Pronoun

A personal pronoun points to a person: the one who speaks (1st person), the one who listens (2nd person) or the one spoken about (3rd person). “Person” here is a grammar word, not a human being. It and they point to things as well.

The same pronoun takes a different form according to its job. These forms are the cases. In the subjective (nominative) case the pronoun is a subject. In the objective (accusative) case it is an object. In the possessive (genitive) case it shows ownership.

Concept 1: before a verb, subjective. After a verb or a preposition, objective. A verb needs a subject before it, and both a verb and a preposition take an object after them.

✘ My brother and me bought this apartment. (use I)
✘ A misunderstanding has crept between he and his wife. (use him)

In the first sentence bought is the verb, and its subject is my brother and I. In the second, between is a preposition, so the object form him follows it.

The preposition may be a small word that you do not notice: like, except, but (= except), to, for, with, of.

✔ Sincere students like you and him should study regularly.
✔ All but her had made an attempt.
✔ Let us go home early. (let takes the objective: us, not we)

Concept 2: after as … as, so … as and than, use the case of the thing compared. The word after than is the subject or the object of a hidden verb. Finish the sentence in your mind and the case becomes clear.

[[parse: S=Radhika | HV=is | C=more intelligent | CONJ=than | X=I (am)]]

✔ Mohan is as tall as I. (as I am)
✔ Radhika is more intelligent than I. (than I am)

The meaning can change with the case. Compare these two:

✔ You like him as much as me. (= as much as you like me)
✔ You like him as much as I. (= as much as I like him)

Concept 3: after a linking verb (is, am, are, was, were), the pronoun is in the subjective case.

✘ It was me who did this. (use I; me is common in speech, but exam keys expect I)
✘ If you were her, what would you do? (use she)

Concept 4: two words joined by and take the same case. Take the other word away and read the sentence with one pronoun only. If it is wrong, the full sentence is wrong too.

✘ Dishu and me are sisters. ✔ Dishu and I are sisters. (both are subjects)
✘ He taught Ramesh and I. ✔ He taught Ramesh and me. (both are objects)
✘ This is yours and my ambition. ✔ This is your and my ambition. (both are determiners)

> The same pronoun can be correct in one place and wrong in another. Me is wrong in Me and Samridhi live here, because the verb live needs a subject. It is right in He saw Samridhi and me.

Both the possessive determiner and the possessive pronoun show ownership. The only difference is whether a noun comes with them.

✘ This is yours book. (use your, because book follows)
✘ This book is my. (use mine, because no noun follows)

A determiner can never be a subject. Your should respect your parents is not a sentence; the subject must be you.

The understood noun. When the noun has already been mentioned, we do not repeat it. The possessive pronoun then stands for “possessive + that noun”.

✔ Ours is a great country. (ours = our country)
✔ My book is better than hers. (hers = her book)

If the noun is named for the first time, use determiner + noun. If it has already come, use the possessive pronoun alone.

His is both a determiner and a pronoun, so it can be used with or without a noun: I like his personality (determiner), His is a charming personality (pronoun).

Before a gerund (V1 + ing), the possessive determiner is normally used.

✘ Radhika doesn’t like me ignoring her. ✔ Radhika doesn’t like my ignoring her.
✘ I am confident of him winning the competition. ✔ I am confident of his winning the competition.

Its and it’s. Its is the possessive determiner of it. It has no possessive pronoun, so its is never used without a noun. It’s is the short form of it is or it has: a subject and a verb together. This pair is asked again and again.

✘ Its becoming increasingly hard to get a good job these days. ✔ It’s becoming …
✘ It’s colour has attracted wide attention. ✔ Its colour has attracted wide attention.
✘ Its is useful content. ✔ Its content is useful.

In the first sentence a subject and a verb are needed, so it’s. In the second, colour is the subject and has its own verb has attracted, so only a determiner is missing before it: its.

Advanced points of the possessive determiner

1. Leave and separation. When these describe the act of parting, no possessive determiner is put before them. When they are pure nouns, one can be used.

✘ May I take your leave? ✔ May I take leave of you?
✔ They will not approve his leave. (here leave means a holiday)
✘ Your separation is painful for me. ✔ The separation from you is painful for me.
✔ Ravi and Rani are still together and their separation is just a publicity stunt. (a pure noun here)

2. Mention and sight. The possessive before these words shows who mentions or who sees, not the one who is mentioned or seen. So choose it carefully.

✔ My mention of Radhika created drama in my family. (I mentioned Radhika)
✘ Did she make his mention? ✔ Did she make mention of him?
✔ I always keep her in my sight. (I am the one who sees)
✘ She felt comfortable at my sight. ✔ She felt comfortable at the sight of me. (I was the one seen)

3. Favour. Somebody’s favour means that person’s side. For help received from someone, use favour from / of that person.

✘ I need your favour. ✔ I need a favour from you. (= I need your help)
✔ I am in your favour. (= I am on your side)

When a sentence has more than one personal pronoun, they follow a fixed order. The order depends on the mood of the sentence.

The reason is courtesy. In a good statement we name the others first, and putting I first would sound proud. When the speaker takes the blame or the responsibility, I comes first, because he owns the fault before he names anyone else.

✘ I, you and Pawan are invited to the party. ✔ You, Pawan and I are invited to the party.
✔ I, you and Pawan are to blame for the delay.

Two fixed points hold in every situation:

• We always comes first: We, you and Pawan is the only order.
• You always comes before the third person.

✘ You and we watched the spectacle. ✔ We and you watched the spectacle.
✘ You, they and we are honest. ✔ We, you and they are honest.

Common person. When several subjects share a verb, a determiner or a pronoun, we must choose one person for the shared word.

1. If the 1st person is among the subjects, use the 1st person plural (we, our, us).
2. If the 1st person is not there but the 2nd is, use the 2nd person (you, your).
3. If neither is there, use the 3rd person plural (they, their).

✔ You and I have done our work.
✔ You and he have done your work.
✔ He and she have done their work.

The same idea sets my against our. If the thing belongs to both speakers, it is our; if it belongs to only one, it is my.

✘ Radhika and I were working on my project. ✔ Radhika and I were working on our project. (the project is shared)
✔ Radhika and I met my parents last night to finalise our marriage date. (the parents are mine alone, and the date is shared. Our parents would make us brother and sister.)

Usage of *it*

1. It for things, animals, a baby, time and place. It is the singular pronoun for anything that is not a grown-up person: a thing, an animal, a baby, a place or a period of time.

✔ This is my pen. It is a gift from my father.
✔ The baby is crying. It is hungry.

2. It is singular, they is plural. They is used for things and persons in the plural sense. A singular noun is never picked up by they.

✘ When a plastic comb is rubbed on dry hair, they acquire a static charge. ✔ … it acquires a static charge.
✘ As rulers of the planet, humans like to think that it is the largest creatures … ✔ … they are the largest creatures …

3. Empty it. For time, weather, temperature, distance and natural events, it has no noun behind it. It only fills the subject place, so it is called empty it.

✔ It is getting dark.
✔ It is raining.
✔ It is Monday.
✔ It is 5 o’clock.
✔ It is winter.
✔ It is morning.

4. Introductory it. It can open a sentence and keep the real subject, an infinitive or a *that*-clause, for later.

✔ It was easy to go. (= To go was easy.)
✔ It is a secret that he has resigned. (= That he has resigned is a secret.)

✘ There was a good idea to wear snow boots. ✔ It was a good idea to wear snow boots.

5. Identifying and emphasising it. It tells who someone is, or puts stress on the subject.

✔ It is Mohan on the phone. (we find out who is calling)
✔ It is I who did the work. (the stress is on I)

Usage of *there*

There tells us that a person or thing exists or is present. It is an introductory subject, and the real subject comes after the verb, so the verb agrees with it.

✔ There are two boys.
✔ There was a king.
✔ Is there a bathroom upstairs?
✘ Is a bathroom upstairs? ✘ Is it a bathroom upstairs?

The two questions below do not mean the same.

✔ Is there an alternative to surgery? (= does any alternative exist?)
✔ Is it an alternative to surgery? (= is this thing an alternative?)

There, they’re, their

✘ Their are two boys in my class. ✔ There are two boys in my class.
✘ They’re parties are always fun. ✔ Their parties are always fun.
✘ I like them because their always in high spirits. ✔ … because they’re always in high spirits.

In the first sentence an introductory subject is needed, and are agrees with two boys. In the second, they’re parties would mean they are parties, so a determiner is needed before the noun. In the third, the clause after because needs a verb, so they are (they’re).

When the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person or thing, we put a reflexive pronoun in the place of the object. The word reflex tells the story: the action turns back and lands on the doer.

✔ I hit Mohan. (the action goes to someone else)
✔ I hit myself. (the doer and the receiver are the same person)
✘ I saw me in the mirror. ✔ I saw myself in the mirror.
✘ Did you hurt you? ✔ Did you hurt yourself?

At a glance

• Subject = object, so reflexive. ✔
• After a preposition that shows possession or place, use him / her, not a reflexive. ✘
• In the passive voice, no reflexive. ✘
• After an intransitive or ergative verb, no reflexive. ✘

1. After a preposition. A reflexive can follow a preposition when the doer is also the one affected: She is proud of herself. He talked to himself. But when the preposition shows possession or location, we use him, her, them, not a reflexive.

✘ He keeps a pen with himself. ✔ He keeps a pen with him. (possession)
✘ He tied his dog behind himself. ✔ He tied his dog behind him. (location)
✘ He took his younger sister with himself. ✔ He took his younger sister with him.

2. Follow the doer of the verb, not always the subject of the sentence. The reflexive agrees with whoever does the action of its own verb.

✔ They made it impossible for him to enjoy himself. (the one who enjoys is him)
✔ I helped him prepare himself for the examination. (the one who prepares is him)

3. Reflexive after a noun subject. Choose the form by the noun: a male singular noun takes himself, a female singular noun herself, a thing itself, and every plural noun themselves.

✘ Some people often praise himself. ✔ Some people often praise themselves.
✘ This book will advertise herself. ✔ This book will advertise itself.
✘ The bridegroom looked at herself in the mirror. ✔ The bridegroom looked at himself in the mirror.

4. A reflexive is never the subject. It can only be an object (or stress, as in the next concept).

✘ I know that myself need to finish this report. ✔ I know that I need to finish this report.
✘ Myself is Shivani. ✔ I am Shivani.
✘ Ourselves should not boast of one’s knowledge. ✔ We should not boast of our knowledge.

5. Imperative sentences. In an order, advice or request the hidden subject is you, so the reflexive is yourself / yourselves.

✔ Prepare yourself. ✔ Don’t hurt yourself.
✘ Don’t blame you. (the subject and object are the same person) ✔ Don’t blame yourself.
✘ Don’t blame myself. ✔ Don’t blame me. (the subject is you, the object is I: different people)

6. Verbs that take a reflexive when they have no other object. *Express, enjoy, injure, avail, adapt, exert, amuse, revenge, hurt, disguise, submit, reconcile, accustom, adjust, assert, introduce, devote, pride* and similar transitive verbs need an object. If the sentence gives no object, the reflexive supplies it.

✔ He enjoyed the party. (the party is the object)
✘ He enjoyed in the party. (in the party only tells the place, and there is no object)
✔ He enjoyed himself at the party.
✔ She availed herself of the big discounts. ✔ Try to avail yourself of every opportunity.
✔ She expressed herself clearly. ✔ She injured herself. ✔ He absented himself from the meeting.

In the passive voice the reflexive is not needed:

✘ He introduced to the manager. ✔ He introduced himself to the manager. (active, so an object is needed)
✔ He was introduced to the manager. (passive)

> Dictionaries allow adapt without a reflexive, but exams treat adapt oneself as the standard form. Choose the standard form.

7. Intransitive verbs take no object, so no reflexive.

✘ The children slept themselves peacefully. ✔ The children slept peacefully.
✘ I get myself tired very easily. ✔ I get tired very easily.

> In I have come myself to the party, myself is not an object. It only adds stress, so it belongs to the next concept (emphatic pronouns) and not to this one.

8. Verbs with two meanings. Decide by the meaning.

✔ He applied for this job. ✔ He applied himself to his job.
✔ Shikha resigned from her post. ✔ Shikha resigned herself to the difficult situation.
✔ The judge acquitted him of all his crimes. ✔ The judge acquitted himself well at the party.
✔ Were you absent yesterday? (were + adjective) ✔ Did you absent yourself? (did + V1 means a verb)

9. Ergative verbs. Some verbs carry the same meaning whether they take an object or not: hide, keep, stop, turn, shave, move, rest, bathe, feel, wash. In exam questions these are written without a reflexive.

✘ He hid himself behind the wall. ✔ He hid behind the wall.
✘ He moved himself a bit. ✔ He moved a bit.
✘ He stopped himself at the traffic lights. ✔ He stopped at the traffic lights.

> “I stopped the car” has an object. “The car stopped” has none, and the verb means the same. That is what makes a verb ergative.

Emphatic pronouns

An emphatic pronoun looks exactly like a reflexive pronoun (myself, himself, themselves), but it does a different job. The action does not turn back on the doer. The word only puts stress on a noun or pronoun. It is neither a subject nor an object, so it can be taken out without breaking the sentence.

✔ The man himself cut that tree. (it was the man, and nobody else)
✔ The man cut that tree himself.
✔ The man cut that tree by himself.
✔ The man cut that tree on his own.

The usual places are:

• Subject + emphatic pronoun + verb: I myself taught the use of each.
• Subject + verb + object + (adverb) + emphatic pronoun: I completed the task myself.
• Subject + verb + object + (adverb) + by + emphatic pronoun: I completed the task by myself.

On one’s own is another way to stress the same thing: I completed the task on my own.

An emphatic pronoun never stands between the verb and its object. It goes straight after the subject, or at the end.

✘ I did myself the work. ✔ I myself did the work.
✘ She called herself me. ✔ She herself called me. / She called me herself.

A reflexive and an emphatic pronoun are not used together in the same place. Decide the job of the word first: if the action comes back to the doer, it is reflexive; if it only adds stress, it is emphatic.

✔ When I solved the sum myself, I was very happy. (stress on I)
✔ Often we ourselves are responsible for our ill health.
✔ The survival of mankind itself is in danger due to pollution.
✔ You are yourself responsible for this condition.

> Emphatic pronouns are rarely the target of a question. They are taught together with the reflexive pronouns so that you can tell the two apart.

Reciprocal pronouns

A reciprocal pronoun shows an action that two or more persons or things do to each other. In Hindi it is “आपस में” or “एक दूसरे से”.

> Both phrases express a mutual action. Traditional teaching uses each other for two and one another for more than two; modern dictionaries accept either for any number. In SSC exams, follow the traditional pairing when both are offered.

✔ The couple looked at each other. (a couple is two people)
✘ All the boys helped each other. ✔ All the boys helped one another. (all means more than two)
✘ Radhika and Prashant help one another a lot. ✔ Radhika and Prashant help each other a lot.
✘ All the members of my family support each other. ✔ All the members of my family support one another.
✘ All of you are prohibited from talking to each other. ✔ … to one another.
✔ Both of them are quarrelling with each other.

Three things to remember:

1. A reciprocal pronoun is an object. It can follow a verb or a preposition.
2. It can take the possessive ’s: They wore each other’s shoes. They protected one another’s children.
3. It is never the subject of a verb. Where a subject is needed, use the other or each.

✘ Rohan and Rashmi did not listen to what each other said. ✔ … what the other said.
✘ They will make a good couple as each other understands what the other feels. ✔ … as each understands what the other feels.

Watch the sense. Reciprocal and reflexive are different. The candidates introduced themselves to the interviewer means that each candidate introduced his own self. The candidates introduced each other would mean something else. Read the meaning before you choose.

This, that, these, those point out a person or a thing. They are demonstrative pronouns when they stand alone, and demonstrative determiners when a noun follows them.

✔ This is my book. (this is a pronoun)
✔ This book is very interesting. (this is a determiner)

This and that go with a singular noun, these and those with a plural noun.

✘ This boys are my friends. ✔ These boys are my friends.
✘ Those box was very heavy. ✔ That box was very heavy.
✘ The committee selected these boy. ✔ The committee selected these boys. (or this boy)

1. Near and far, present and past. Usually this / these point to what is near and in the present, and that / those to what is far and in the past.

✔ She was absent that week. ✔ She is absent this week.
✔ In those days we rarely saw a motor car in the village. ✔ We often see motor cars in the village these days.

If, at the time of speaking, you are pointing at the thing, this can be used even for the past (This was my favourite car). Read the sense.

2. That and those in a comparison. To avoid repeating a noun, we replace it with that (singular) or those (plural). The preposition that followed the noun stays on both sides.

✔ The life of a dog is shorter than that of a human.
✔ The climate of Jaipur is hotter than that of Delhi.
✔ The stories in the Mahabharata are more interesting than those in the Ramayana.
✔ The balcony of my room is bigger than that of your room.

The structure on the two sides of than must be the same. You cannot compare a climate with a city, or people with an office.

✘ The climate of Dehradun is better than Meerut. ✔ … better than that of Meerut.
✘ My house is more spacious than my sister. ✔ … than my sister’s. (= my sister’s house)
✘ The people in my office are smarter than other offices. ✔ … than those in other offices.
✘ The colour of her cheeks is like a rose. ✔ … is like that of a rose.
✘ The decorations in your house are similar to his house. ✔ … similar to those in his house.
✔ Her performance was much better than mine. ✔ I need this book more than you do.

3. Two nouns in the sentence. For the noun that is nearer (the one named last), use this / these. For the one named earlier, use that / those.

✔ Chess and cricket are two of my favourite games. This is an outdoor game. (this = cricket, named last)

4. Those who … Those is the subject here, and the group includes the reader as well.

✘ They who wants to play should leave the class. ✔ Those who want to play should leave the class.
✔ Those who follow a healthy routine are likely to enjoy good health.
✔ The study found that the men who were married lived longer than those who were not.

5. This and it.

• It is always a pronoun. This can be a pronoun or a determiner. So a noun can follow this but not it.

✔ This book is mine. ✔ This is my book. ✔ It is my book. ✘ It book is mine.

• For time, distance and weather, use it, not this.

✘ This is 8:30 PM. ✔ It is 8:30 PM. ✘ This is really cold here. ✔ It is really cold here.

• It identifies, this introduces.

✔ It is Mohan who helped. (we find out who helped)
✔ This is Mohan here. (he introduces himself on the phone)

> If a relative clause follows (who helped), use it, not this.

Distributive pronouns

A distributive pronoun takes the members of a group one by one. The words are each, either, neither, any, none (and every, which is only a determiner). Usually of follows, then a noun or pronoun in the plural, and the verb is singular (for none and any this is the formal exam form; everyday English often uses a plural verb after them), because we look at the members separately.

✘ Each of the books were stolen from the library. ✔ Each of the books was stolen from the library.
✘ Neither of your parents have reached there. ✔ Neither of your parents has reached there.
✘ Neither of the two have cleared the test. ✔ Neither of the two has cleared the test.

✔ Each of these children is very talented.
✔ Either of the boys can be the winner. ✔ Either side of the coin is shining.
✔ Neither of you is doing your work properly.
✔ Any of the boys can be the topper. ✔ She hardly spent any of her money.
✔ None of the news is true.

Points to remember

1. Neither is for two, none for more than two. A cricket team has eleven players, so it is none of the players, never neither of the players. The verb with none is singular here.

✘ None of your parents can attend the meeting. ✔ Neither of your parents can attend the meeting. (two parents)
✘ None of his friends were ready to help him. ✔ None of his friends was ready to help him.
✘ Shailaja is prettier than either of her three cousins. ✔ … than any of her three cousins.

2. Both is positive and plural. With not, both is not used. For the negative idea use neither.

✘ Both of them did not come. ✔ Neither of them came.

3. None and neither are already negative. So they are not used with not, never, no, hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, little, few. The same is true of each, every, either, all in front of not.

✘ Neither of them has little money. ✔ Neither of them has any money.
✘ None of my teachers never told me about it. ✔ None of my teachers ever told me about it.
✘ None of the news is not true. ✔ None of the news is true.

4. Determiner use. When a singular noun follows directly, each, either, neither, any are determiners: Each / Either / Neither / Any + singular noun + singular verb.

✔ Each boy is present. ✔ Neither answer was right. ✔ Any student can apply.

5. Every is only a determiner. It cannot stand without a noun, so every of is wrong. Use each of, or every one of.

✘ I have informed every of the guests. ✔ I have informed each of the guests. ✔ I have informed every one of the guests.

6. Pronoun to follow. A pronoun that refers back to a distributive pronoun is third person singular: his or her.

✔ Each of them should carry his bag. ✔ Each of the girls narrated her story. (Each of us … our is also seen.)

Fractional (partitive) pronouns

A fractional pronoun shows a part or a quantity: *all of, some of, both of, half of, most of, many of, much of, a few of, a little of.* It stands in front of of, and the verb agrees with the noun that follows *of*. Singular or uncountable noun, singular verb. Plural noun, plural verb. Both always takes a plural verb.

✘ Some of the boys has been missing. ✔ Some of the boys have been missing.
✘ All of the milk were wasted. ✔ All of the milk was wasted.
✘ Half of the population don’t have proper drinking water. ✔ Half of the population doesn’t have proper drinking water.
✘ Most of the girls ignores him. ✔ Most of the girls ignore him.

> Compare: Each of the boys is (distributive, one by one, so singular) and Some of the boys are (fractional, a part of the group, so the verb follows the boys). Fractional and distributive pronouns both use of, but the verb concept is different.

The same concept works for the pronoun that comes back later. The noun decides the number.

✘ All the young boys and girls in the family will try his luck. ✔ … will try their luck.

An indefinite pronoun does not point to any particular person or thing.

One also belongs to this group, and it has its own concept after this one.

1. A singular verb. Every indefinite pronoun takes a singular verb.

✘ Everything that I like to eat are fattening. ✔ Everything that I like to eat is fattening.
✔ Something is missing from my room. (not are)

2. A singular pronoun after it. The pronoun or determiner that refers back to everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone, nobody, someone and the like is third person singular: he / she, his / her.

✘ Everyone has informed their parents about it. ✔ Everyone has informed his parents about it.
✘ No one should betray their country. ✔ No one should betray his country.
✘ Everybody, it must be admitted, has their ups and downs. ✔ … has his ups and downs.
✔ Someone took away my bike and left his bike.

Choose his or her by looking at the sense and the gender of the people in the sentence.

> In everyday talk people often say their after these words. The exam follows the standard concept, so when an option offers his or her, choose it.

Singular they. Everyone has their own notebook. They are responsible for bringing it. The verb after everyone is singular (is, has); they / their then refer back to that person without saying whether it is a man or a woman. Everyone are ready is wrong.

3. Every one is not everyone. Everyone (one word) is an indefinite pronoun and means all the people. In every one of you, every is a determiner and one is a noun, so of can follow. After the joined forms, of is not used.

✘ Everyone of you must come. ✔ Every one of you must come. ✔ Everyone must come.
✔ Each one of you can try. (the same thought as every one of you)

The same holds for everybody and every body.

4. Every + singular noun takes his / her, too. Every is a determiner that treats the members one by one, so the verb and the pronoun are singular.

✘ Every soldier and every officer was in their place. ✔ … was in his place.
✘ Every woman in the world fervently hopes that their child will be healthy. ✔ … that her child will be healthy.
✘ Each of the girls narrated their story. ✔ Each of the girls narrated her story.

5. Collective nouns. Words like committee, government, team, family, jury name a group. If the group acts as one unit, the pronoun is singular (it, its). If its members act separately, with a division among them, the pronoun is plural (they, their). Read the sense.

✔ The committee submitted its final report. (one body, one report)
✔ The committee were divided in their opinions. (each member has his own view)
✘ The Government is looking to liquidate his grain stock. ✔ … its grain stock.

6. Indefinite adverbs. Somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, anytime, sometime, every time are not pronouns. They are indefinite adverbs.

One does four different jobs. Decide the job first, and the concept follows.

1. One for people in general. When a statement is true of everybody, including the speaker, we use one. Every pronoun that goes with it must also be a form of one.

✘ One should do his work himself. ✔ One should do one’s work oneself.
✘ One should be grateful for what he has received from God. ✔ One should be grateful for what one has received from God.
✘ One must keep his promises. ✔ One must keep one’s promises.
✘ One should be careful to re-read what they has written. ✔ One should be careful to re-read what one has written.
✔ One should respect one’s parents.

> In an exam sentence that starts with one, check the rest of the sentence for his, her, he, himself, they. Each must become one’s, one, oneself.

2. One as a substitute. One replaces a countable noun that has already been mentioned, so that it is not repeated. It can have an adjective in front of it.

✔ They don’t have any house, so they need one.
✔ Do you need a book? Yes, I need one.
✔ Of the two gardens, the more beautiful one is mine.
✔ The red car and the white ones. (plural: ones)

A / an is not put before one by itself, but it is fine when an adjective comes between them. It cannot take an adjective.

✘ I don’t have any car, so I need a one. ✔ … so I need one.
✔ I don’t have any car, so I need a new one.
✘ My shoes were worn out, so I had to buy a new one. (shoes are plural) ✔ … so I had to buy new ones.

It and one are different. It is for a definite thing already known (I like this marker. I will purchase it.). One is for any thing of that kind (I need a marker. I will purchase one.).

3. One of + plural noun + singular verb. The subject is one, so the verb is singular, though the noun after of is plural.

✔ One of the students has a doubt.
✔ One of the boys is missing.
✔ One of the boys who were invited is missing. (who were invited describes the boys, so plural were)

4. One as a number. Where one means the number 1, it is a plain numeral: One boy is missing. One chair is broken.

A relative pronoun starts a relative clause, and the clause describes a noun or pronoun that comes before it. That noun is the antecedent of the relative pronoun. Because the clause describes a noun, it is also called an adjective clause.

> I met a man. The man was honest. → I met a man who was honest. (or: The man whom I met was honest.)

A relative pronoun does two jobs together. It joins the clause to the main sentence, and inside its own clause it works as a subject or an object.

The relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, that and of which.

1. Human or non-human. “Human” means a human being. It is not the same as living and non-living, so an animal is non-human.

✘ This is the book who I bought. ✔ This is the book which I bought.
✘ This is the boy which took away the books. ✔ This is the boy who took away the books.
✘ I bought a bag who was very cheap. ✔ I bought a bag which was very cheap.
An animal is non-human, so it takes which or that. A much-loved pet is sometimes spoken of with who, but in the exam use which / that unless the sentence clearly treats the pet as a person.
✔ I know the girl who sells flowers on the pavement.

2. Who or whom: count the verbs. In every clause each finite verb needs its own subject. Count the subjects and the verbs.

• If a verb is left without a subject, the relative pronoun is that subject: who.
• If every verb already has a subject, the relative pronoun is the object: whom. (An infinitive such as to marry needs no subject.)

[[parse: S=This | V=is | O=the man | CONJ=who | S=I | V=think | V=committed | O=the crime]]

This is the man who I think committed the crime. Look at the verbs: is (subject this), think (subject I) and committed. The verb committed has no subject yet, so the relative pronoun must be the subject: who. I think is only a small interruption.

✘ I tried to meet the person whom you said was looking for me. ✔ … the person who you said was looking for me.
✘ This is the old man whom I said had helped me. ✔ … the old man who I said had helped me.
✘ Here is the man whom I think committed the crime. ✔ … the man who I think committed the crime.

Compare, where every verb has its own subject:

✔ The boy whom you met is my brother. (you met: so whom is the object)
✔ He was free to marry the girl whom he loved.

So when there are more verbs than subjects, the case is subjective (who), and when subjects and verbs are equal in number, it is objective (whom).

3. Whose and of which: possession. Whose is followed by a noun that belongs to the antecedent. For a thing, of which is used (the pattern is the noun + of which), and whose is often used as well.

✔ He is a man whose word is his bond.
✔ I know a person whose parents live in Milan.
✘ In this novel I came across some words which meaning I do not know. ✔ … some words whose meaning I do not know.
✘ What is the name of the Swami whom autobiography impressed you so much? ✔ … the Swami whose autobiography …
✔ I read a book, the cover of which was torn.

4. An apostrophe noun cannot be the antecedent. A noun with ’s works as a determiner, and a determiner can never be the antecedent. Remove the apostrophe and use of + noun.

✘ He claims to have read Chetan Bhagat’s all the plays who is a prominent writer. ✔ … all the plays of Chetan Bhagat, who is a prominent writer.
✘ I like Sachin’s batting who is a great player. ✔ I like the batting of Sachin, who is a great player.

5. When both a human and a non-human noun are named, use that. That serves both.

✔ I saw the man and his dog that were crossing the road.

6. Use that (not which or who) after antecedents with all, none, both, few, little, any, nothing, only, a superlative, or very / same. (For a human antecedent, who is also possible as a subject.)

✔ This is the same story that my grandfather told me.
✔ This book is the very thing that I needed. (very + noun = same + noun)
✔ It was one of the best speeches that have ever been made in Parliament.
✘ He is the same man which I saw yesterday at the gate. ✔ … the same man that I saw yesterday at the gate.

After the same and such, the choices are that or as, never who, whom, which. As shows comparison, that shows result.

✘ I have not seen such a good teacher that he is. ✔ I have not seen such a good teacher as he is. (comparison)
✔ He is such a good teacher that everyone loves him. (result)

7. After a preposition: whom and which. That and who can never be the object of a preposition.

✘ I don’t know the man about that she was talking. ✔ … the man about whom she was talking.
✘ This is the book for that she cares a lot. ✔ … the book for which she cares a lot.
✘ I was the one to who he looked for help. ✔ … the one to whom he looked for help.

If the preposition goes to the end of the clause, any of who, whom, that, which can be used, and the relative pronoun can even be dropped.

✔ I don’t know the man who she was talking about.
✔ I don’t know the man she was talking about.
✔ This is the boy that I talked to you about.

8. That needs an antecedent. Without one, use what. What = the thing that.

✘ I couldn’t understand that he said. ✔ I couldn’t understand what he said.
✘ Father didn’t believe that I said. ✔ Father didn’t believe what I said.
✘ After a long gap, we went shopping and bought that we wanted. ✔ … bought what we wanted.
✘ He has lost all what I gave him. ✔ He has lost all that I gave him. (all is the antecedent here, so that)

1. The verb of the relative clause agrees with the antecedent. A singular antecedent takes a singular verb, a plural antecedent a plural verb. The relative pronoun who / which / that has no number of its own. It borrows the number and the person of its antecedent.

✘ The people who is playing in the garden are my friends. ✔ The people who are playing …
✘ The bridge that connect the two sides of the city broke today. ✔ The bridge that connects …
✘ Prema is the girl in my class who write beautiful poems. ✔ … the girl in my class who writes beautiful poems.
✘ This is the student who win the first prize. ✔ … the student who won the first prize.

After I and you the verb follows the person too: I who am, you who are.

✔ It is I who am responsible for the success of the organisation.
✔ I, who am your friend and well wisher, should have been informed about your decision.
✘ It is he who work for the company. ✔ It is he who works for the company.
✘ It was Ravi, not his friends, who were shouting. ✔ … who was shouting. (the antecedent is Ravi)

It is him who … is wrong; after it is / it was the pronoun is in the subject form: It is he who, It is I who, It is you who.

2. Which noun is the antecedent? Usually the noun nearest to the relative pronoun is its antecedent. Sometimes the sense picks an earlier noun, so read the meaning. The verb follows the antecedent, not the nearest word.

✘ Thomas is a man of word who have been paying back the borrowed money. ✔ … a man of word who has been paying back … (the antecedent is a man)

Test: drop the small phrase in between (of word). Thomas is a man who has been paying back … still stands, so the antecedent is a man.

One of those who … / the only one of those who … In one of those students who, the antecedent is those students, so the verb is plural. In the only one of those students who, the antecedent is the only one, so the verb is singular.

✔ He is one of those students who have never cheated.
✔ He is the only one of those students who has never cheated.
✔ This is one of the matters that are disturbing me the most.
✔ It was one of the best speeches that have ever been made in Parliament.
✘ It was one of the best speeches that has ever been made in Parliament.

3. With a double object, put the clause next to the noun it describes.

✘ The teacher gave the girl a prize who had won the race. ✔ The teacher gave the prize to the girl who had won the race.

4. A relative pronoun already joins, so no conjunction with it.

✘ It is a controversial policy but which has attracted worldwide attention.
✔ It is a controversial policy which has attracted worldwide attention.
✔ It is a controversial policy but it has attracted worldwide attention.

5. Which can refer to a whole clause. That cannot.

✘ The boy got late again, that made the mother angry. ✔ The boy got late again, which made the mother angry.
✘ Radhika was also present at the party that made it interesting. ✔ Radhika was also present at the party, which made it interesting.
✔ I attended the party that Radhika arranged. (here that describes the noun party)

> A quick test: put which in place of that. If the sentence still fits, that is a relative pronoun. If it does not, that is doing another job (a conjunction, taught in the chapter on conjunctions).

6. Defining and non-defining clauses.

✔ The friend who lives in Indore is a doctor. (it says which friend)
✔ My mother, whom you met, is a teacher. (we know whose mother; this is extra)

✘ Our gardener, which is very lazy, says that … ✔ Our gardener, who is very lazy, says that …
✘ My elder brother, which you’ll meet later, is a dentist. ✔ My elder brother, whom you’ll meet later, is a dentist.
✘ Pradeep, whom is a teacher, also works as a content writer. ✔ Pradeep, who is a teacher, also works as a content writer.

7. Dropping the relative pronoun. In a defining clause, a relative pronoun that is the object can be dropped. A subject pronoun is never dropped.

✔ The boy that / whom you met is my brother. = The boy you met is my brother.
✔ The boy who helped you is my brother.
✘ The boy helped you is my brother.

> The word that is dropped silently in speech, too: I think (that) he is right. Everything (that) I have done is worthless.

8. Reducing a relative clause. A relative clause is an adjective clause, so it can be changed into a participle phrase. We do not simply drop who; the whole who is … group turns into the participle.

✔ The girl who is wearing a red dress is my sister. → The girl wearing a red dress is my sister.
✔ The books that were written by him are popular. → The books written by him are popular.

9. But after a negative antecedent. After no, none, nothing and the like, but can act as a relative pronoun. Here but = who … not / which … not.

✔ There is no mother but loves her child. (= There is no mother who does not love her child.)

Compound relative pronouns

When one word has to do two jobs at once, being the antecedent and the relative pronoun together, we add -ever to it. These are the compound relative pronouns. They are used in a general sense.

Why whoever? Look at the verbs. In Who wins the election is going to have a tough job, the verbs are wins and is going. Two verbs need two subjects, but there is only one word. Whoever means anyone who, so it supplies both subjects: anyone for is going and who for wins.

✘ Who wins the election is going to have a tough job. ✔ Whoever wins the election is going to have a tough job.
✘ Who was present in the hall took part in the voting. ✔ Whoever was present in the hall took part in the voting.

In the same way, He was free to marry whom he chose needs whomever: marry and chose both need an object, and whomever gives two objects (marry the person and whom he chose).

✘ He was free to marry whom he chose. ✔ He was free to marry whomever he chose.
✔ You can call whoever can help you.

> Have you ever visited Agra? The word ever is a separate adverb here. It does not make a compound relative pronoun.

Interrogative pronouns

An interrogative pronoun asks a question and stands at the beginning of the sentence.

Whose is also interrogative: Whose book is this? (it works as a determiner).

Why, where, when and how start questions too, but their answers give a reason, a place, a time or a manner. They are adverbs, not pronouns.

Who and whom. The answer to who is a subject, and the answer to whom is an object.

✘ Who do you wish to see? ✔ Whom do you wish to see? (you wish to see him / her: object)
✔ Whom did you give the packets to? ✔ To whom did you give the packets?
✔ Who do you think will be the winner? (think has its own subject you, and will be needs a subject: who)
✘ Whom do you think will be the winner? ✔ Who do you think will be the winner?

Which and what. Which is for a limited choice, a definite number of things you can see in front of you. What is for an unlimited choice, an indefinite number.

✘ Who is your favourite movie? ✔ What is your favourite movie? (from all the movies in the world) ✔ Which is your favourite movie? (from a few given movies)
✘ What of these movies did you watch yesterday? ✔ Which of these movies did you watch yesterday?
✘ Who of the servants had broken the glass? ✔ Which of the servants had broken the glass?

Before kind of, sort of, type of use what: What kind of book do you like?

The same question can take all three words, according to what you want to know: Who is your father? (his name or identity), What is your father? (his work), Which is your father? (pointing him out from a group).