Questions tagged [pronouns]
Use this tag for questions primarily about pronouns. In English, pronouns include "who", "this", "someone", "everyone" and personal pronouns such as "I", "him", "hers", "themselves".
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Are corporations "theys" or "its"?
Because Acme Inc. didn't deliver the item to Joe, he sued them.
Because Acme Inc. didn't deliver the item to Joe, he sued it.
Which is correct? "Them" sounds right, but because a ...
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Referring to a main character's father as "his father" vs. "their father" when siblings are in scene
I've got a close third person POV centering on a boy, Ray. When I refer to his father it's usually as "his father" or "Ray's father". I've got one scene in which Ray's brothers ...
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Pronouns for a character that body hops?
I'm currently writing a paranormal thriller novel where people can inhabit other peoples' bodies -- regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexuality. I'm currently in moral turmoil over how to use ...
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Can "they" be used when it comes to a person and their animal companions
Yes, I know that an animal is referred as “it” unless the relationship is personal (like a pet that has a name). Then they'd be "he" or "she"
It's more on the context of: A person ...
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How to write a biography without pronoun repetition?
My question is similar to this one, but I am not happy with the answer. Also, my style and sample example are very different.
I am writing a biography and all the writing has become, ' he did this' '...
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Multiple characters of the same pronoun in one scene
I'm writing a scene where two people are battling. Both's pronouns are "he/him".
The reader (and the third person limited narrator) only know the name of the MC, but the other's name is ...
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Is it problematic to transition from "I" to "we" when describing actions that took place as part of a team?
I am writing about my past job experience in a grant proposal. The proposal is in first person so I use "I" for most of it. At some point in the proposal, I describe a collaborative ...
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How can I avoid overusing "I" and "I'm" in a first person short story?
The story I'm writing uses 'I' and 'I'm' way too much, and it's really obvious. The problem is that I cannot find words to replace the two, and when I do, it always changes and bends what I'm trying ...
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How to avoid using "she" repetitively in action?
I really like to write but I have a problem. I am starting to write and I want to make it mostly in 3rd person, but I don't know if I can do that and not repeat the pronouns she or he a lot.
I am ...
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How to cut down on using too many pronouns (he, she, his etc.) while writing paragraphs (fiction)
I'm a relatively new writer and decided I would try and write something for fun. For the most part I have been finding it alright, however, I am really having trouble with repetitive sentences with ...
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What are the grammatical and stylistic alternatives to avoid overusing pronouns?
Recently, I've developed a habit of writing he/she/him/her and overusing the character's name at the beginning of sentences. For example:
Pandora ran through the snow, following the coughs to a small ...
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During a video tutorial, when asking questions to viewers, should I use the pronoun "I" or "you"?
I am making a tutorial video on a programming language. During the video I want to ask questions to the audience.
My confusion is between 2 words: "I" or "you".
Let's see few ...
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How can I steer myself away from using pronouns too often as I write in 3rd person?
I noticed that I use "she", "he", and "they" - and a lot of sentences also begin with the aforementioned pronouns. How can I steer away from doing this so often as I ...
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How to avoid using "he/she/it" repetitively in action
I'm writing a zombie apocalypse genre book (yes, I know it's a heavily used and abused writing genre, but I'm writing it in my way, a way I believe is a good way). Anyway, I caught myself writing &...
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Should I use he, she, or it when referring to a bird as a metaphor for my cell phone?
I'm writing a descriptive essay about a bird, which is a metaphor of my cell phone.
So far, I have been using the pronoun "it" when describing the bird/cell phone; however, it feels awkward as the ...
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How to clarify the objects of a sentence's two pronouns?
I am trying to describe a process. There are two players in the scenario. Player A tries to find player B. If player A finds player B, then player A tags player B. Something like that.
Here is an ...
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Need A Way To Avoid Excessive Use Of Subject When Refering To Character
I'm writing a short story, and need to avoid excessive use of a subject. Using "he," "his," or "the man" will get very repetitive over time since the character has no ...
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Is it considered faulty language to use Spivak pronouns in an essay?
High school level essay to be exact, but I'd like to also know if Spivak pronouns could be used in papers or publications. Should I just rephrase everything using the one pronoun or singular they?
I'm ...
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Alternative word for "she"
I am writing about a female person. I noticed most of my sentences start with "she". Is there a way to avoid using this pronoun too many times, and use an alternative word instead?
I have tried ...
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Overuse of 'I' in a memoir
Is it acceptable to use I multiple times over and over when writing dialogue and quotes for memoirs. I have been told that if you are using quotes in dialogue that nothing is wrong. I am reading a ...
user64417
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When to use the character's name and when to use she/he?
This is the first short story where I'm using actual names for the characters. Here is a sample:
"Sorry for the question," Jun said. "But why don' you have friends?"
Ling glanced at him, then ...
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