PRONOUN 



stratives, but do not denote any particular 

 person or thing. In this group are included 

 one, each, other, any, some, either, neither, 

 both, many, sundry, several and certain, to- 

 gether with their compounds, such as anyone, 

 anybody, each one, some one, somebody, no 

 one, every one, either one, anybody else, no- 

 body else, and the like. To the same group 

 belong also aught, naught and none, although 

 la.*t -named indefinite pronouns cannot be 

 employed as adjectives. The pronoun it, in 

 such constructions as "It is storming," is like- 

 wise considered an indefinite pronoun. Forms 

 like each other, one another, every other are 

 termed pronoun phrases. 



Either, Neither, Each. Either and neither, 

 when employed as pronouns or pronoun-adjec- 

 tives, should never be used in connection with 

 more than two persons or things. Careful writ- 

 ers also apply the same rule to the phrase 

 each other, although there is a tendency to con- 

 sider each other and one another as inter- 

 changeable. What is important to remember, 

 however, is that each, every, either and neither 

 are singular in meaning and that when they 

 stand as antecedents they must be followed by 

 singular pronouns; as, "Each member is re- 

 quested to place his contribution in the en- 

 velope provided" not, in the language of the 

 careless speaker, their contributions. 



Note also that it is correct to say, "Each boy 

 and girl should bring his contribution to-mor- 

 row," rather than the cumbersome his or her, 

 since in the absence of a special personal pro- 

 noun of common gender, usage has adopted the 

 pronoun he. 



Parsing the Pronoun. To parse a pronoun, 

 one must state the class to which it belongs; 

 its antecedent, expressed or understood; its 

 person, number and gender; its case, and the 

 work it performs in the sentence. 



Type Sentence: A man who respects himself is 

 respected by others. Who In a relative pronoun 

 whose antecedent is the word man; it is there- 

 fore third person, singular number, masculine 

 gender ; it Is In the nominative case, as the sub- 

 ject of the verb respects. Himself In a com- 

 pound personal pronoun, used reflexlvely ; Its 

 antecedent is who; it Is third person, singular 

 and masculine ; objective case, object of respects. 

 Others is an Indefinite pronoun whose anteced- 

 ent is understood. It is third person, plural, 

 common gender and in the objective case as ob- 

 ject of the preposition by. 



Common Errors. The pronoun suffers much 

 misuse at the hands of ignorant or careless 

 speakers. The nominative is frequently used 

 for the objective, and vire versa; the pronoun 



PRONOUN 



is not always made to agree with its antecedent 

 in number and gender ; it is sometimes wrongly 

 made to agree in case, whereas its case is prop- 

 erly determined by its use in the sentence ; and 

 often ambiguity results because the pronoun 

 has not been so placed that its antecedent is 

 perfectly clear. These and various other com- 

 mon errors are covered in the following ex- 

 amples. See also errors listed under CASE, 

 Xorx, PARTICIPLE. 



Margaret, too, was naturally curious, but it 

 never tormented her as it did her sister, for 

 Margaret, too, waa naturally curious, but her 

 curiosity never tormented her as it did her sister. 

 We must not leave the antecedent to be inferred 

 from the adjective curious. 



He is a faithful employee, whom I know will 

 prove a valuable worker, for He is a faithful em- 

 ployee, who I know will prove a valuable worker. 

 Who is not the object of the verb know, but the 

 subject of will prove and therefore In the nomi- 

 native case. I know is really parenthetical ; by 

 omitting It, the true sentence structure is readily 

 recognized. This is a very common error. 



Whom did you say was at the party f for Who 

 did you say was at the party f Another error 

 similar to the foregoing. The sentence is. Who 

 was at the party f Did you say, being merely 

 parenthetical, does not affect the case of the pro- 

 noun. 



Those sort of girls make themselves unhappy, 

 for That sort of girl makes herself unhappy. 

 Sort, being a singular noun, demands a singular 

 pronoun and a singular verb. However, when 

 the reference is to several varieties, these may 

 very properly be used with sorts or kinds ; as, / do 

 not care for these kinds of nuts. 



Did you notice them girls on horseback? for 

 Did you notice those girls on horseback f Them 

 is not one of the adjective-pronouns ; therefore 

 we cannot use It to modify girls. 



At < it her end of the path grew a giant lilac 

 bush, for At each end of the path grew a giant 

 lilac bush. Either means one or the other. Each 

 refers to both, considered singly. 



Donations may be sent in care of either of 

 these five newspapers, for Donations may be sent 

 in care of any one of these five newspapers. 

 Either refers properly to no more than two. 



One 4s apt to lose their head when an accident 

 occurs, tor One is apt to lose one's head when an 

 accident occurs. One, being a singular pronoun, 

 cannot be followed by the plural possessive their. 

 One's, it should be noted. Is preferable to his. 



// handles a racket better than her, for //< 

 handles a racket better than she. Expand the 

 sentence to read, "He handles a racket better 

 than she does," and the necessity of the nomi- 

 native pronoun becomes apparent. 



It wa* her we wanted, for It wa* she we want- 

 ed. The verb to be requires the same case after 

 it as before It; henc the nominative she. Thr 

 true object of wanted Is the relative pronoun 

 whom, understood. 



Don't be afraid; it is only me, for Don't be 



afraid: it is only I. Here again tho vrrh to be 



s for the nominative. We have heard stu- 



