A pronoun must agree with its antecedent - the noun or pronoun that goes before it and for which it stands - in person, number, and gender. Its case depends upon the clause in which it stands.

John, whom you know well, is coming to-day. Mary, who has such a fine voice, is due to-morrow. The girl who sat in the seat with you is my sister.

In order that a relative pronoun may point clearly to its antecedent, it is best to place the pronoun just after the antecedent if possible. For example, the sentence.

A country maid was hurrying home with a can of milk upon her head which she had just brought from the dairy, is not good because which seems to refer to head. It should read:

A country maid was hurrying home, carrying upon her head a can of milk which she had just brought from the dairy.

We also need to consider carefully which word is antecedent. For example, in the sentence:

This is one of the things that feed the night fears of the natives, there may be several things that feed the fears. Things is the antecedent. From the group of things that feed we consider one. Compare:

He is one of the men who admire you.

Change the order, and you will see more clearly:

Of the men who admire you, he is one.

Exercises

214. Explain why in the following sentences the pronouns are correctly used:

1. He is one of the boys who have received prizes.

2. He is the only one of the boys who has received honorable mention.

3. Everybody must look out for himself.

4. Every one who went to the entertainment said he found it thoroughly enjoyable.

5. He is one of those English tourists who consume a good fortune in traveling.

6. Man after man said he wished to go.

7. Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy.

8. We shall be pleased to see one of our graduates who has been as successful as Mr. A.

215. Discuss the pronouns in the following sentences:

1. If one should make a col- If one should put in a book all lection of all the stories that he the stories that they hear in the hears in the cars, he would soon cars, they would soon have an en-have an entertaining book when tertaining book when they have he has the blues. the blues.

2. If any one wishes to go with me, let him [them] say so at once.

3. I wish everybody would attend to - own affairs.

4. Neither of them knows [know] what he is talking about..

5. Every member of the class gives [give] his [their] opinion.

6. A plant stood on the table which looked as if it needed water.

7. A plant, which looked as if it needed water, stood on the table.

8. A plant which stood on the table looked as if it needed water.

9. A tin can was tied to the dog's tail, which made a racket every time it struck the ground.

10. It is one of those fanciful tales that hold [holds] the interest to the end.

11. Jessica is one of the few characters in literature who forsake their [forsakes her] Jewish faith.

12. He married one of those women who always say [always says] the right thing at the right time.

216. Correct the following sentences in class:'

1. We are using Gale's Algebra in our school, a few old copies the pupils had borrowed from individuals, which are badly worn.

2. The game soon ended and was forfeited to the losers, which is the usual custom of a referee.

3. He pointed out the boy whom he, thought had touched him.

4. The boy who he pointed out asked him how far he should run.

5. If you should have in mind any persons whom you think would make good officers, I should be glad to have you send me their names.

217. Rewrite these incorrect sentences:

1. No one, it is believed, will have to leave the store without the article they had expected to purchase.

2. This habit, kept up for a long period, fixes in anyone's mind a vast fund of information that they could not acquire in any other way.

3. He asked everybody in the class how far they had read in "The Last of the Mohicans" and what they thought of it.

4. If anybody should take a trip through Cape Cod, they would see many cranberry bogs.

218. Find or write sentences in which every one, everybody, and man after man (all singular, grammatically) are used as antecedents.

219. Copy the following sentences and explain your choice of the words in parenthesis:

1. One would almost think (he was, they were) there (himself, themselves).

2. The meeting was called to order, and every man was asked (their, his) opinion.

3. He was a pleasant-looking man, one of the sort who always (appear, appears) to be on good terms with (themselves, himself) and all the world.

4. Davidson is one of those men who (holds, hold) that a youth possessed of health, strength, and good abilities should be able to unravel almost anything and everything.

5. Has anyone a book that (they, he) would like to recommend ?

6. Let every one take care of (himself, themselves).

7. Man after man (was, were) called upon to testify and admitted that (they, he) had seen the fire.

8. He was one of those men whose (mind is, minds are) small enough to hold and nurse a grudge.

9. Gray's "Elegy" is one of the best poems that (were, was) ever written.

10. Irving is one of those authors who (write, writes) with ease.

11. Every one of the pupils (were, was) hurt.

12. I wish everybody would take (their seats, his seat).

13. When anyone of his party got into serious difficulty, Hawkeye always found some way to get (them, him) out of it.

14. Grahame-White made one of those terrible dives which never (fails, fail) to win great applause from the spectators.

220. In rewriting the following sentences, select the proper case of the pronoun from the words in parenthesis, and justify your choice :

1. You may speak to (who, whom) you wish.

2. There is little hope for (he, him) (who, whom) will not help himself.

3. Mother told John and (she, her) to call on the way home.

4. (They, them) are the kind of men that we need.

5. We require more of (those, them, that) kind of cloth.

6. I know (he, him) to be the person (who, whom) you referred to.

7. He (who, whom) you seek is not here.

8. He gave John and (I, me) permission to go to the house.

9. (We, us) boys are ready to play ball.

10. Tell me (who, whom) you consider the best student.

11. If you cannot come, (who, whom) shall I ask to take your place ?

12. Is not he the man (who, whom) we urged to go with us ?

77. Ambiguity

Sometimes a careless use of pronouns leads to ambiguity or absurdity. For example:

He told us he would see him in the afternoon if he thought best.

We must make it absolutely clear to whom the pronoun refers.