SworDGrammar School

Continuation on pronoun

    PRONOUN RULES
Every class of word has it rules, which guide the users to using them appropriately. Pronoun has suffer misuse from many, especially when they try to speak English the same way they speak our local dialect or language. Here let us check some of pronoun rules that can help us speak and write better.

1. A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person, gender, and number.
     Looking at this rule, it simply telling us not to use the a word for female in place of male, we should not use singular pronoun when we are to use plural pronoun. We must carefully look at the noun subject that is been replaced and use the appropriate pronoun for it.
Examples:
I. Tobi is a good boy, he always run errands for his mother.
('He' agrees with Tobi, because Tobi is male and he is one of  the pronouns use for male)
II. Tobi and Tade are friends, they do most things in common.
('They' refer to Tobi and Trade. They is used for more than one person)
Some people make a mistake of using 'they' for and elderly person, showing respect as it is in their local language. It is wrong and unacceptable. If the person you are referring to is female, the age not withstanding, in English language, 'she, her' are the pronouns for female gender, according to position she might be taking in your write up or speech. If the person you are referring to is male, no matter the age, he,him,his are the pronouns use for male gender according to the position they take in your write up or speech.
Note please : Use he, his, him for male; she, her for female  and it for inanimate.
III. The baby cries with a loud voice, it may be hungry.
     Note that, 'it' here stands for the baby. The reason being that, the gender of the baby is not specified.

2. Indefinite pronouns such as anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, neither, nobody, no one and somebody generally require a singular verb. When you look at these words deeply, they refer to singular person when used.
Examples
I. Nobody is in there.
II. Everybody is dancing to the tune
III. Either Kunle or kunbi is coming for the paper.

3. The pronouns any and none take either singular or plural verb. You can both words with singular and plural verbs.
Examples.
I. Is any of you going up the mountain with me?
II. Are any oranges left?
III. None are to come late
IV. None is expected to eat before prayer.

4. When the subject is a relative pronoun, the verb agree with the antecedent of that pronoun.
I. He is the man whose car was stolen.

5. When a sentence  is introduced by expletive there  or the adverb here, the verb agrees with the subject which follows the verb.
I. Here are your oranges
II. There is your book

6. When a sentence is introduced by the expletive it, the verb is always singular, regardless the number of the subject.
I. It is our choice to buy the house.
II. It is my choice to be happy.
   

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