Pronouns

[Mateo]

So my english teacher is trying to teach us pronouns and that other thing that has to do with them that I currently forgot the name of. (Pronouns and what the pronoun is replacing.) Basically, what I've been taught so far tells me that if certain words are used, you need to make the sentence make as little sense as possible by replacing the pronoun with a different one.

Example: "Each of the daughters followed their mother." Isn't really grammatically correct. You would actually have to say "Each of the daughters followed her mother." Which is grammatically correct.

Does anyone see or understand why? I mean, to me that makes it seem as though each of the daughters followed some random separate girls mother. I would think since it's group ownership you would use a plural form to express that every daughter in the group had the same mother.

Just thought I'd share that rather interesting thing I'd learned, since most people here seem to love grammar so very much.

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[Ethan]

Pronouns are stupid. It's like trying to be all technical and politically correct. Just like how cooking class is now called 'Food Technology', and those things you throw people when they are drowning are now called 'Flotation Devices'.

[Mateo]

Pronouns are stupid. It's like trying to be all technical and politically correct. Just like how cooking class is now called 'Food Technology', and those things you throw people when they are drowning are now called 'Flotation Devices'.

Lol. Throwing things at drowning people doesn't sound very nice.

[Rughugger]

Example: "Each of the daughters followed their mother." Isn't really grammatically correct. You would actually have to say "Each of the daughters followed her mother." Which is grammatically correct.

Because the first word of the sentence gives it away. It tells us that the sentence is talking about each individual daughter, not all of them as a whole. If Each was replaced with All, then the first sentence would be correct.

[Mateo]

Because the first word of the sentence gives it away. It tells us that the sentence is talking about each individual daughter, not all of them as a whole. If Each was replaced with All, then the first sentence would be correct.

I understand that but the way it's worded is misleading. D:! It just sounds wrong.

[Rughugger]

It's the English language. You'll find a lot of that in there. It's pretty much a cluster-forget of words we take from other languages mushed together into one whole mess.

Also, it's totally okay to end a sentence in a preposition. That rule only applies to languages based on Latin. English is a Germanic derivative and they do that all the time. Don't let them mislead you! :o

[Kalphiter]

"Each of the daughters followed their mother."


"Each of the daughters" can be replaced by "they".
What if it was replaced with she?


She followed her mother. Then it's just one person.

[Rughugger]

"Each of the daughters followed their mother."


"Each of the daughters" can be replaced by "they".
What if it was replaced with she?


She followed her mother. Then it's just one person.

Yes, but the point of the sentence was to show how tricky speaking English can be. Each is used in the same context as you use She, so that is why that sentence is still grammatically correct because it's dealing with each of the daughters on an individual level but including them all at the same time.

[Kalphiter]

Yes, but the point of the sentence was to show how tricky speaking English can be. Each is used in the same context as you use She, so that is why that sentence is still grammatically correct because it's dealing with each of the daughters on an individual level but including them all at the same time.

What? I stopped reading awhile ago.

[Packer]

English is the hardest Language on Earth, when you grow up with English you get told when your not doing it right so it becomes natural to correctly order and use correct words in a sentence. I however couldn't give a toss if I'm speaking or spelling correctly, as long as we can understand what you're saying then its good.

The only time I've seen hardcore uses of "Pronouns" is in the Public service or in a Résumé.