Here's a breakdown:
Person:
* First Person: "I," "we," "me," "us"
* Second Person: "You," "your," "yours"
* Third Person: "He," "she," "it," "they," "him," "her," "them"
Number:
* Singular: "I," "he," "she," "it"
* Plural: "We," "they," "you"
Gender:
* Masculine: "He," "him," "his"
* Feminine: "She," "her," "hers"
* Neutral: "It," "they," "them"
Example of Pronoun Shift:
* Incorrect: "The team practiced hard, and they knew he would win the game." (The pronoun "he" doesn't agree with "team," which is plural. It should be "they".)
* Correct: "The team practiced hard, and they knew they would win the game."
Why Pronoun Shift Matters:
Pronoun shifts can create confusion and make writing sound awkward. They can also lead to misinterpretations of meaning.
How to Avoid Pronoun Shift:
* Be consistent: Use the same person, number, and gender throughout a sentence or paragraph.
* Identify the noun or pronoun being replaced: Make sure the pronoun agrees with its antecedent (the word it refers to).
* Pay attention to collective nouns: Words like "team," "group," and "committee" can be singular or plural depending on the context.
By understanding and avoiding pronoun shifts, you can ensure your writing is clear, concise, and grammatically correct.