A pronoun is a word that can substitute for a noun or a noun phrase.
Person |
Case |
|||
Singular | Nominative | Objective | Possessive | Reflexive |
First Person | I | me | mine | myself |
Second Person | you | you | yours | yourself |
Third Person | he, she, they*, it | him, her, them*, it | his, hers, theirs*, its | himself, herself, themself*, itself |
Plural | Nominative | Objective | Possessive | |
First Person | we | us | ours | ourselves |
Second Person | you | you | yours | yourselves |
Third Person | they | them | theirs | themselves |
Although it may seem grammatically incorrect, singular “they” has been in widespread use for several centuries appearing in the writings of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Woolf, and many other major English authors. Visit the APA or MLA's websites for formatting specifics.
Please Note: When used as a singular pronoun, they, the verbs are conjugated the same as with the plural they (e.g. “they are”). Also note that in this singular pronoun set may use themself rather than themselves, although both are typically acceptable. Usually, the “they/them/theirs” pronouns set is acceptable to use when you do not have more information about the person.
Example:
Should be used when the pronoun is the subject.
Should be used in questions when the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition.
Expresses possession.
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object are the same. It can also be used for emphasis.
Use the objective forms of personal pronouns instead of using the objective forms.
An easy way to recognize when to use the objective form is to omit the noun proceeding the pronoun.
For example, you wouldn't say:
The ambiguous use of pronouns as the subjects of sentences can be confusing to readers.
For example:
It is unclear who she refers to. To correct this error, make it clear who she is.
Some paragraphs contain sentences that are ambiguous and require clarification.
This can recreate confusion.
You should only be used when speaking directly to the reader.
The use of gender-neutral language, while not specifically a grammatical issue, can be an important stylistic concern. It is good practice not to use either he or she as the default third person pronoun.