Pronouns for clarity
Choose pronouns that make clear who or what is meant. Avoid needless repetition and unclear references. Use matching -self and -selves forms for actions that refer back to the doer and for emphasis.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Replace repeated names with pronouns that match the stated context, such as changing 'Sam picked up Sam's bag' to 'Sam picked up his bag' when Sam uses he and his
- Match -self and -selves forms to their referents, as in 'We reminded ourselves' and 'I made it myself'; distinguish emphasis from doing something without help
- Identify unclear pronoun references and use names or surrounding context to make the intended meaning clear
1 · Read
Pronouns can replace repeated names. Use the person's stated pronouns. She and he can name the doer; her and his can show ownership. They can mean one person or a group, and their can show ownership. For an animal, follow the pronouns the passage uses.
Read the surrounding words to check what a pronoun means. In 'Rae told Jo she won,' she could mean either person if both use she. To say that Jo won, write 'Rae told Jo that Jo won.' A name can make the meaning clear. A pronoun does not always refer to the nearest name.
Use a reflexive pronoun when the doer also receives the action. Match I/myself, he/himself, she/herself, it/itself, we/ourselves and they/themselves. 'The robot cleaned itself' means the robot did the cleaning and was also cleaned. When the receiver is someone else, use an object form: her can replace another person who uses she and her.
The same forms can add emphasis. 'I myself checked the gate' draws attention to who checked it. It does not tell us whether anyone helped. To say someone acted without help, use by: 'I checked the gate by myself.'
You can mean one person or several. Use yourself for one person and yourselves for several. They can also refer to one person; themselves can match that use. In Standard English school writing, use himself with he and ourselves with we. Forms such as hisself occur in some dialects, but are not the forms practised here.
Use context to make pronouns clear. Match reflexive forms to their referents. Myself can add emphasis; by myself means without help.
The lesson, questions and flashcards were written for this dataset.
Both reading passages were written for this dataset. The linked lesson When to use "me", "myself" and "I" is credited to TED-Ed and Emma Bryce; its publisher terms have not been verified.
More to read
Who receives the action?
Read 'We reminded ourselves about the trip.' The people giving the reminder are also the people receiving it. Ourselves points back to we.
Now read 'We reminded them about the trip.' Them refers to other people. Changing the pronoun changes who receives the reminder.
A matching form can also add emphasis. 'We ourselves checked the list' puts the focus on we. It does not say whether someone helped. 'We checked the list by ourselves' says we had no help.
Make a note clear
Imagine a note about two friends who both use she: 'Lena visited Tess after she finished the drawing.' The note leaves a question. Which friend finished the drawing?
Decide what the writer means before making a repair. If Tess finished it, write 'Lena visited Tess after Tess finished the drawing.' If Lena finished it, use Lena there instead.
Repeating a name can help when a pronoun has two possible meanings. In other places, a pronoun can save a needless repeat. Read the whole note to check.
Explore more
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.