Pronouns : Common Errors - 3

1. (W) The audience showed great enthusiasm for the scheme, and everybody seemed determined to do his best to make it a success.

(R) The audience showed great enthusiasm for the scheme, and everybody seemed determined to do their best to make it a success.

2. (W) I have picked a basket of plums, but none is fully ripe.

(R) I have picked a basket of plums, but none are fully ripe.

Note:- Sometimes, "everybody", "everyone", "none" are used to convey a strongly plural idea.
"Everybody" is equivalent to "all the people" and "none" to "not any".
In these cases plural words referring to the distributive pronouns are allowable.( Pink and Thomas)

3. (W) It was only Mr. Giri who stayed away.

(R) It was only Mr. Giri that stayed away.

Note:- We should not use "who" as a relative pronoun if the antecedent is used with "all", "any", "only", "it is", or "a superlative". Custom here prefers "that".

(W) He was the best doctor who ever lived.

(R) He was the best doctor that ever lived.

Note:- Same explanation as it is given above.

4. (W) He was so afraid that his knees knocked one another.

(R) He was so afraid that his knees knocked each other.

5. (W) He and his four brothers love each other very much.

(R) He and his four brothers love one another very much.

Note:- "Each other" and "either" are used of two things; "one another" and "any" of more than two.

Pronouns : Common Errors - 2

1. (W) I heard all what she said.

(R) I heard all that she said. (or)

I heard what she said.

Note:- The relative "what", "that which" or "those which", and has therefore no antecedent. Guard against the misuse of what with an antecedent.
(The term "antecedent" means the noun or the pronoun to which a later pronoun refers)

2. (W) The dog has it's bone.

(R) The dog has its bone.

3. (W) Its a long way home.

(R) It's a long way home.

Note:- Understanding the use of it's and its is simply a matter of remembering that
(1)It's is two words - it and is, and
(2)Its is a possessive pronoun.

4. (W) If I were him, I should not go.

(R) If I were he, I should not go.

Note:- Predicative pronouns must agree in case with the word to which they refer.

5. (W) This is one of the most remarkable events that has happened this century.

(R) This is one of the most remarkable events that have happened this century.

Note:- The agreement of the Relative Pronoun with its Antecedent: several difficulties arise in connection with this rule of syntax. A Relative pronoun agrees in number and person with its antecedent, but takes its case from its function in its own clause. In the above sentence, "has" must be changed to "have" to agree with its subject "that" which is plural because its antecedent ("events", and not on") is plural.

Pronouns : Common Errors - 1

1. (W) One should love his country.

(R) One should love one's country.

Note:- One must be followed by one, one's, oneself, not by he, his, himself, if the reference to the same person. One is an Indefinite Pronoun. It does not refer to any person or thing in particular but is used in a general way. The genitive case of "one" is "one's".

(W) One should be careful how he selects his books.

(R) One should be careful how one selects one's books.

2. (W) Between you and I, I don't trust him.

(R) Between you and me, I don't trust him.

Note:- The correct expression is "between you and me". Between is a preposition and any pronoun that follows it must be in the accusative case (me, him, her, them, etc).

3. (W) You are stronger than him.

(R) You are stronger than he.

Note:- The pronoun following than must be in the same case as the Noun or Pronoun preceding it.

4. (W) They who have finished their work may leave the place.

(R) Those who have finished their work may leave the place.

Note:- "They" should not be used as an antecedent of who or that.

5. (W) I, You and he can expect promotion next year.

(R) You, he and I can expect promotion next year.

Note:- Good manners require that I should come last in such expressions. The rule is : the person addressed should come first, the person spoken of second, and the speaker himself last.