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ESL forum > Ask for help > Personal Pronoun Help    

Personal Pronoun Help



hongduyen
Vietnam

Personal Pronoun Help
 
Hi colleague,
Do we use: "He, you and I have known each other for ten years" or "You, he and I have known each other for ten years" ?
Please tell me and explain why, will you? Thanks a lot!!!!

22 Aug 2011      





douglas
United States

My opinion (just an opinion!):
 
"You, he and I..."  just out of politeness.
 
As a child, I was taught that you address the listener first and the speaker last out of politeness/courtesy to the listener (and not to sound egotistical)
 
Douglas

23 Aug 2011     



ldthemagicman
United Kingdom

Dear Hongduyen,

 

"You, he and I have known each other for ten years." �

 

Confirming what Douglas has just written --- in �A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language�, Professor Randolph Quirk and others, write (page 338):

 

� ... the rule of politeness which stipulates that 1st Person Pronouns  should occur at the end ...�

 

You will know that, when we use Subject Pronouns:

        i.            The 1st Person Singular is �I�; Plural is �we�.

      ii.            The 2nd Person Singular is �you�; Plural is also �you�.

    iii.            The 3rd Person Singular is �he�, �she�, �it�; Plural is �they�.

 

On page 355, Quirk and others explain that, when there are Pronouns, (or Proper Nouns), connected by �and�, there is a particular order, which is regarded as grammatically �correct�, in formal usage.  However, these �rules� are often broken, in informal usage.

 

Rather than quote the �rules�, I have written several examples.

 

  1. You (ii) and I (i) are friends.
  2. You, (ii) Peter (iii) and I (i) are friends.  ("You, he and I have known ...�)
  3. You, (ii), Mary, (iii) Peter (iii) and I (i) are friends.
  4. Peter (iii) and I (i) are good friends.
  5. We (i) have a lot to discuss, you (ii) and I (i).
  6. Freda (iii) and I (i) have finished.  We (i) can have lunch now.
  7. You (ii) and John (iii) can stop now.  You (ii) can both have your lunch.
  8. If you, (ii) Anna (iii) and I (i) have finished, we (i) can have lunch.
  9. You, (ii) May (iii), Thomas (iii)  and their dog (iii) are in the hotel.  You (ii) can all go home together.
  10. If you (ii) and John (iii) have finished, we (i) three can all go to lunch together.
  11. If you, (ii) John (iii) and I (i) have finished, we (i) can all go to dinner together.
  12. Mary (iii) and John (iii) are ready now. They (iii) can both go to London together.
  13. She (iii) and the Italian gentleman (iii) married.  They (iii) now both live in Rome.
  14. She (iii) and he (iii) married in Naples.  They have a daughter.  The family (iii) live in Sicily.

It is possible that others may have different ideas, but I hope that I have helped you.

Les

23 Aug 2011     



hongduyen
Vietnam

Thanks you very much, Douglas and Les! You are wonderful to have such wonderful reply! Thanks again and a hug from Vietnam! Hug

25 Aug 2011