Pronouns. Practical usage and common mistakes

What Are Pronouns? Definitions and Examples

Pronouns in English: Practical usage and common mistakes

Pronouns are essential building blocks of the English language that help us avoid repetition and make our speech more fluent. However, their correct usage often poses challenges for English learners. In this article, we’ll focus on the practical application of pronouns and examine common mistakes to avoid.

Practical Exercise

Before we delve into the details, we invite you to take a short test to assess your proficiency with pronouns:

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Practice. Pronouns (quiz, test)

MR. WATSON said that THE MYSTERY was over.

She always thinks of ___ happiness.

The work done by ___ is very important.

I always enjoy ___ when I go to concerts of classical music.

___ roommate and ___ have to share a bookshelf: ___ keeps ___ books on the top two shelves, and I keep ___ on the bottom two shelves.

I enjoyed the music, but I didn’t like the play ___ .

How many children have THE TAYLORS?

Of course I ___ used to be very wealthy.

That is the girl ___ brother came to see ___

If this hat is ___, where have you put ___?

Later DICKENS described HIS CHILDHOOD in some of his famous novels.

Will ___ please give me your pen?

Have you heard that a friend of ___ went to Vietnam

___ didn’t take our children to the park as ___ were at school.

I have a cat. ___ is very nice.

Bad NEWS has wings.

___ was not a marriage that could last.

___ read the book and ___ took it to the library.

___ house is almost the same as ___ neighbors’ house. The only difference in appearance is that ___is grey and ___ is white.

That pen isn’t ___ . ___ is a green one.

I haven’t read ___ of these books but George has read ___ of them.

- What has Ann?
- ___ has a very nice cat

Why is ___ sitting in the dark?

If ___ has ___ questions, I’ll be pleased to answer them.

What makes THE SATELLITE rush round the earth at such a great speed?

Your score is

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Practical application of pronouns and common mistakes

1. Pronoun Agreement

One of the most common errors is the incorrect agreement of pronouns with the nouns they replace.

Correct:

  • The team celebrated its victory.
  • Each student must bring their own materials.

Incorrect:

  • The team celebrated their victory. (when referring to the team as a single entity)
  • Each student must bring his or her own materials. (outdated form)

2. Using “it” and “there”

Many learners confuse the use of “it” and “there” at the beginning of sentences.

Correct:

  • It is raining.
  • There are many books on the shelf.

Incorrect:

  • There is raining.
  • It are many books on the shelf.

3. Choosing between “who” and “whom”

“Who” is used as a subject, while “whom” is used as an object.

Correct:

  • Who is coming to the party?
  • To whom should I address this letter?

Incorrect:

  • Whom is coming to the party?
  • To who should I address this letter?

4. Using Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) are often misused.

Correct:

  • I hurt myself while cooking.
  • She made the cake herself.

Incorrect:

  • I hurt me while cooking.
  • She made the cake her.

5. Using “one” as an Indefinite Pronoun

“One” is often used for general statements.

Correct:

  • One should always be polite.
  • If one works hard, one can achieve one’s goals.

Incorrect:

  • You should always be polite. (when not addressing the listener directly)
  • If you work hard, you can achieve your goals. (when not addressing the listener directly)

Common mistakes in pronoun usage

  1. Incorrect use of “me” and “I”
    • Correct: John and I went to the store.
    • Incorrect: John and me went to the store.
  2. Confusion between “its” and “it’s”
    • Correct: The dog wagged its tail. / It’s a beautiful day.
    • Incorrect: The dog wagged it’s tail. / Its a beautiful day.
  3. Misuse of “yourself”
    • Correct: You can do it yourself.
    • Incorrect: You can do it by yourself. (in this context)
  4. Confusion between “who’s” and “whose”
    • Correct: Who’s going to the party? / Whose book is this?
    • Incorrect: Whose going to the party? / Who’s book is this?
  5. Incorrect use of “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun
    • Correct: If a student needs help, they should ask the teacher.
    • Outdated: If a student needs help, he or she should ask the teacher.

Regular practice is key to successfully learning English. For more practice, check out our article: Pronouns in English: Practical Exercises.

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