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Learner33
Joined: 30 Oct 2005
Posts: 17
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 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 3:19 am Post subject: Nouns after indefinite pronouns ?Dennis Oliver |
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Hi teachers,
I know that in informal language we can use the plural possessive pronoun (their) after somebody, everybody, nobody.But do we have to use a singular or a plural noun after them e.g:
1.Everybody should bring their (passports/passport) with them.
2.Everyone had many doubts in their (mind/minds).
3.Has anyone brought their (camera/camers).
4.Nobody should leave their (bag/bags) here.
5.Everybody took their (seat/seats).
Last edited by Learner33 on Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JuanValdez
Joined: 12 Nov 2005
Posts: 70
Location: Somewhere in Middle America
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: Nouns after indefinite pronouns ? |
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| Learner33 wrote: |
Hi teachers,
I know that in informal language we can use the plural possessive pronoun (their) after somebody, everybody, nobody.But do we have to use a singular or a plural noun after them e.g:
1.Everybody should bring their (passports/passport) with them.
2.Everyone had many doubts in their (mind/minds).
3.Has anyone brought their (camera/camers).
4.Nobody should leave their (bag/bags) here.
5.Everybody took their (seat/seats). |
This is a difficult question.
All I can tell you is that #3 is camera. |
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doliver
Joined: 09 Oct 2005
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:43 pm Post subject: #2 re Nouns after indefinite pronouns? |
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Hi, Learner33.
You wrote:
| Quote: |
Hi teachers,
I know that in informal language we can use the plural possessive pronoun (their) after somebody, everybody, nobody.But do we have to use a singular or a plural noun after them e.g:
1. Everybody should bring their (passports/passport) with them.
2. Everyone had many doubts in their (mind/minds).
3. Has anyone brought their (camera/cameras)?
4. Nobody should leave their (bag/bags) here.
5. Everybody took their (seat/seats). |
You wrote:
There is no easy answer to this question.
In informal language, a plural possessive pronoun is often used after indefinite pronouns because using his or her sounds affected and too complicated. Some native English speakers would follow the plural possessive pronoun with a singular noun (even though it is illogical to have a plural form modifying a singular form) in order to agree with the indefinite pronouns (which are all singular grammatically because they refer to one or to one individual). Other native English speakers would follow the plural possessive pronoun with a plural noun (which is logical in terms of the modified item but not logical in terms of the indefinite pronoun).
One way to make everything logical is to use his or her:
1. Everybody should bring his or her passport.
2. Everyone had many doubts in his or her mind.
3. Has anyone brought his or her camera?
4. Nobody should leave his or her bag here.
5. Everybody took his or her seat.
Another way to make everything logical is to avoid the indefinite pronoun:
1. All travelers should bring their passports with them.
2. They all had many doubts in their minds.
3. Have the people in the tour group brought their cameras?
4. You shouldn't leave your bags here.
5. The passengers took their seats.
The reason this is so problematic is that English has indefinite subject pronouns but it does not have an indefinite possessive pronoun that can refer to either singular or plural nouns of either masculine or feminine gender.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I hope these comments have helped.
D. O.
_________________
Dennis Oliver
Estrella Mountain Community College
Avondale, AZ U.S.A.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu |
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