Pronouns

Use pronouns carefully so that readers and translators can easily understand what you mean.

A pronoun is a word or group of words that can be used instead of a noun or noun phrase. English has many types of pronouns, including the following:

• Personal pronouns, such as "I," "we," "you," "he," "she," "they," "them," "it."
• Demonstrative pronouns, such as "this," "that," "these," "those."
• Relative pronouns, such as "who," "which," "what," "that."

tip

Most of these guidelines and examples are based on The Global English Style Guide by John R. Kohl, which is an excellent style reference.

📄️ Third-person (inanimate) pronouns

Use the pronouns "it," "they," and "them" unambiguously for inanimate objects.

📄️ Demonstrative pronouns

Use demonstratives only as adjectives that modify a noun.

📄️ Relative pronouns

Avoid ambiguity when using the relative pronouns "which," "that," and "who."