THE GOVERNMENT

Pronouns
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns helps you avoid unnecessary repetition in
your writing and speech. In the sentence “Although Manila is crowded, it is my favorite city,” the pronoun “it” replaces
“Manila” so that the city’s name does not have to be repeated. A pronoun gets its meaning from the noun it replaces
or refers to. This noun is called the pronoun’s antecedent. In the example above, it is the pronoun and Manila its
antecedent.
Be clear what the antecedent of a pronoun is, to avoid confusion. See the following sentence:
The article in the journal was well regarded by the academic community, partly because it is
distinguished and has received many accolades.
What “it” refers to is not immediately clear. Is it the article, the journal, or the academic community? The sentence
can be revised this way:
The article in the journal was well regarded by the academic community, partly because the
journal is distinguished and has received many accolades.
Personal pronouns and contractions. Do not confuse them. Personal pronouns (its) never have an apostrophe, while
contractions (it’s) always have an apostrophe. Here are some pronouns and contractions that are often mixed up:
its / it’s (it is or it was)
your / you’re (you are)
their / they’re (they are)
whose / who’s (who is)
I / me. In these sentences, the pronouns I and me are misused.
The memo was addressed to you and I.
You and me will be going north this summer.
How to know if you are using them correctly? The Chicago Manual of Style offers a helpful tip: check by using the
pronoun on its own. In the first sentence, it would be wrong to say, “The memo was addressed to I.” And so the
correct pronoun is me. As for the second sentence, we would not say, “Me will be going north this summer.” The
right pronoun is I.
Who, whoever / whom, whomever. “Who” and “whoever” are pronouns that perform the action in a sentence,
while “whom” and “whomever” are pronouns that receive action.
If a question is confusing, rewrite it as a sentence to check if the pronoun will perform or receive the action. “Who
is on the phone?” can be rewritten as “He is on the phone”: “He” is performing the action in the sentence. “To whom
do we send the package?” can be restated as “Let us send the package to him”: “him” here receives the action.
Who has met Manny Pacquaio?
Whom do we send to meet the ambassador?
Whoever committed the crime will pay.
Whomever you talk to, be sure to ask for a receipt.
STYLE GUIDE FOR THE GOVERNMENT
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