Pronouns Edit

Highlight: Ensure that a pronoun clearly refers to its antecedent.

A pronoun is a word that is used as a substitute for a noun or a noun phrase, which are contextually understood. Pronouns are used so that a particular noun isn’t repeatedly used.

Personal pronouns

Avoid using personal pronouns such as I, we, us, our, and ours except in the following contexts:

  • Questions in FAQs.
  • A document whose author makes comments in the first person.
  • Using we to refer your organization or team, after using its name for the first time.

Use second person (you) instead of first-person pronouns.

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Pronouns and genders

Don’t use gender-specific pronouns unless the person being referred actually uses that gender. If you’re unsure which gender-specific pronoun to use, rewrite the sentence using second person (you).

Use gender-neutral pronouns while particularly avoiding binary pronouns such as he, him, she, her, or renditions like s/he, he/she, or (s)he.
Instead, use they as a gender-neutral pronoun.

First try to rewrite the sentence—for example, by using the plural form, omitting the pronoun, replacing the pronoun with an article, or repeating the noun.

Examples

Not recommended: Contact the administrator using his or her email address.

Recommended (Using the plural form): Contact the administrator using their email address.

Recommended (Omitting the pronoun): Contact the administrator by email address.

Recommended (Replacing pronoun with article): Contact the administrator using an email address.

Recommended (Repeating the noun): Contact the administrator using the administrator’s email address.

If revising a sentence isn’t feasible, use they, their, or them as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun.

Not recommended: Once a visitor submits his or her comment, WordPress follows your preferences and either holds the comment for your approval or posts it immediately.

Recommended: Once a visitor submits their comment, WordPress follows your preferences and either holds the comment for your approval, or posts it immediately.

Whether used as singular or plural, they always takes the plural verb.

Recommended: When visitors comment on your blog, they too get cookies stored on their computer.

For more guidelines about writing using gender-neutral pronouns, see Writing about genders and they, their, them.

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Relative pronouns

Be careful while using relative pronouns such as who, that, and which.
That and which don’t mean exactly the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably.

Examples

Not recommended: The folder that is blue can be used.

This sentence describes a specific blue folder that can be used. That introduces a restrictive clause and isn’t preceded by a comma.
Recommended: The folder, which is blue can be used.

This sentence describes a blue folder from a group of folders can be used. Which introduces a non-restrictive clause and is preceded by a comma.

Use who while referring to people instead of that. The possessive of who, whose can also be used for people, animals, and things.
Examples

Not recommended: Contact the developer that fixed the error.

Recommended: Contact the developer who fixed the error.

Recommended: Refer the guide whose elements are cited.

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Pronouns and collective nouns

Avoid using pronouns like they for collective nouns. For example, team would take a singular pronoun. Rewrite the sentence using the appropriate pronouns.

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Possessive pronouns

Don’t use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns.

Examples

Not recommended: The website is your’s.

Recommended: The website is yours.

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Ambiguities using pronouns

Ensure that the pronoun you’re using is referencing its antecedent (the noun that it’s replacing) clearly.

Examples

Not recommended: Create a new post with the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. You can see it on the blog page.

Recommended: Create a new post with the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party, You can see the post on the blog page.

Not recommended: The WordPress codebase can be accessed using SubversionSVN Apache Subversion (often abbreviated SVN, after its command name svn) is a software versioning and revision control system. Software developers use Subversion to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation. Its goal is to be a mostly compatible successor to the widely used Concurrent Versions System (CVS). WordPress core and the wordpress.org released code are all centrally managed through SVN. https://subversion.apache.org/. and GitGit Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. Git is easy to learn and has a tiny footprint with lightning fast performance. Most modern plugin and theme development is being done with this version control system. https://git-scm.com/.. Its repository is located at git://develop.git.wordpress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org//.

Recommended: The WordPress codebase can be accessed using SubversionSVN Apache Subversion (often abbreviated SVN, after its command name svn) is a software versioning and revision control system. Software developers use Subversion to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation. Its goal is to be a mostly compatible successor to the widely used Concurrent Versions System (CVS). WordPress core and the wordpress.org released code are all centrally managed through SVN. https://subversion.apache.org/. and GitGit Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. Git is easy to learn and has a tiny footprint with lightning fast performance. Most modern plugin and theme development is being done with this version control system. https://git-scm.com/.. The git repository is located at git://develop.git.wordpress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org//.

Not recommended: Toggle this to on.

Recommended: Toggle this button to on.

Use optional pronouns, such as that and who, to avoid ambiguity and clarify meaning in sentences.

Examples

Not recommended: Create the new post you want to see on the blog page.

Recommended: Create the new post that you want to see on the blog page.

Not recommended: Select the file you want to copy.

Recommended: Select the file that you want to copy.

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