Plain English Part 43

Agreement

+219.+ p.r.o.nouns are very agreeable members of the co-operative commonwealth of words. They strive to agree with their antecedents.

Sometimes we do not allow the p.r.o.noun to agree, and then our sentence is incorrect.

+A p.r.o.noun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender and person.+

For example, if you are referring to one man, you must use a masculine p.r.o.noun, singular, third person form, as _I saw the man but he did not see me_. _Man_ is the antecedent. It is singular, masculine, third person and so we use the p.r.o.noun _he_.

_The girl came, but she could not stay._ In this sentence _girl_ is the antecedent; it is singular, feminine, third person, and so we use the p.r.o.noun _she_.

_The boys did not come when the teacher called them._ In this sentence _boys_ is the antecedent; it is plural, masculine, third person, and so we use the p.r.o.noun _them_.

+220.+ +Sometimes there are two words used as the antecedent, joined by _and_.+ We use a singular p.r.o.noun in referring to them if they denote the same person or thing; as:

The secretary and treasurer (one person) resigned _his_ position.

My comrade and friend (one person) gave me _his_ help.

+221.+ +But two nouns joined by _and_, that mean different persons or things, must be represented by a plural p.r.o.noun, thus+:

Marx and Engels (two persons) wrote _their_ call to liberty, the Communist-Manifesto.

Men and women will struggle for _their_ freedom.

Childhood and youth should have _their_ rightful joys.

+222.+ +Use the singular p.r.o.noun when the nouns are kept separate by the use of _each_, _every_, _many a_, or _no_.+

Each man and boy must do _his_ part. (Not _their_ part.) Every soldier and every officer must do _his_ duty.

Many a city and many a village gave _its_ best to the army.

No comrade and no Socialist will give _his_ consent to war.

+223.+ +If you have two singular nouns as antecedents, joined by _or_, or _nor_, use the singular p.r.o.noun+, thus:

Either Germany or France must abandon _its_ position.

Neither Wilson nor Bryan kept _his_ promise to the people.

+224.+ +When you use a collective noun and are speaking of the collection as a whole, use a singular p.r.o.noun+, as:

The committee will make _its_ report.

The audience was hearty in _its_ appreciation.

The jury has returned _its_ verdict.

+225.+ +But if you are referring to the individuals of the collection separately, use a plural p.r.o.noun+; as:

The committee adjourned for _their_ dinner.

The audience kept _their_ seats until the close.

The jury argued until _their_ nerves were on edge.

PERSONIFICATION

+226.+ We sometimes speak of things as if they were persons, and so use either masculine or feminine p.r.o.nouns in referring to them. Such objects are said to be personified. Thus, we say:

The sun his ceaseless course doth run.

The moon sheds her silvery ray.

Nature dons her robes of green.

Here we speak of the sun as though it were a man or possessing the qualities of a man and use the p.r.o.noun _his_. Then we speak of the moon and nature as though they were women and use the p.r.o.noun in the feminine form.

REMEMBER

+227.+ +A p.r.o.noun must agree with its antecedent.+

+Use the subject form of the p.r.o.noun if the p.r.o.noun is the subject of the sentence.+

+Use the object form when the p.r.o.noun is the object of a verb or a preposition.+

+Use the compound personal p.r.o.nouns only in their reflexive or emphatic use.+

+With all forms of the verb _be_, use the subject form of the p.r.o.nouns.+

SUMMARY

SUBJECT POSSESSIVE OBJECT First person (_Singular_ I my (mine) me (_Plural_ we our (ours) us

Second person (_Singular_ (_Plural_ you your (yours) you

Third person (_Sing. Masc._ he his him (_Sing. Fem._ she her (hers) her (_Sing. Neut._ it its it (_Plural_ they their (theirs) them

Exercise 3

Read carefully the following beautiful dream of Olive Schreiner's. Mark all of the personal p.r.o.nouns and note carefully their use and by referring to the table above decide just what form each p.r.o.noun is.

Watch carefully too for the antecedents of the p.r.o.nouns and note the agreement of the p.r.o.noun with its antecedent.

"I THOUGHT I STOOD"

I.

I thought I stood in Heaven before G.o.d's throne, and G.o.d asked me what I had come for. I said I had come to arraign my brother, Man.

G.o.d said, "What has he done?"

I said, "He has taken my sister, Woman, and has stricken her and wounded her and thrust her out into the streets; she lies there prostrate. His hands are red with blood. I am here to arraign him; that the kingdom be taken from him, because he is not worthy, and given unto me. My hands are pure."

I showed them.