Chicago Style Workout 8: Personal Pronouns

Ready for some heavy lifting?

This month’s workout, “Personal Pronouns,” centers on sections 5.38–46 of CMOS 16. Advanced editors might tackle the questions cold; learners can study those sections of the Manual before answering the questions.

Remember: The workouts are all about Chicago! If you’re an expert in MLA, AP, or New York Times style, you might be surprised to find that your instincts don’t quite match Chicago’s. That doesn’t mean that your answer is necessarily “wrong”—it just means it isn’t Chicago style.

(Subscribers to The Chicago Manual of Style Online may click through to the linked sections of the Manual. For a 30-day free trial of CMOS Online, click here.)

[Editor’s update: Minor changes to the original post reflect changes in the 17th edition. Note too that section numbers may have changed in the new edition.]

Chicago Style Workout 8: Personal Pronouns (CMOS 5.38–46)

Note: The first five questions are true/false statements based on the guidelines at CMOS 5.38–46; the last five ask you to judge whether the grammar is correct.

1. Although the second-person pronoun you is both singular and plural, it always takes a plural verb, even if only a single person or thing is addressed.
a.
b.
2. Only the third-person singular pronouns may directly express gender.
a.
b.
3. All pronouns express both number and gender.
a.
b.
4. If a prepositional phrase contains more than one personal-pronoun object, then all the objects must be in the objective case {Will you send an invitation to him and me?}.
a.
b.
5. Though technically correct, the nominative pronoun often sounds pedantic or eccentric to the modern ear {Was that he on the phone?}.
a.
b.
6. Rupert and she have decided to start up a start-up.
a.
b.
7. My sister looks more like him than she looks like me.
a.
b.
8. Whoever left their coat on the bus can pick it up in the office.
a.
b.
9. This argument is strictly between her and me.
a.
b.
10. Taylor and he worked on this for six months before handing it over to Sergei, Barb, and I.
a.
b.

 

Previous Chicago Style Workouts

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P.S. We welcome discussion! Please use the comments feature below.
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Photo: Coronado, Calif. (June 22, 2003), Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) students. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Eric S. Logsdon, 030622-N-3953L-106.

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