pronoun agreement: person

Personal pronouns have to agree with the words they are referring to (called their antecedents). A pronoun must match its antecedent in three ways: person, number and gender. In this article, we will look at agreement in person.

In grammar, there are three persons:

• first person - the person or group speaking (I or we)
• second person - the person or group spoken to (you)
• third person - the person or thing spoken about (he, she, it, they; nouns; indefinite pronouns)

First person

The first person singular pronoun is I; its other forms are me, my and mine. The first person plural pronoun is we; its other forms are us, our and ours. If the antecedent is I or we, then any pronouns referring to that antecedent must also be in the first person:

• I have my work cut out for me. [I, my and me are all first person singular]
• We leave tomorrow on our vacation. [we and our are both first person plural]

Second person

The second person pronoun is you (other forms: your and yours). If the antecedent is you, then any pronouns referring to that antecedent must also be in the second person.

• Have you girls finished your meal? [you and your are both second person]
• Harry, you dropped your glasses. [you and your are both second person]

Third person

The third person pronouns are he (him, his); she (her, hers); it (its); and they (them, their, theirs). If the antecedent is he, she, it, they, or any noun or indefinite pronoun, then any pronouns referring to that antecedent must also be in the third person:

• He ate his lunch in silence. [he and his are both third person]
• Lara stared at her compass. [Lara and her are both third person]
• The firm advertises its products well. [firm and its are both third person]
• The robins built their nest in the oak. [robins and their are both third person]
• One of the boys forgot his boots. [one and his are both third person]

Shift in person

Remember that nouns and indefinite pronouns are third person antecedents. Be careful not to create an error in pronoun agreement by shifting person:

• Incorrect: Canadians should be proud of our country. [3rd + 1st]

• Incorrect: Everyone should send in your application today. [3rd + 2nd]