Personal Pronouns
A pronoun stands in for a noun. One of the two features that identifies personal pronouns is case. Case is the function of the pronoun in a sentence. There are three types of cases: subject, object, and possessive. They also help with the flow of writing. Imagine reading a paragraph without pronouns! It would be terribly difficult to read due to the consistent barrage of reminders of who is the main character. During moments of the main character speaking to themself, it could seem as if they have a split personality or even an ego problem. No one says their own name so much, even when thinking.
If you lack imagination, here is an excerpt taken from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” By J.K. Rowling, where I have edited the pronouns to nouns.
“On the whole, Harry thought [Harry] was to be congratulated on [Harry’s] idea of hiding here. [Harry] was not, perhaps, very comfortable lying on the hot, hard earth, but on the other hand, [neither Harry’s aunt nor cousin] was glaring at [Harry], grinding [the teeth that belong to Harry’s aunt and uncle] so loudly that [Harry] could not hear the news, or shooting nasty questions at [Harry], as had happened every time [Harry] had tried sitting down in the living room and watching television with [Harry’s] aunt and uncle.” (Pg. 17).
In some instances there is pronoun confusion in writing because most likely there will be characters of the same gender speaking with one another.
Example:
He gave him a concerned look.
In this example, it is uncertain of which boy is concerned and which boy is concerning. In these cases authors should be careful and take the time to make it clear when characters of the same gender interact.
Discussion question:
In sentences such as “He gave him a high-five.”, where it does not matter which person initiates an action because both characters are completing the action, does it matter if the characters are specified? Why or why not?