[i.] A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person, gender, and number, but not in case.
- Right: I, who am older, know better.
- Right: Tell me, who am older, your trouble.
- Right: Many a man has saved himself by counsel.
Exercise:
- I am as old as (he, him). They may be pluckier than (we, us). Nobody is less conceited than (she, her).
- He gave help to (whoever, whomever) wanted it. The girls (who, whom) they say have the worst taste are on a committee to select the class pin.
- Four of (we, us) boys were left without a cent. That is a good investment for her cousin and (she, her).
- It was (he, him). It is (they, them). The sole occupants of the car were his chum and (he, him).
- I had not heard of (his, him) being sick. She does not approve of (our, us) being late to dinner. (They, them) who labor now the Master will reward.
[Number]
[51a.] Each, every, every one, everybody, anybody, either, neither, no one, nobody, and similar words are singular.
- Wrong: Everybody did their best.
- Right: Everybody did his best.
- Wrong: Each of my three friends were there.
- Right: Each of my three friends was there.
- Wrong: Either of the candidates are capable of making a good officer.
- Right: Either of the candidates is capable of making a good officer.
[b.] Do not let this or that when modifying kind or sort be attracted into the plural by a following noun.
- Wrong: He knew nothing of those kind of activities.
- Right: He knew nothing of that kind of activities.
- Wrong: I never did like these sort of post cards.
- Right: I never did like this sort of post cards.
[c.] Collective nouns may be regarded as singular or plural, according to the meaning intended.