Shift in Person

Practice 1

Cross out the inconsistent pronouns in the following sentences and write the correct form of the
pronoun above the crossed-out word.

1. Ron refuses to eat pepperoni pizza because he says it gives you indigestion.
2. When I buy lipstick or nail polish, you never know how the colour will actually look.
3. All you could hear was the maddening rattle of the heating registers, even though I buried my
face in the pillow.
4. Hank searched the roadside mailboxes for the right name, but you couldnt see much in the
pouring rain.
5. As we pulled on the heavy door, you could tell it wasnt going to budge.
6. Many people are ignorant of the side effects that diets can have on your health.
7. Could someone volunteer their services to clean up after the party?
8. If people dont like what the government is doing, you should let Congress know.
9. Rita never buys a dress with horizontal stripes because she knows that stripes make you look fat.
10. Any student who is working full-time and going to school knows that you need at least twenty-
four hours a day.
11. After my husband and I had been running for two months, you could really see a difference in
their strength and stamina.
12. If a job hunter wants to make a good impression at an interview, they should be sure to arrive on
time.
13. I find vacations exhausting because you try so hard to have a good time before going back to
work.
14. When someone has a cold, you should take extra vitamin C and drink lots of fluids.
15. From where we stood on the mountain, you could see three states.

Exercise 2
Change the pronouns (and verbs when necessary) so that there will be no shift in person. You may want
to change a sentence from singular to plural to avoid using too many ones or the awkward he or she.

1. In high school our English teacher wouldnt give you more than a C.
2. I like going out with her because she really makes you feel important.
3. I used to think my parents were fussy, but as you grow older, you become more tolerant.
4. I like living in Oregon because you have good weather all year long.
5. As a rule a person can find work if you are willing to take what you can get.
6. Its wise for a beginning driver to stay out of heavy traffic until you have more experience.