Pronoun

Question

Is there or their a pronoun?

Nashira Nash · Accepted Answer

I`m not quite sure about there but their is definitely a possessive pronoun.

Matthew.90 · Answer

there is an adverb and their is an adjective

BillJ · Answer

hartjlIs there or their a pronoun?

There can be a pronoun (and an adverb), but 'their' is not a pronoun - it's a determiner.

Pronoun: There is plenty of time'. When 'there' is used this way it's called a 'dummy pronoun', because it's meaningless.

Adverb: 'Some sheep are over there.

You can use both in the same sentence: There (dummy pronoun) are some sheep over there (adverb).

Their is a determiner (we used to call it a possessive adjective): Their house is very nice'. Here 'their' defines, or determines, which house is being described as 'very nice'.

BillJ

Philip · Answer

Nashira NashI`m not quite sure about there but their is definitely a possessive pronoun.

I've gone on record several times on these forums that I prefer to think of their as an adjective, or a determiner, reserving theirs to the status of pronoun.

Ticce · Answer

BillJbut 'their' is not a pronoun - it's a determiner.

Well, even if 'their' is a determiner, nothing hinders it from being a pronoun as well. You present it from the point of view of an English speaking person. I can tell you that, speaking another langauge than English, I would classify it as a pronoun. All in all the way you classify it depends on the terminology which you consider authoritative. Different linguists call the same things differently.

Tanit · Answer

TicceYou present it from the point of view of an English speaking person. I can tell you that, speaking another langauge than English, I would classify it as a pronoun. All in all the way you classify it depends on the terminology which you consider authoritative. Different linguists call the same things differently

Sorry for butting in here, but I'm intrigued.

Like you, I'm not a native English speaker, so I speak another language, too (and I've just started trying learning another) but in my terminology (grounded on Latin and ancient Greek, so probably biased towards Romance languages), a pronoun is a word that can be used to replace a noun, or a noun phrase, so I'd agree with Philip when he says

Philip I prefer to think of their as an adjective, or a determiner, reserving theirs to the status of pronoun.

What the definition of "pronoun" is in your language and terminology?
Just curious...

BillJ · Answer

TicceWell, even if 'their' is a determiner, nothing hinders it from being a pronoun as well. You present it from the point of view of an English speaking person. I can tell you that, speaking another langauge than English, I would classify it as a pronoun. All in all the way you classify it depends on the terminology which you consider authoritative. Different linguists call the same things differently.

Your confusing function with category. Determiner is a function, pronoun is a category. Most grammars categorize 'their' as a pronoun, but they also say that its main function is that of determiner in the noun phrase.

The revered Oxford dictionary defines 'their' as a possessive determiner.

BillJ

Ticce · Answer

BillJYour confusing function with category.

Well, Bill, it's not me who is confusing it but the guy who said this

There can be a pronoun (and an adverb), but 'their' is not a pronoun - it's a determiner.

Plus every category has its function.

BillJ · Answer

I'm quite happy to accept the definitions given in the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries, both of which neatly sidestep any classification/function conflict and simply call it a determiner. I think that's generally accepted as the most practical approach.

BillJ

Ticce · Answer

BillJI'm quite happy to accept the definitions given in the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries

I never questioned that. It's your right to be happy)))

Again, I don't think that this matter has a great practical meaning or aplication, this is why to me it is not important to prove my point. All I wanted to prove is that there are several ways of calling the same thing depending on a certain linguistic school.
The more we know the less we contend for tentative things and subjective terms. If you know only the viewpoint of the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries then this is great, still this is just what they say. There are also different opinions and dictionaries. That's all I wanted to hint to.

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