Ever had a tiny pebble in your shoe?
You walk on because the pebble is so tiny, you hardly feel it. You don’t want to untie your shoelaces, take off your shoe, remove the tiny pebble, and then put your shoe back on. Too much hassle.
But after a while, the tiny pebble gets more irritating.
Should you stop walking and remove the pebble?
In writing, silly mistakes with pronouns are like that tiny pebble. They irritate your readers. They may stop and check what those little words refer to. Or they might read on without understanding the meaning of your sentence. Whatever your reader decides to do, you’re making a bad impression because your bumpy writing is slowing your readers down.
Want to create a smooth reading experience?
Let’s look at the most common mistakes with pronouns confusing your readers.
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are words like me, she, him, it, we, you, mine, her, our, himself, who, and whichever. These words refer to a person or a thing without mentioning it by name; and that’s exactly why sometimes problems arise.
As a writer, you need to make it absolutely crystal-clear to whom or what the pronoun refers.
Shall we have a look how pronouns trip up your readers?
1. The most irritating mistake with pronouns
When writing, we know what we want to communicate.
But sometimes we forget that our readers don’t know our story yet. They discover the story sentence by sentence.
And that’s why writing can be tricky. We know what we mean. But our readers get confused.
For instance:
Ms Grammar tells us the above sentence contains three pronouns:
- The first pronoun is “your.” As I’m writing to you, you know whom “your readers” refers to. That’s fine.
- The second pronoun is “them.” The phrase “requiring them” follows closely after “your readers,” and it’s pretty clear “them” refers back to “your readers.” So that’s okay, too.
- The third pronoun is “they.” The use of “they” here is a potential tiny pebble because in first instance you may think “they” refers to the same people as “them” a couple of words before. Once you’ve finished reading the sentence, you realize “they” refers to “pronouns” rather than to “your readers.” You can improve this sentence by specifying the word “they,” so your readers don’t get a sore toe:
Another common problem arises when a pronoun refers to something following later on in the sentence. As the reader doesn’t know what’s coming you leave him guessing until he’s read the remainder of the sentence. For instance:
The beginning of this sentence is confusing because we don’t know who “them” are until we read “readers” later on. Solve the problem by mentioning “readers” first:
To avoid irritating your readers with tiny pebbles in your sentences, check whether it’s clear what each pronoun refers to.
2. A common mistake with “I” and “we”
Have you ever had a hole in your sock?
As you’re wearing shoes, nobody sees the hole in your sock, so it doesn’t matter. But it becomes embarrassing when you have to take your shoes off in public. Perhaps at airport security. Or at the doctor’s.
Beginning freelancers and one-man bands often want to hide their status as solo-flyers—just like that hole in their socks—as if running your solo-biz on your own isn’t good enough. Don’t you need assistants? And colleagues? And other people doing the work for you? On their Home pages and About pages, they use “we” instead of “I.”
When I started working as a freelance copywriter, I thought people would be impressed if I sounded like I was a real business. I also fell in the trap of using “we.” But I discovered people hired me because of who I was, not because I was pretending to be a bigger business.
So, let’s be clear. If you’re a solo flyer, refer to yourself as “me” and “I.” But if you’re a team, feel free to use “we,” as Copyblogger do on their About page:
Write your content as if you’re having a face-to-face conversation with your favorite client. Refer to “you” and to “I.”
And don’t be embarrassed for running a solo-biz. Be proud.
3. A sneaky sense of self-importance
In face-to-face conversations, we automatically use the word “you” to engage our conversation partners.
With writing, however, we can’t see the person we’re writing for; and that’s how a sense of self-importance often sneaks into our content— as if we want to say, “look at me and my expensive new shoes.”
For instance:
Note how “we” and “our” are both self-referring pronouns. Here’s how to focus on your reader instead:
To spot self-important sentences, look for the sentences with “I” and “we.” See whether you can focus on your reader instead.
Focusing on your reader makes good business sense. When AwayFind, for instance, changed their subhead from the self-important “Let us find your urgent messages” to the you-focused “Get away from your inbox—let urgent message through the clutter and find you … instantly,” sign ups increased by 91%.
A good writer engages her readers—even when she can’t see them. She writes a little about herself, and she remembers to address you, personally.
4. Feeble pronouns
Imagine you go out for a walk with a friend.
And your friend has a tiny pebble in her shoe. She doesn’t want to stop. But she keeps complaining about the pebble and her sore toe. Instead of enjoying the beautiful sunshine, you listen to her endless grumbling.
Feeble pronouns, like “it” and “there,” are like that endless grumbling. These pronouns don’t confuse your readers, but they weaken your sentences, and they can spoil a pleasurable reading experience.
The following sentences sound feeble:
There’s no hope for lazy bloggers.
It’s easy to trip up readers when using the wrong pronouns.
It’s hard work to write a blog post every week. But it’s also fun.
And this is how you make your sentences punchier:
No hope exists for lazy bloggers.
Tripping up readers is easy when using the wrong pronouns.
Writing a weekly blog post is hard work. But it’s also fun.
In the last sentence, it refers back to writing a weekly blog post, so here the reference is clear.
A good writer is a good guide
Take your reader by the hand.
Imagine he doesn’t know your story yet. So tell him precisely what you mean, and avoid all ambiguity.
Good writers communicate with piercing precision.
PS Thank you to Aaron Orendorff for inspiring this blog post.
More grammar tips for people who hate grammar:
Why adverbs stink (and when they don’t)
4 subtle mistakes with verbs that make readers yawn
How to use the passive voice correctly
Hi Henneke,
Your article helped me a lot to improve my writing skills. I realized how silly mistakes can ruin up a great piece of writing.
Thank you for this great post.
However, I want to know that how this effects business writing? Currently, I am writing for a software business company. They mostly use words like businesses, admins, and all instead of you. How can I convince them to write like this? As to change someone’s writing policy is a tough challenge. Writing as per this software company’s guideline and process, does not helping me to create better piece. I can’t leave them though. So, can you help me with this?
You can present examples to a client of what you think would be more appropriate for them, or create two versions of a text to show them the difference.
However, with clients, you have to pick your fights and ask yourself what’s worth battling about. After all, it’s their copy, their brand, their money, and if they don’t want to listen to an expert, that’s their right. If it feels too hard to work according to a client’s requirements, look for a different client. This is also why it’s also good to write for yourself (or your own blog), so you can write what feels good to you, do your best work, and continue to find joy in writing.
Hi Henneke,
Thank you for your guidance. I tried to convince the client by creating two versions of an article and compare them. However, as I said before, they did not want to change their writing policy. So, I left them and started looking for another client. Today, I am happy with the decision I made.
Thank you again. And keep providing such great piece of writing.
Hi Mandip
That sounds like the right decision. I hope you’ll find another client soon—a client you enjoy working with and who values your work.
Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Henneke,
You pointed out some important but often overlooked mistakes.
I like the examples you used to explain the mistakes, and the solutions are simple and actionable. Thanks for sharing.
Also I agree on the use of “we”. I have noticed many one-man-shows doing like that. I assume maybe that’s because they’re also taking into account the people they work with like freelancers, JVs etc. Then again, I’d rather they use “I”. It makes your business personal.
Thanks,
Mickiyas B. (bloggingMick)
Thank you for writing this post. The examples helped me understand how important it is in writing a sentence to have a meaningful and interesting flow for the reader.
Yep, that’s right the flow of each sentence is important for keeping readers engaged.
Thank you for stopping by, Marti!
Hi Henneke,
I was just writing a post and used the word them. Your post came to mind and I changed it to be more precise.
I’ve always heard IM is about helping people. I thought you’d like to know that you are helping me become a more precise writer.
Barry
Great! I love reading comments like this 🙂
Your Call To Action example is an eye opener. Just realized I’ve focused too much on me instead of my readers!
Thank you.
You’re not the only one. I see a lot of people doing the “we” instead of the “you” version.
Happy writing!
Thank you
I always find your ‘before and after’ examples really helpful, Henneke. Your samples bring the point home!
Thank you, Fiona. I love using examples, but you knew that already 🙂
Grammar is so important and often neglected! Great review on the use of pronouns!
Thank you, Kathleen!
I love your wisdom that I can be enough! I am off to change my ‘we’ pronouns because let’s face facts, if anyone hires me, they hire me and not a team of ‘we’s!
I really enjoy your posts Henneke, but this (fanfare) is my first comment.
🙂
That’s great!
Thank you for stopping by, Hatty. I appreciate it, especially as it’s your first comment! 🙂
Henneke, Hi. You were recommended by an ardent follower, James McNish at ‘One Crazy Apple’. Like the blog immensely, particularly the sneaky sense of self-importance. Completely not up to your standards, but I penned a blog about the email culture and the use of the word ‘I’. You can find it on my linkedIn profile
Keep blogging, they’re great
Piers
Great minds think alike 🙂
Nice to meet you, Piers!
Hi Henneke,
Great post.
I’m a solo entrepreneur in Brazil, trying to impress my customers and they don’t know I run a solo-biz. I use “we” all the time and, after reading your post, I feel a bit embarrassed for not using “I”.
Don’t feel embarrassed. Most of us have done the same. Change it, and see how it sounds?
Hi Henneke,
Another great post!
I took a look at my posts and realized I was guilty of pronoun “sins”.
I’ll have to spend some time cleaning up my writing.
Thank you for this valuable post.
Marie
Don’t feel too bad about these “sins.” Everyone makes the same “mistakes.” You might want to correct a few popular posts, but don’t feel you need to redo all of them! You also want to find time for writing a new post 🙂
Great post, Henneke! As always, I love your clear, engaging style and the sense of fun that shines through your examples. Going to print this one out and keep it in my “Read, Enjoy, Apply, Repeat” pile until I’m sure #3 and #4 come naturally. 🙂
Thank you, Dara. In my experience, #3 becomes natural over time, but #4 is one I have to keep watching out for. Happy writing!
I’ve got your blog on RSS and read almost every one of your blog posts.
I’ve got both of your books on Kindle and read and reread sections of them.
I’m in love with your art work.
I’ve got to tell my wife.
I’m sure your wife will be okay with it, Stan. 🙂
🙂
Pronouns? Tricky? That’s weird…. so so weird!
Writing is weird, isn’t it?
Yes! I’ve got some rubbish i need to change else my life ruins. Thanks for this “weird” eye opener.
Henneke – you just ruined my day! I checked how I use “it” and “there” in a few of my writings, and I am guilty as charged. I will spend the next few days cleaning up.
Last week you asked why your readers read your blog. My reason is you seem to have the inside track on literary insight. Thanks again for another useful blog.
Paul
I’m so sorry for ruining your day, Paul! Watch out for “it” and “there” at the beginning of your sentences. The ones in the middle are usually okay.
And I probably need to make time to clean up a few old blog posts, too. But I rather write new ones 😉
I was doing my usual “skim” thing … and this sentence stopped me in my tracks:
“Have you ever had a hole in your sock?”
Talk about the enchanting power of pronouns … and mysterious, simple QUESTIONS!
I had to dig in.
And you’re so right:
“When I started working as a freelance copywriter, I thought people would be impressed if I sounded like I was a real business. I also fell in the trap of using “we.” But I discovered people hired me because of who I was, not because I was pretending to be a bigger business.”
What a great two-for-one insight on (yes) pronouns … but (more so) authenticity!
Ha! Skimming isn’t allowed here, didn’t you know? 🙂
Hi Henneke,
Another rock solid post down. You can’t imagine how much my writing has improved by following your tips and posts.
This issue with pronouns is so tricky. Sometimes in abid to sound professional, we use too many pronouns.
I have become better at spotting these mistakes.
Thanks a lot, Henneke.
I’m glad to hear my posts are helping you to improve your writing, Ruth. That’s why I write 🙂
Food for thought and digesting for sure, Henneke, love it. So much is in the written word, and it is an art to make written expressions easily digestible without confusion. Thanks for this valuable lesson. Tweaking is the name of the game!
Yep, tweaking is a good word! A few tweaks can make a big difference.
Good to see you again, Elvire 🙂
Pronouns can spoil our writing if used excessively.
We need to practice to write according to the superb examples given by Henneke.
Thank you Henneke for this nice lesson.
Thank you, Singaravelu! 🙂
Hi,
You always give me some things to think about Henneke. I have been guilty of the I and we power trip. I thought only me was not good enough. Now I am proud to be solo.
Isn’t it eye opening how one and two letter words can effect the entire blog. My take way from this writing is that each and every word counts when writing. Pronouns included.
It’s easy for a writer to assume that the reader knows what the writer means but that assumption can be a killer. As you so adeptly point out.
When I first started I sat down wrote my blog went over it for errors and hit publish. Maybe 45 minutes maximum. Now I try to “take my reader by the hand” and be precise. It takes time.
Since I started reading you and other very good bloggers it now takes me more hours to publish than I am willing to admit here. I have come to the conclusion that “No hope exist for lazy bloggers”.
Your image at the top is great. I love it. If you every get tired of this internet thing I think you could be well with your art.
Thanks again, Henneke.
Barry
Yes, it’s true that good writing takes time. But when you write more and settle into a structured way of writing, then you can speed up the process quite a lot. (I’ve also find that the more I write, the more critical I get, so that makes me slow down a little again ;-)).
Thank you for your compliment on my drawing. 🙂
Hi Henneke,
” You can improve this sentence by specifying “them,” so your readers don’t get a sore toe:”
Shouldn’t “them” be “they” (the third pronoun in your example above) ?
Justin Case
Yep, you’re right. I tripped myself up 🙁
Now corrected.
An informative post Henneke particularly on Feeble pronouns.
Most About pages are all “we” and “us” orientated – hardly a word about what they can do for their potential customer.
Cheers
Mark
Yep, so true. As default, we write from our own perspective. We need to practice discipline and focus to take our reader’s perspective.
Thank you for stopping by, Mark!
Hey Henneke,
Excellent post.
As I was reading this, I couldn’t help think of all the pronouns I’ve used that has weakened my writing. Particularly the “it” and “there”. Those really do make sentences sound feeble and weak.
Thanks so much for this lesson. It’s amazing how these little things can make a world of difference.
Have an excellent day and week.
– Andrew
Yeah, little things can make a surprisingly big difference to our writing. But it’s true in life in general, isn’t it? Removing that little stain from a shirt. Hanging a painting straight. Details matter 🙂
Thank you for stopping by again!
Terrific post, Henneke.
Ever since your blogging course last year, I’ve been looking for any sentences I’ve started with “It’s” and “There”. That tip (#4) works a treat.
Also, just wanted to say how fantastic your 2015 blogging course was. Signing up was easily the best decision I made last year.
Thank you for all your help.
Thank you, Richard. 🙂
Almost everyone starts a lot of sentences with “it” or “there.” I do, too, but I’ve trained myself to re-arrange them when editing (or even while writing my first draft when I notice it).
Happy blogging!
Hello Henneke,
Thanks for such a helpful post. I never realized these pronouns would be so damaging. The examples are very clear and now I know how to make my writing smoother.
Also, loved the shoe/sock metaphor 😉
All the best, Virginia
P.S. Amsterdam’s guide is now live in case you get a chance to visit the city soon 🙂
I’ll have to check out your guide to see what I have to do next time I’m in Amsterdam! Thank you for the tip 🙂
Brilliant. Simple and useful as always. Thank you!
Thank you, Kathy 🙂
Wow! What a post. I never realized pronouns could be so tricky. Thanks for the lesson.
You’re welcome, Priya. Happy writing! 🙂