. An indefinite
pronoun is one that doesn't refer to a specific person or thing.

Indefinite Pronouns*

Singular Plural Singular or Plural

anothe anybody, anyone, anything both all

r everybody, everyone, few any
each everything many more
either nobody, no one, nothing others most
much somebody, someone, something several none
neither some
one
other

*We'll cover the importance of the categories in the agreement lesson.

Here are some examples of indefinite pronouns:

Of these two sandwiches, neither looks like something I would eat.
Can  no one tell me the answer to this math problem?
This solution is one of  many.
Some are better than others.

Many indefinite pronouns can also be used as adjectives.

Pronoun: Either will be acceptable to my aunt.
Either stands alone as a pronoun.
Adjective: Either  set  of dishes will be acceptable to my aunt.
Either modifies the noun set.
Pronoun: There are 35 students in this class and several arrived late today.
Several stands alone as a pronoun.
Adjective: Several students arrived late today.
Several modifies the noun students.

There are a few indefinite pronouns that can be combined to form reciprocal pronouns. They are each
other and one another. The word reciprocal means that an action is moving in two directions. For example, if I
brush your hair and you brush mine, the action is reciprocal; we are brushing each other's hair. Reciprocal
pronouns are used so that we don't have to repeat people's names when talking about who did what.
To replace two nouns, use each other.
Jorge and Melanie help each other study for tests.
Stephanie and Laurie bumped into  each other in the hall.
To replace three or more nouns, use one another.
The police, firefighters, and paramedics help one another respond to emergencies.
Students always bump into one another in our crowded hallways.
Definition: Ante (not anti) means before. The root cedere means to go. The antecedent goes before the
pronoun. It is the noun that the pronoun replaces. A pronoun must match, or agree, with its antecedent in
number, person, and gender.
Hint:
You can be sure a noun is the antecedent if you can use that noun in place of the pronoun.
My mother gave me her  bracelet.
My mother gave me my mother's  bracelet.
Number Agreement
Singular nouns must match with singular pronouns. Plural nouns must match with plural pronouns.
Lisa  didn't come to school because she  was sick. (singular noun, singular pronoun)
After  Sasha and Aaron climbed the Great Wall of China, they were totally exhausted. (two nouns, plural
pronoun)
The two dogs disappeared as they  raced over the hill. (plural noun, plural pronoun)
If two nouns are joined with the conjunction and, use a plural pronoun. If they are joined by or or nor, use a
singular pronoun.
John and Randy brought their books to class.
John or Randy brought  his book to class.
Neither  John  nor Randy  brought his  book to class.

Person Agreement
When writing about yourself, use I, me, we, or us. When writing directly to someone, use you. When writing
about someone (or something) else, use he, she, it, him, her, they, or them. Use it when you don't know the
gender of the thing you're talking about.
My name is Kitty and  I am an English teacher.
The pronoun I replaces the noun Kitty. You would not say My name is Kitty and Kitty is an English teacher.
Carmen felt nervous when Melvin asked her to dance.
The little  fish  knew it was doomed when the shark came around the corner.
I'm going to the movies with Joey and Michael. Do you know  them?
Keep in mind that when using the pronouns I, me, we, us, and you, it's not always necessary to have an
antecedent.
Are you  going to the dance on Saturday?
When we ask someone a question, we already know who "you" is, so it's not necessary to say the person's
name beforehand.
Our parents always threw wonderful birthday parties for us.
Can  you give me  a ride, please?

Gender Agreement
When writing about men, use he, him, and his. When writing about women, use she and her. If you don't know
the gender, use he or she, him or his, or his or her. Only use they and their if the antecedent is plural.
The blind man  was about to walk into the street, but I ran over and helped him.
The  woman arrived at the store, but  she had forgotten her wallet and had to go back home.
Hint:
Using their instead of his or her is becoming acceptable in spoken English, but make sure to use his or
her in written English. If using his or her sounds awkward, an easy way to fix this problem is to make
the subject plural.
 Error Corrections

A new doctor must pass his or her certification exam before

A new doctor must
getting a license.
pass their certification exam
before getting a license. We don't know the gender of the doctor.

New  doctors must pass their certification exams before getting

licenses.
Notice how you also have to make the
words exam and license plural in this sentence. That's because
each doctor takes his or her own exam and receives his or her
own license.

Sometimes it can be difficult to ensure that you are using the correct pronoun. The challenge is making sure you
know which word is the antecedent.

Challenge 1: Interrupting Phrases

Try not to get distracted by phrases that come between the antecedent and the pronoun.
Jeremy, one of the waiters, dropped his  tray.
Jeremy = his, but waiters = their. Don't use the plural pronoun their if Jeremy was the only waiter who
dropped his tray.
Hint:
Cross out the interrupting phrase to make sure you find the correct antecedent.
Jeremy, one of the waiters, dropped his  tray.
Challenge 2: When the Reference Is Unclear
Usually the pronoun refers to the last noun mentioned or the last subject, but sometimes it's unclear which noun
is the antecedent. Some textbooks call this "ambiguous pronoun reference." If using a pronoun could cause a
misunderstanding, it is better to use the noun instead.

Unclear Pronouns Corrections

Joan and Marcie went to Which one was late? The pronoun she could refer to either Joan or
work.  Shewas late. Marcie, so it's better to use the name instead of the pronoun.

Joan and Marcie went to work. Marcie was late.

Joan and Marcie went to work. Joan was late.

My father was just like his Who was not as tall? He could refer to either father or grandfather.
grandfather, but he was not as My father was just like my grandfather, but my father was not as
tall. tall.

Hint:
Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs often when you write because in your imagination, you can
clearly see whom you are writing about. Have a friend read your essay for you, paying special attention
to the pronouns.
Challenge 3: Pronoun Shifts
Make sure you don't change from first or third person to second person, or vice-versa. In other words, don't
switch pronouns midway through your sentence. If you start with the first person (I, we, etc.) or third person
(she, they, etc.), stick with it.
One important cause of pronoun shifts is the use of the indefinite you, which is an informal way to talk about
others.
You  take a driving test when you want to get your license.
In this sentence, you is actually a stand-in for people. What you really mean is that, in general, people take a
driving test when they want to get their license.
When using the indefinite you, a pronoun shift is an easy mistake to make. Many people start their sentences in
first or third person and suddenly switch to the indefinite you. The reverse can also happen. The chart below
will help you identify pronoun shifts, and show you some easy ways to fix them.
Note:
When people talk to each other, it's easier and more personal to use the indefinite you than to use the
word people. While using the indefinite you is fine for informal speech, it's not appropriate in formal
writing. When you write, don't useyou unless you mean the reader.

Pronoun Shift Correction

First ⇒ Second We went to the top of the We went to the top of the Sears Tower
Sears Tower where you could where we could see the entire city of Chicago.
see the entire city of Chicago.

Second ⇒ Thir When you go to the When you go to the movies, you can buy  your ticket

d movies, people can in advance.
buy their ticket in advance.
OR
When people go to the movies, they can
buy their tickets in advance.

Third ⇒ Secon A police officer has a A police officer has a dangerous job because he or

d dangerous job sheoften puts his or her life at risk.
because you often If you think this phrasing sounds awkward, you're not
put your life at risk. alone! Although using he or she avoids gender-biased
language, it often results in strange-sounding
sentences. The better option is to make your sentence
plural:
Police officers have a dangerous job
because they often put their lives at risk.

Hint:
When you talk to someone using the second person, it's called direct address. We often use direct
address when we ask questions (how are you?). When you use someone's name as the direct address in a
sentence, that person's name is not the antecedent; the unstated you is the real antecedent.
Maryanne, are these  your glasses?
The antecedent is the unstated you, not Maryanne, so use your, not her.
Note:
Another type of pronoun shift occurs when someone starts a sentence with a singular pronoun and later
uses a plural pronoun. This information is covered in Lesson 9.
Challenge 4: Collective Nouns
Collective nouns appear to be plural nouns because they really refer to a group, but they are often singular. You
need to understand how the group is acting in order to choose the correct pronoun. Sometimes the group acts as
a whole. Other times the members of the group act as individuals.
 The team won its last game.
In this sentence, the collective noun is singular. The team was working as a whole to win.
The team took their uniforms home and washed them.
In this sentence, the collective noun is plural because the team members individually took their uniforms
home to wash them.

Indefinite Pronouns

Singular Plural Singular or Plural

anothe anybody, anyone, anything both all

r everybody, everyone, few any
each everything many more
either nobody, no one, nothing others most
much somebody, someone, something several none
neither some
one
other

You learned in an earlier lesson that indefinite pronouns fall into three categories: some are singular, some
plural, and others fall into either category depending on the context of the sentence. When using an indefinite
pronoun and a possessive pronoun in the same sentence, people often choose the plural possessive
pronoun their, but that's not always the correct choice. Singular indefinite pronouns take singular possessives,
and plural indefinite pronouns take plural possessives.
Everybody needs his or her pencil.
(singular indefinite pronoun + singular possessive pronoun)
Many will need their tablets.
(plural indefinite pronoun + plural possessive pronoun)
Sometimes an indefinite pronoun is followed by a prepositional phrase like this: of the + noun. Beware of this
type of phrase. The indefinite and possessive pronouns still need to agree in number. It doesn't matter whether
the noun in of the + noun is singular or plural. Look at the examples below to get a better understanding of how
to handle this type of phrase.
Each  of the students is missing his or her homework.
Even though the noun students is plural, the indefinite pronoun each is singular, so you cannot use the plural
possessive their. Use the singular, gender-neutral possessive his or her.
Many of the students are missing their  homework.
In this sentence, it's necessary to use the plural possessive pronoun their because of the plural indefinite
pronoun many (not because of the noun students).
With pronouns that can be either singular or plural, you need to look closely at the prepositional phrase of
the + nounin order to determine whether the meaning is singular or plural.
All of the cake  is missing its frosting.
All of the cake is a singular quantity. You have only one cake.
All of the cake slices are missing their frosting.
All of the slices is a plural quantity. You can count how many slices of cake there are.
All of the students are missing their notebooks.
All of the students is a plural quantity. You can count the students.
Also remember that singular indefinite pronouns take singular verb forms while plural indefinite pronouns take
plural verb forms. Note the difference between the singular everyone needs and the plural many need.
Click here for more information on agreement with verbs.