A Student's Introduction to English Grammar

§8.3 Inflection 105

Prescriptive grammar note

Usage manuals vary considerably in their attitude to semantically singular they. The more

factually based ones treat it as acceptable, recognising that it has been in the language for

several hundred years, used by writers of impeccable standing - Chaucer, Shakespeare,

Milton, Austen, Wilde, and large numbers of other authors. The more conservative man­

uals, however, insist that the conflict between the primarily plural form and the singular

meaning makes this use of they incorrect. In fact there are manuals still in print that

directly recommend the use of he. But defenders of this advice must face an awkward

question: why should an extension from plural to singular sense for they be unacceptable,

if extension from masculine to sex-neutral sense for he is supposed to be all right?

We don't think there is any way to answer this question, or to defend the conservative

position. Semantically singular they is well established in fine literature and completely

natural in both conversation and writing.

8.3 Inflection

The personal pronouns exhibit a greater amount of inflectional variation

than other nouns. In the first place there is a distinction between reflexive and

non-reflexive forms, and secondly they have up to four different case-forms. The

following table displays in full the forms of the central personal pronouns.

[53] NON-REFLEXIVE REFLEXIVE

Nominative Accusative Genitive Plain

Plain Dependent Independent

I I me my mine myself

II you you your yours yourself

III he he him his himself

IV she she her her hers herself

v it it its itself

VI we we us our ours ourselves

vii you you your yours yourselves

viii they they them their theirs themselves

Reflexive forms

The reflexive pronouns have two main uses: one where they function as complement,
and an emphatic use where they function as modifier in clause or NP structure:

[5 4 ] COMPLEMENT USE

a. Sue hurt herself.

ii a. Sue was talking to herself.

EMPHATIC USE

b. Sue designed the house herself.

b. Sue herself admitted it was a mistake.