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This week: Other Pronoun Issues Edited by: Vivian  
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Since a few readers requested more articles on grammar, I've been addressing some of the common problems I see in writing. Last issue I covered personal pronouns and stated I'd discuss other types of pronouns this issue.I try to keep my promises. 
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Pronouns other than Personal Pronouns
I covered personal pronouns in my last editorial: I, me, my, we, us, our, you, your, he, his, her, her, they, them, etc. However we have other pronouns we need to know how to use correctly.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those. Like all pronouns, they replace nouns. Demonstrative pronouns are used to replace specific people or things that have been previously mentioned (or are understood from context).
A demonstrative pronoun tells us whether it is replacing something singular or plural and whether that thing(s) is close by or farther away.
This and That Represent Singular Nouns
This represents something close by. For example: This is very smelly.
That represents something farther away. For example:You can smell that from here.
These and Those Represent Plural Nouns
These represents something close by. For example: These smell rotten.
Those represents something farther away. For example: Do not paint those.
The Difference between Demonstrative Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives
The demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those (i.e., the same words as the demonstrative pronouns). However, demonstrative adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. They cannot stand alone to play the role of a noun. For example:
This soup is very smelly.
You smell that factory from here.
These apples smell rotten.
Do not paint those fences.
Demonstrative adjectives modify nouns (shown in bold above). For clarity in writing, unless used in dialogue, authors need to avoid using demonstrative pronouns in text/narrative. We always want our readers to understand what we mean.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are words such as each, someone, somebody, no one, everyone, all, etc. Be sure the pronoun which refers to an indefinite pronoun is the right case and person. Each, someone, somebody, no one, everyone, and everything are singular and require a singular pronoun. Check and be sure whether an indefinite pronoun is singular or plural..
Incorrect: Everyone keeps their own books. Correct: Everyone keeps his (or her) own books. Or Correct: All the students keep their own books.
Clear pronoun reference:
Clear pronoun reference is a must, which means readers can easily recognize the antecedent for each personal pronoun. An antecedent is the noun or indefinite pronoun to which the pronoun refers. A pronoun should be close to its antecedent.
“It” should not begin a sentence unless its antecedent is near the end of the preceding sentence or unless “it” refers to the preceding thought, clearly referenced.
Be careful that personal pronouns are not confusing, that several males aren’t in the sentence or paragraph so that the reader doesn’t know to which noun the pronouns he, his, him refer.
Incorrect: The two men ran toward the burning car. The flames trapped James. He couldn’t find a way to open any of the doors. The fire sheared his eyebrows. It couldn’t be real.
Correct: The two men ran toward the burning car where flames trapped James. The two nor James could find a way to open any of the doors. The fire sheared James’ eyebrows. As the heat intensified, the man inside the car couldn’t believe he wouldn’t escape.
Guess what? We'll have at least one more editorial about pronouns. We need to cover relative pronouns and interrogative pronouns at least. Therefore, we'll have at least one more issue about pronouns before we move on. |
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Words from Our Readers
C. M. Nuckols 
I'd like to point out that "they" can also be used as a singular pronoun in cases where neither "he" nor "she" applies. It was even selected as the American Dialect Society's word of the year for 2015:
http://www.americandialect.org/2015-word-of-the-year-is-singular-they
🦄🏳️🌈Sapph
Nice newsletter, Viv! I wanted to bring some attention to the singular usage of they (and to other extents them) such as in gender-neutral writing. I know that I use this nearly every day when speaking to other people and would love to see it come into writing more. What are your thoughts on it? Here's an article that I found on the topic: http://grammarist.com/usage/they/
Brandiwyn🎶 
Hey, Viv! Great topic. Smile Did you know that Oxford now recognizes "they" as a singular reference to a person of unspecified sex?
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/they
I heard about it for the first time this past year, so I'm pretty sure it's a recent change.
Cheers,
Michelle
Personally, I think using "they" for singular is lazy writing. We can find some "expert" or some site to support anything we want to be "true," whether it is or not. Oxford has become more of a "popular" definition source, but even it says informal. Some people are lazy writers and leave things unclear if rewriting could clarify. They is plural. Find the meaning the word. IF a noun is neither male nor female, it is an it. Indefinite pronouns that are singular (no one, somebody, etc.) can be considered either he or she at the writer's discretion, if no other indicators are available in what the author writes in that incidence. I'm not opening a debate concerning the use of they or he or she. I'm trying to help writers be better writers and have a chance to be published if they desire.
jerics
Thank you; for this newsletter.
You're most welcomed.
Cynaemon 
Thank you for including my story, "The Chinese New Year Cat", in this month's newsletter. That was a pleasant surprise. Cynaemon
My pleasure.
Quick-Quill 
WOW how odd to see the correct pronouns used. In most cases they sound odd so you don't use them. In some of your examples the correct ones sound odd to my ear? "Just between you and me" is correct, but "just between you and I" almost sound better to my ear?
Patrece ~
I actually thought that "between you and I" was the proper way to write that statement. I'm not sure I understand why it isn't, but it is good to know this for future writing. I think I just wrote that comment yesterday in an email to someone. Oops!
Test what sounds good to your ear without using a compound object: For the preposition between substitute for and use only the I as the object, Just for (between) I does NOT sound right does it? I hope you don't think it sound correct.
Lucinda Lynx
I really appreciate this. I am coming from a country called Finland, so English is not my own language.
I'm glad to help.
Thank you for joining me this issue. I hope I've help some readers become better writers. We'll continue our discussion about pronouns next time.
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For Authors: February 03, 2016 Issue [#7457]
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