Questions tagged [pronouns]

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase.

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Is it an error to use "it" to refer to two different things in one compound sentence?

An example: Alice: I've been to a vet. My cat has a tumor. Bob: Don't worry. If it's not malignant, it will be fine. Carmen: Are you sure this cake recipe is correct. Daniel: My grandmother gave it ...
Reverent Lapwing's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
156 views

When ask about someone's gender, can I say "Is it a man or a woman ?"

This is my son's textbook. Q:"Is it a man or woman" A: "A man" Guoguo: Hi, Mike. Why are you standing there? Mike: Hi, Guoguo. I'm waiting for my dad's friend. Guoguo: Is it a man ...
Qiulang 邱朗's user avatar
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1 answer
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What does ‘they’ refer to?

From the TV series The Good Doctor, "When people need to know things, they need to know if they don't lie through their teeth and feel good about it." Do people and they refer to different ...
Ji Hyun Lee's user avatar
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1 answer
54 views

If you say ..., does <that><it> mean ...?

[Situation: I am talking with Jane, who is a native speaker of English, about the vocabulary size of native speakers of English.] Kaguyahime: What's your passive vocabulary size? Jane: About 30,000. ...
Kaguyahime's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
159 views

When "you" is the subject of a question

When we use "you" in questions, there are two possible pronouns we can use in answers: "I" or "we". It depends on the context I just need to know if it’s true or false.
Arianna Briceño's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
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What is "it" referring to in this sentence

One of them added that the diabolical shrieks and cackles of this species have earned it "It" in this sentence is referring to what? This book is from Richard Dawkins' God Delusion. In the ...
Bobi brai's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
66 views

Is the sentence "Each of my brothers wants his own car" correct?

Each of my brothers wants his own car I already know that each is always paired with singular but is the usage of "his" correct? Should it be "their" or "it"?
Letícia Vasconcellos Alves's user avatar
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Which sentence is correct? (In spite of) [duplicate]

As the title has suggested, I'd like to know which sentence using "in spite of" is correct: John keeps working in spite of him feeling unwell. John keeps working in spite of his feeling ...
hhhh's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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those of us who were new

Can one use a. He talked to us who were new at the office. b. He talked to you who were new at the office. c. He talked to them who were new at the office. instead of a1. He talked to those of us who ...
azz's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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"you and your" vs "your and your"

At one point, you and your teammate's pokemons register a very low HP (1). At one point, your and your teammate's pokemons register a very low HP (2). Which of the two sentences is correct?
tryingtobeastoic's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
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What does "that" mean in "is in the richest state that it has ever been in"?

Today humanity is in the richest state that it has ever been in. Do you consider that correct here? Can it be substituted with than? I think that would be wrong, but logically it fits in here. I can'...
user1425's user avatar
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It will be awesome/interesting/nice, etc. if you can join us. - is "it" a dummy it?

Example 1 It will be awesome/interesting/nice...etc. if you can join us. Example 2 If you can join us, it will be wesome/interesting/nice...etc. Can it be written this way like Example 2? I always ...
vincentlin's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
33 views

possessive, object and reflexive pronouns

what's the difference between " a picture of us" , " a picture of ours" and " a picture of ourselves" ? and, does " a picture of us" really mean that the photo ...
UNICORN's user avatar
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Object Pronoun vs Reflexive pronoun

Question 13: She is too old. She can't look after herself, so she needs someone to look after _____. A) herself B) her C) something D) hers E) nothing The correct answer to the question above is B) ...
loloist's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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They have a passport/passports - the same in meaning?

Example 1 They have a passport. Example 2 They have passports. Do both mean every one of them has only one passport? Usually one person only has one passport. So the context can help, I think. I ...
vincentlin's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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We/every one of us will earn 1 billion dollars - are they the same?

Can "we" mean "every one of us"? "We will earn 1 billion dollars." Can it mean "every one of us will earn 1 billion dollars?
vincentlin's user avatar
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0 answers
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Is this sentence in line with pronoun of complement subject?

I read online that subject pronoun are used for subject complement. As such, is the following sentence correct? "He seems to be I" or should it end with object case? And why?
Akshit Raj's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
75 views

Are "I like when" and "I like it when" both grammatically correct, and if so, are they synonymous?

Example: Why don't airlines like when one intentionally misses a flight to save money? Why don't airlines like it when one intentionally misses a flight to save money? Are they both grammatically ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
75 views

Are both acceptable? "me and him" Vs "I and He"?

Me and him did it. I and he did it. Are both acceptable, If yes, how?
Sam's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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recently I was doing/Lately I have been doing

I am under the impression that: Lately I have been training 3 hours a day at the gym. - means multiple actions. Recently I was training 3 hours at the gym when I realized that I needed to... - means ...
user1425's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
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Present perfect continuous with "many"

Is it correct to use MANY with the present perfect continuous? I have been watching TV many times lately. or I have been watching TV many times lately when Jake dropped by.
user1425's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
52 views

What is the exact value/role of pronoun "it" in this context?

In "Why Haven’t We Made IT Safer to Breathe in Classrooms", what is the actual role the pronoun "it" plays on this sentence? What does "it" refer to? What do I need "...
harola barros's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
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Another pronoun replacement question

Consider the following sentence I wrote myself: Kumbhakarn then pierced Hanuman's chest with his spear due to which Hanuman was seriously injured. If I replace 'Hanuman' with 'he', the sentence ...
Shoes's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Who does 'him' refer to in this sentence?

Consider the following sentence that I wrote myself: Kumbhakarn then smashed Sugreev's head with a rock, causing him to lose consciousness. The subject of the sentence is Kumbhakarn, while the ...
Shoes's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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'...give us it.' [Can a pronoun as a direct object be placed at the very end of a sentence?]

Can a pronoun as a direct object be placed at the very end of a sentence? As in '...she was saying herself. Emails obtained. Just through honesty? Thrown(?through) and being given out? Because we have ...
tes389's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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People have perceptual characteristics that virtually assure that infants will orient toward them

By noticing the relation between their own actions and resultant external changes, infants develop self‐efficacy, a sense that they are agents of the perceived changes. Although infants can notice the ...
gomadeng's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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Multiple subjects and one pronoun

Consider the following sentence. Sheena and Shania went to her home. Both, Sheena and Shania, are females. To whom the pronoun 'her' refers.
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
49 views

they stole my truck

a. They stole my truck last week. Could one use that sentence if one has no idea who stole the truck, whether there was one thief or more involved, etc. ? All one knows is that one's truck was stolen. ...
azz's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
145 views

Grammar question: becoming overweight themselves

I find a sentence below, and don't understand the grammar. Children whose parents are overweight are at a higher risk of becoming overweight themselves. "becoming" is a gerund and "...
dmjy's user avatar
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1 answer
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The "chestnut " — is a noun or Pronoun in this context?

Everyone expected the chestnut to win. I think it's a noun but it's pronoun someone said..
Sam's user avatar
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Can "who" be used to refer to an organization that is acting on something? [duplicate]

I searched but couldn't find information on using "who" to state that an organization (not a person) is taking some action. I'm curious what the specific English rule is. Is it proper to use ...
TechWriterTen's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
24 views

and I read the one on physics

a. He read the boring article on biology and I read the one on physics. Was the article I read necessarily boring? b. He read the boring articles on biology and I read those on physics. Were the ...
azz's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
47 views

Each ------- their

I am still confused how to follow the singular pronoun "each" by the plural possessive pronoun "their". Not only these examples I state here, but every day I notice such examples ...
Ahmad Mohammad's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
32 views

Are they the same in meaning: "This is September now" AND "It is September now"

This is from a native speaker gardener's youtube video where he tells about his roses Roses (see:5:50-5:53) "This is September now and a lot of my roses are still blooming." The structure &...
yunus's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
45 views

"She is living out at her home" or "She is living out her life at her home" - which sentence is more grammatically correct?

There are two sentences: She is living out at her home. She is living out her life at her home. I was said that the first is wrong as It doesn't contain "her life". Is it really so much ...
Rodrigo's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
86 views

Do you use "your" instead of "his"/"her"/"their"?

I have seen "your" used instead of "his"/"her"/"their" but this isn't what I see in Grammar books so I wonder if this use is common among English native ...
Pumpkin cake's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
22 views

"No doubt Ferguson wants his team to make a fight of it"

No doubt Ferguson wants his team to make a fight of it. In 'make a fight of it', what is 'it'? Is this just an idiomatic expression? Or the 'it' has some meaning?
gomadeng's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
17 views

if you want that

Can one use a. I will clean the kitchen if you want that. b. I will clean the kitchen if you want it. instead of c. I will clean the kitchen if you want. I'd use (c) or d. I will clean the kitchen ...
azz's user avatar
  • 2,689
1 vote
2 answers
80 views

Correct usage of as well as and the usage of pronoun with as well as

Which sentence is grammatical? 1) He as well as I were invited to the party. 2) He as well as me was invited to the party. Almost all books seem to suggest that the verb should agree with the first of ...
Modern English's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
19 views

What does 'it' refer to in this context?

What does the following it(bold letter) refer to? Is this a Provisional subject? If you have any good idea, please let me know. It is estimated that about one-third of the population in Sub-Saharan ...
Japanese English teacher's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
47 views

What does "their" in "their market value" refer to?

A freelancer who is a native speaker wrote this. He said "their" is referring to the athletes and entertainers referenced previously. But I don't buy it because the previous sentence is only ...
newbie forever's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
74 views

What does "both" refer to in "...holding a baby in her arms, both shaking"?

Then he noticed the woman, who'd helped him earlier, gently holding a baby in her arms, both shaking. (A sentence from my workbook) Does this sentence work well? What (or who) does "both" ...
ForOU's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
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What does 'them' refer to in the passage, 'people' or 'the individual'?

If them refers to people in the previous sentence, it - the sense of belonging and interdependence among members - makes people feel less accountable for it(the offense), which I think doesn't make ...
Lifeispicnic's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
34 views

Relative adjective using when

I'm learning how the relative pronoun when works in a sentence. While combining this clause The day was snowy. My brother was born on that day. I came up with 2 forms of relative adjective clauses. ...
seven's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
34 views

"but which" vs "therefore they”

This question is from a school exam about clauses Can you please explain how I can choose between these two options? Working in this way, she and her fellow architects have produced various spaceship-...
Tabadom2000's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
26 views

what does "it" mean in the following"...in the planned, intentional, reflective manner it proposes?"

The original context is in the last two line. How focused are you on developing career management skills in the planned, intentional, refective manner it proposes? does it mean developing career ...
Stats Cruncher's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
33 views

"they" vs. "ones"

This is an excerpt from an NBC news article. Does "numbers" refer to the latest year's English scores and "they" refer to the previous 30 years' English ones? If it is the case, ...
Ji Hyun Lee's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
40 views

Pronoun usage in "Did you enjoy his playing the violin?" [duplicate]

Why is the pronoun "his" used in this sentence? "Did you enjoy his playing the violin?"
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
446 views

What do the pronouns "more" and "them" mean in: "Would you get more satisfaction out of your studies if you brought more to them?"

I am reading a book on study skills. On a page it says Tend to coast along ‘in the middle’? You have the opportunity to test out how well you could do if you aim higher and adapt your strategy. How ...
Stats Cruncher's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
45 views

The twins look alike—so much so that even their parents sometimes confuse them. (the function of 'that')

The twins look alike—so much so that even their parents sometimes confuse them. What is 'that' and what is its function?
gomadeng's user avatar
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