IV-INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

171. The Forms of the Indefinite Pronouns.

(1) Many of the indefinite pronouns are compound, but no hyphen is used. The most important are one, any one, every one, some one, no one, none, one another, each other, anybody, anybody else, everybody, everybody else, nobody, nobody else, somebody, somebody else. Only a few have plurals:

You may have the large apples; I'll take the small ones. These people are rated as mere nobodies in their own community.

(2) The tendency now is to add the possessive sign to else, not to the pronoun that precedes it:

This must be somebody else's hat.

There's nobody else's hat here.

172. The Indefinite "One."

The indefinite one is a pronoun to be avoided if possible. It may usually be replaced by we, you, a man, or anybody; the possessives will then be our, your, his.

One is sometimes referred to by he, his, him; these are the forms invariably used by the best writers to refer to any one, every one, anybody, everybody, etc.:

1. When one is sure of his ground, let him go ahead. 2. Every one loves his mother.

3. If everybody would do what his conscience told him to do, he would have little to regret.

NOTE 1.-"He or she" and "his or her" are intolerably clumsy. The forms of he stand for mankind in general and include women as well as men. In the following sentence Mrs. Oliphant has herself in mind but rightly uses his:

A writer is thus prevented from determining which of his productions are to be given in a permanent form.

NOTE 2.-One another and each other are used interchangeably. The distinction given in most of the grammars is not supported by the practice of the best writers. These words are not used in the nominative case:

1. This is my commandment, that ye love one another.

2. Bear ye one another's burdens

3. And for each other's burdens flows

The sympathizing tear.

There was a time, perhaps, when one in the first sentence was in the nominative case, and another in the objective case; but both words now belong together and are felt to be in the objective case.

173. Caution.-Remember that with the exception of none, which is singular or plural, all of the indefinites are singular both in form and function. They must be referred to, therefore, by singular pronouns, and must have their predicates also in the singular. Instead of are, were, and have, we must use is, was, and has:

1. Not one in a hundred was dissatisfied.

2. Which one of you is willing to go?

3. I am sure that every one has done his best and should receive his reward.

4. Nobody but the speakers and reporters was allowed on the platform.

EXERCISE

1. Decline all of the indefinite pronouns through the singular.

2. Illustrate the three ways of avoiding the use of indefinite one.

3. Use every one as the subject of a sentence, refer to it by his, and use was as the predicate.

4. What do you think of the following sentence? I want everybody to bring his or her dictionary to class.

V-ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS

174. Relation to Adjectives.

By an adjective pronoun is meant any pronoun that may be used as an adjective. In "I want each student to read this book," each and this are adjectives because they are joined to the nouns student and book. In "This is an excellent book, and each of you should read it," This and each are pronouns in the nominative case. The most important of the adjective pronouns are each, any, other, some, either, neither, what, which, this, that, the former, the latter, several, few, many, all.

175. Differences in Use.

The words this and that, plural these and those, are often called demonstrative pronouns because they point out: this denotes something near at hand; that something further from the speaker.

Either, neither, and each are always singular: 1. Either sentence is correct, but neither is suitable.

2. Neither of us was able to help him.

3. The judge thinks that each of them is partly to blame. Either and neither are used only of two; but each may mean one of two or one of more than two. Thus Kingsley writes of three fishermen:

Each thought on the woman who loved him the best.

EXERCISES

I

Show by sentences that each of the adjective pronouns may be used as an adjective.

II

Illustrate by sentences the grammatical number of either, neither, and each.

176. How to Parse Pronouns.

To parse a pronoun, name (1) its class (whether personal, relative, interrogative, indefinite, or adjective), (2) its number, and (3) its case. Assign a reason for the case, and remember that every relative pronoun is of the same number as its antecedent.

The pronouns in the sentence, "Who told you of the trouble that I was in?" would be parsed as follows:

Who is an interrogative pronoun, singular or plural, nominative case, subject of told;

you is a personal pronoun, singular or plural, objective case, indirect object of told;

that is a relative pronoun, singular number, objective case, object of was in (See § 288, Note);

I is a personal pronoun, singular number, nominative case, subject of was.

The speaker probably intends Who to be singular; but he may mean not What person but What persons. We cannot tell. So, too, if the speaker is addressing one person, you is singular; but he may be addressing a multitude. The context will usually decide these questions.

EXERCISE

Parse the pronouns in the following selection:

The bystanders began now to look at each other, nod, wink significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads. There was a whisper, also, about securing the gun, and keeping the old fellow from doing mischief, at the very suggestion of which the self-important man in the cocked hat retired with some precipitation. At this critical moment a fresh, comely woman passed through the throng to get a peep at the gray-bearded man. She had a chubby child in her arms, which, frightened at his looks, began to cry. "Hush, Rip," cried she, "hush, you little fool; the old man won't hurt you."

The name of the child, the air of the mother, the tone of her voice, all awakened a train of recollections in his mind. "What is your name, my good woman?" asked he.

"Judith Gardenier."

"And your father's name?"

"Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it's twenty years since he went away from home with his gun,