Two Pronoun Rules Adults Always Break

Here are the mistakes English-speaking adults make the most.

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Pronouns can be the easiest and most confusing part of speech to use.

Their rules are simple, but there are a lot of them.

This is why pronouns are one of the topics I’m constantly reviewing with my students.

However, there are only two that are broken the most (for most people).

Here’s what they are:

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The 2 Most Common Pronoun Mistakes

Number Agreement

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“Everyone” is a type of pronoun called an indefinite pronoun, and many people make number mistakes with it.

For example, they’ll say, “Everyone brought their meals in a lunchbag.”

This may sound correct, but it isn’t because the word “everyone” is singular and it has to agree with its antecedent (in this case, “their”).

So, the sentence should be: “Everyone brought his/her meals in a lunchbag.”

Other pronouns that are always singular are: someone, nobody, anything, each, either, neither, and one.

Here are some more examples of how to use them correctly:

“Anything is possible.”

“Nobody owes me any money.”

“Each is $5.”

Plural

Additionally, there are certain pronouns which are always plural.

• They are: Both, few, many, others, several.

Here are some examples of how to use them:

“Both are on sale.”

“Few fit my feet.”

“Several are on sale.”

Both

And while we’re on the topic, there is a group of pronouns that can be either singular or plural, depending on the context.

Many people make mistakes with these as well.

• The pronouns are: All, any, more, most, none, some.

Here are some examples:

Used as singular: None of the pie is eaten.

Used as a plural: None of the kids are coming.

Subject and Object Pronouns

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There are subject and object pronouns, and a common mistake people make is mixing the two up.

For example, some people will say, “Me and Kyle are going to be late.”

This is wrong because “me” is an object pronoun. The right pronoun for this sentence should be “I.”

Here’s what it should look like: “Kyle and I are going to be late.”

However, a mistake that’s made more often is when people use a subject in place of an object.

For example, some people will say, “Are you coming with Brad and I?”

This is wrong because “I,” in this case, is a subject used in the place of an object.

So, the correct sentence should look like this: “Are you coming with Brad and me?”

Conclusion

These are the two most common pronoun mistakes speakers make without realizing it.

If you would like to practice the rules to prevent yourself from making these mistakes, check out my grammar workbooks.

You’ll learn grammar rules with the lessons and practice them with the exercises.

You can learn more about them here.