13. When a singular noun, in the common gender (this means that it may name either a male or female being), is the antecedent of the pronoun, it is customary for us to use the masculine pronoun. For example:
- Every student should send in his examination paper promptly.
- Every member of the class may select his own subject.
Do not use the pronoun their when the antecedent is a singular noun.
SUMMARY
Pronoun—In Place of a Noun
| CLASSES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | { | Simple— | { | 1st Person, speaking. |
| Compound— | 2nd Person, spoken to. | |||
| 3rd Person, spoken of. | ||||
| Interrogative | { | To ask questions. | ||
| Who, which and what. | ||||
| Relative | { | To refer to another word and connect two statements. | ||
| Who, which, that and what. | ||||
Exercise 1
Complete the following sentences by using the correct form of I, me, or myself, in the blank spaces:
- My partner and......joined the union.
- They asked Henry and......to go.
- May my friend and......call?
- I will attend to that.......
- Let my comrade and......go with you.
- Are you sure it was......?
- I blame......for joining with them.
- They accused......of bothering them.
- I am nearly beside......with grief.
- The manager dismissed the men......among the rest.