This document discusses pronouns and pronoun shifts. It defines pronouns as words that substitute for nouns to avoid repetition. Common pronouns include he, she, they, it, we, and who. The document provides examples of sentences with and without pronouns. It then explains that a pronoun shift occurs when a writer switches between pronoun types like first person to second person within a sentence, which can confuse readers. Examples are given of incorrect pronoun shifts and how to correct them. The document concludes with practice identifying pronoun shifts in sample sentences and creating an original sentence with a shift.

1. Pronouns and Pronoun Shifts

2. WHAT IS A PRONOUN?
A word or phrase that may be substituted for a
noun or noun phrase.
Without pronouns, we’d have to keep on
repeating nouns, and that would make our
speech and writing repetitive, not to mention
cumbersome.

3. PRONOUN EXAMPLES
Most pronouns are very short words. Examples include:
He
She
They
It
We
Who

4. PRONOUN EXAMPLES

5. EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES WITH PRONOUNS
Katelynn and Alyssa went to the basketball game. (No Pronouns).
She and her went to the basketball game. (She, Her= Pronouns).
They went to the basketball game. (They= Pronoun and Correct).

6. EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES WITH PRONOUNS
Seth decided that Seth did not want to have homework over the
weekend. (No Pronouns).
He decided that he did not want to have homework over the weekend.
(He= Pronouns).
Seth decided that he did not want to have homework over the
weekend. (He= Pronoun and Correct).

7. WHAT ARE THE PRONOUNS IN THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCES?
What are the problems with it?
Sarah and Katie went to the store, because they
were desperately bored at home.
What is your deal?

8. PRONOUN SHIFTS
A pronoun shift is a grammatical error in which the
author starts a sentence, paragraph, or section of a
paper using one particular type of pronoun and
then suddenly shifts to another.
This often confuses the reader.

9. MOST COMMON TYPES OF PRONOUN SHIFTS
The most common shift is from third person nouns
and pronouns (he / she / it / they) to second person
pronouns (you / your / yours). However, some
students switch between first person pronouns (I /
we / me / us / my / our) to other pronouns halfway
through a sentence or essay as well.

10. EXAMPLES OF PRONOUN SHIFTS
 WRONG! INCORRECT! When we asked the reason why we had to wear school uniforms, we learned
that you were made to wear them to look more professional.
 In the WRONG sentence, the word “we” undergoes a pronoun shift to “you” midway through the
sentence.
 CORRECTED VERSION: When we asked the reason why we had to wear school uniforms, we learned
that we were made to wear them to look more professional.

11. EXAMPLES OF PRONOUN SHIFTS
 WRONG! INCORRECT! If you eat healthy foods, most people should
be able to maintain their desired weight.
 CORRECTED VERSION: If you eat healthy foods, you should be able
to maintain your desired weight.
 OR EVEN BETTER: If everyone ate healthy foods, they should be able
to maintain their desired weight.

12. PRACTICE
What is the PRONOUN SHIFT in this sentence?
How can we correct it?
Suzanne went to the store to buy supplies for her
party. They bought balloons, cups, and plates.

13. PRACTICE
What is the PRONOUN SHIFT in this sentence?
How can we correct it?
Patrice and I were so excited to travel abroad for
the first time. We asked the hotel if you could
check in early so that you would have more time.

14. PRACTICE
Can you create your own sentence with an
incorrect pronoun shift?