LoginImpersonal Pronouns
This comprehensive lesson dives into Impersonal Pronouns in English, featuring detailed examples and a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Are Impersonal Pronouns?
An impersonal pronoun is one that does not refer to a specific person or thing. These pronouns are usually used to refer to an unspecified person or people in general.
English Impersonal Pronouns
There are three impersonal pronouns in English:
Let us take a look at each one of them.
'One' as an Impersonal Pronoun
"One" is used when making general statements that apply to people in general, not just a specific individual. 'One' can be used in various roles and forms within a sentence. Below are some of the common uses and placements of 'one'.
1. 'One' as the Subject
'One' is often used as the subject of a sentence. In this case, the verb follows the form for third-person singular subjects.
In this example, 'one' is the subject and it means everyone or people in general.
Tip!
Using 'one' is now considered very formal and old-fashioned. It is much more usual to use you for people in general and I when you want to refer to yourself.
2. 'One' as the Object
'One' can be used as the object of a sentence, in which case the sentence requires a transitive verb followed by 'one' as its object.
Exercising too hard can make
In this case, 'make' is a transitive verb and 'one' is its direct object.
Using 'One' as the Object of a sentence
3. 'One' as a Possessive
'One' does not have a special possessive form like the other impersonal pronouns. In order to use it as a possessive determiner, a possessive 's is added to it. Keep in mind that 'one's' is only used as possessive determiner and not a pronoun, which means it is always followed by a noun. Take a look at this example:
No one can ever replace
One's is the possessive determiner, so it will be followed by a noun (own family).
4. 'One' as a Reflexive Pronoun
The reflexive form of 'one' is 'oneself.' 'Oneself' does not refer to a specific person either and can be used to refer to a previously mentioned noun/pronoun:
One would need time to find
'Oneself' can also be used as the object of a sentence without a clear subject:
It's important to seek help for
'You' as an Impersonal Pronoun
The use of 'you' as an impersonal pronoun is known as 'generic you' in grammar. Some consider 'generic you' to be the colloquial equivalent of 'one'. Generic 'you' follows the same grammatical rules as personal 'you,' meaning it takes a plural verb and has the same form in subject and object cases. It can also form possessive and reflexive forms.
While 'you' is considered as a less formal alternative for 'one', they are not always interchangeable because there is a slight difference in their meaning. Generic 'you' means 'you and everyone in your hypothetical situation'. 'You' as an impersonal pronoun can be used to refer to:
- An unspecified person:
If
In this example, 'you' refers to an unspecified person.
- People in general:
This sentence means 'people' cannot smoke in this area.
- You and everyone else in your hypothetical situation:
This sentence means 'anyone that cannot afford to buy a car in cash.'
'They' as an Impersonal Pronoun
Impersonal 'they' is used to exclude the speaker from a generic statement and, like 'you,' follows the grammatical rules governing its personal counterpart, meaning it takes a plural verb and has distinct forms for subject (they*), object (them), possessive (their), and reflexive forms (themselves). The impersonal 'they' can refer to:
- One or more unknown person(s)
- A particular group
When 'they' is used to talk about the government or authorities, it usually bears a negative connotation, because it refers to them as people who are not one of us (normal people) and therefore do not understand us. That is why 'they' is used in conspiracy theories and songs to refer to the government, rich people, and any other minority that holds the majority of control, power, financial assets, etc.
In this example, 'they' conveys a negative feeling towards the rich.
Here, 'they' refers to a particular group of people: residents of Quebec.
Review
An impersonal pronoun is one that does not refer to a specific person or thing.
| One | You | They | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impersonal Pronouns |
is used as a |
refers to |
refers to |
Quiz:
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