Understanding Pronoun ~ Grammar

1. Pronouns

As is the case in C_ATALAN, in English pronouns are forms that substitute nouns or noun phrases.

1.1. Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns in English can be nominative, objective, reflexive or possessive. We have studied the possessive pronouns along with the possessive adjectives in section Sy 2.2. and will study the reflexive pronouns along with the reciprocal pronouns in section Sy 4.6. In this section we will look at the nominative and objective personal pronouns.

1.1.1. Nominative personal pronouns

The following table shows the English nominative pronouns and their corresponding forms in CATALAN.

Nominative pronouns
Person	Singular	Plural
1st	I (jo)	we (nosaltres)
2nd	you (tu, vós, vostè)	you (vosaltres, vostès)
3rd	he (ell)	they (ells, elles)
	she (ella)
	it (things)

Modern English doesn’t distinguish between the polite and formal forms in the second person. Therefore, tu, vosaltres, vós, vostè and vostès are all translated by the you form.

With the exception of the imperative voice, English must always use a pronoun as the subject when no other noun is mentioned. Note also that, unlike C_ATALAN, English doesn’t distinguish masculine and feminine in the third person plural. Examples:

És aquí – He is here, She is here, It is here.

Són aquí – They are here (whether referring to men, women, books, chairs, etc.).

Except in very formal English, the nominative personal pronouns are always followed by a verb or auxiliary. Examples:

She eats more than I do (better than She eats more than I). You’re as tired as we are (better than You’re as tired as we).

Remember that nominative personal pronouns are never used after prepositions. Examples:

Come with us. (Not ~~Come with we~~.)

Between you and me, I think he loves her. (Not Between you and I.)

1.1.2. Objective personal pronouns

The following table shows the English objective pronouns and their corresponding forms in CATALAN.

Objective pronouns
Person	Singular	Plural
1st	me (me, m’, em, ’m)	us (nos, ens, ’ns)
2nd	you (te, t’, et, ’t, vos, us, lo, l’, el, ’l, la)	you (vos, us, els, les)
3rd	him (lo, l’, el, ’l, li)	them (los, els, ’ls, les)
	her (la, l’, li)
	it (lo, l’, el, ’l, la, ho)

As in the case of nominative pronouns, English doesn’t distinguish between the polite and formal forms in the second person. Example:

I love you.

T’estimo; us estimo (a vosaltres, a vós); l’estimo (a vostè); els estimo (a vostès).

In colloquial English, the objective pronouns are often used as the second element in comparisons and equivalences (after than and as). Examples:

I’m taller than her. (Also I’m taller than she is.)

We don’t work as hard as them. (Also We don’t work as hard as they do.) Remember that the objective forms must always be used after a preposition:

He was behind her.

These books are for them.

1.1.3. Singular they

The third person plural form they and its inflected forms (them, their, theirs) are often used with singular antecedents. The only acceptable singular pronoun in this context would be he (and its inflected forms), and this has the disadvantage of seeming to make the reference exclusively masculine. Examples:

If anyone can’t attend the meeting, they should let me know. Everybody complained, but the police did nothing.

1.2. The pronoun it

The principal use in English of the pronoun it is to refer to an antecedent that is a thing or an abstraction; the other third person personal pronouns – he, she, him, her, etc. – generally refer only to people or animals whose names are known. Remember that the third person plural pronouns – they, them, their, theirs – are used to refer to both people and things.

Examples:

Where did you put the bread? It’s in the pantry. Did you wash my car/shirt? No, I didn’t wash it. Well, shall we buy it?

I hadn’t noticed it.

Where have you put them?

That said, there are three other uses of it in which the pronoun does not refer to an antecedent.

1.2.1. Anticipatory it

When the subject of a sentence is an infinitive or a relative clause, English normally inverts the sentence and begins it with the anticipatory subject it. Examples:

It’s important to read the instructions carefully. It’s lucky that we met.

It’s good to keep in mind that, unlike in C_ATALAN, this construction is never used when the subject is a noun. Examples:

It’s interesting to compare the two versions. It’s interesting that you mention this.

This book is interesting. (Not ~~It’s interesting, this book~~.)

1.2.2. Identifying it

The pronoun it is used as a subject when identifying persons. Note that there is no concordance between the singular it and the plural complement. Examples:

Who is there? It’s me. It’s John. It’s us. It’s John and Mary.

Can you see who it is? Yes... It’s her. It’s Monica. It’s them. It’s Pere and Monica. I would have sworn it was you.

1.2.3. It referring to time, weather and distance

The pronoun it is also used as a subject when referring to time, weather conditions and distance. Examples:

Time

It’s two-thirty. It’s later than you think.

What day’s today? It’s Thursday. What’s the date? It’s the third of May.

Weather conditions

It’s sunny. It’s foggy. It’s windy. It’s hot/warm/cool/chilly/cold. It’s nice (out). It’s 40 degrees below zero.

Distance

It’s forty-eight hundred kilometres from New York to LA.

How far is their house from here? It’s about two hundred yards.

1.3. Interrogative pronouns

The interrogative pronouns who and whom refer to persons, and the interrogative pronoun what refers to things or abstractions. The syntax for who and what is the same and depends on their grammatical role, whereas in modern English whom is rarely seen except following a preposition.

All three of these interrogative pronouns can also be used as relative pronouns (see section Sy 4.4.3.).

1.3.1. Who and what as subjects

When who or what are the subjects of the sentence, the syntax is simply subject + verb. The pronoun whom is never used as a subject. Examples:

Who came? What happened?

Who has followed the tourists? What caused the gas leak?

1.3.2. Who and what as direct objects

When who or what are the direct objects of the sentence, the syntax is who/what + auxiliary + subject + verb (for more details concerning interrogative constructions, see section Sy 5.4.). Examples:

Who do you love? What did you do?

Who have the tourists followed? What did the gas leak cause?

In very formal English, who is substituted by whom (whom do you love?). This construction is, however, no longer idiomatic.

1.3.3. Who and what as prepositional objects

When who or what are the prepositional objects of the sentence, there are two possible syntaxes, one very formal and the other more usual. In the formal syntax, who is substituted by whom; usually, however, the sentence is restructured with the preposition following the verb or its complement, if there is one. Here are the two syntaxes.

More usual: who/what + auxiliary + subject + verb [+ complements] + prep. Very formal: prep. + who/what + auxiliary + subject + verb

Examples:

Who did you dance with? (Very formal: With whom did you dance?) What are they talking about? (Very formal: About what are they talking?) Who are you referring to? (Very formal: To whom are you referring?) What does it depend on? (Very formal: On what does it depend?)

The interrogative pronoun who can also be used as an indirect object. In this case also, the prepositions to and for are placed at the end of the expression. Examples:

Who did you give the money to? (Very formal: To whom did you...).

Who have you bought those clothes for? (Very formal: For whom have you...).

Finally, for the use of who, whom and what as relative pronouns, see section Sy 4.4.

1.4. Relative pronouns

Relative pronouns in English can be divided into those that act as adjectives and, less commonly, those that act as nouns. The former always have an antecedent, whereas the latter often don’t. Here is an example of each.

Adjectival: She’s the girl who cuts my hair. (The adjectival relative pronoun who

has the girl as an antecedent.)

És la noia que em talla els cabells.

Nominal: What I want is a watch. (The nominal relative pronoun what has no antecedent.)

El que vull és un rellotge.

In this chapter we’ll also give examples of interrogative pronouns and adverbs used as relatives.

1.4.1. Adjectival relative pronouns

The choice of adjectival relative pronoun depends first of all on whether the pronoun is restrictive or non-restrictive. A restrictive relative pronoun defines its antecedent and a non-restrictive relative pronoun simply gives us more information about it. Examples:

Restrictive: The man who sells peanuts is here.

The relative clause who sells peanuts tells us who the man is.

Non-restrictive: My father, who sells peanuts, is here.

The relative clause who sells peanuts merely gives us more information about my father; in saying my father, we know who he is.

Note that non-restrictive relative clauses are always set off with commas.

The choice of relative pronouns also depends on the grammatical category of the pronoun and on whether the pronoun reference is human or non-human.

We will organize this section on adjectival relative pronouns according to the grammatical function of the relative pronoun within the subordinate clause it heads.

Adjectival relative pronouns as subject or direct object

The most common use of relative pronouns is as the subject or direct object of the subordinate clause. Here is a brief summary.

The human restrictive pronoun is generally who, though that is sometimes used. It is required when the pronoun is the subject, but usually omitted when the pronoun is the direct object.

The non-human restrictive pronoun is generally that, though which is sometimes used. It is always required when the pronoun is the subject, but usually omitted when the pronoun is the direct object.

The human non-restrictive pronoun is always required and is always who, though whom

can be used in very formal English.

The non-human non-restrictive pronoun is always required and is always which. Relative pronoun as subject

Human, restrictive:

The girl who cuts my hair is named Dolores.

Human, non-restrictive:

Gemma’s boyfriend, who just bought himself a new car, wants us all to come over and see it.

Non-human, restrictive:

The fog that covered the valley soon burned off.

Non-human, non-restrictive:

The Space Needle, which was constructed in 1962, is symbolic of Seattle.

Although the use of that when referring to humans in restrictive clauses is common, many stylists discourage its use. An exception, however, is made when the antecedent is a superlative:

He’s the best midfielder that (better than who) has ever played for Barcelona.

Although the pronoun which is often used in restrictive clauses, such a use can often produce unintended ambiguities; it is safer to use that. An exception is when the speaker prefers to avoid a repetition of the word that:

Last night we saw that play which has been causing all the controversy.

Relative pronoun as direct object

Human, restrictive:

The girl we met last night is named Glòria.

Human, non-restrictive:

The fisherman, who (or whom in very formal writing) we saw fall off his boat, is now suffering from hypothermia.

Non-human, restrictive:

The bananas you bought this morning are too ripe.

Non-human, non-restrictive:

Our groceries, which we had just bought, ended up all over the street.

Adjectival relative pronouns as prepositional objects

When adjectival relative pronouns, both human and non-human, are prepositional objects, English can construct the sentence in various manners. When the pronoun comes after a preposition, in both restrictive and non-restrictive cases, the pronouns must always be whom and which. However, in common use English often prefers to shift the preposition to the end of the clause. Here are some examples of all these uses.

For human reference in restrictive clauses, the pronouns can be either who or that, or eliminated:

Very formal: They are the children with whom Jaume used to play. Less formal: They are the children who/that Jaume used to play with. Most usual: They are the children Ø Jaume used to play with.

For non-human reference in restrictive clauses, the pronouns can be either that or which, or can be eliminated:

Very formal: These are the tools with which we repair skis.

Less formal: These are the tools that/which we repair skis with. Most usual: These are the tools Ø we repair skis with.

For human reference in non-restrictive clauses, the pronouns can be either whom or who, but their presence is always necessary.

Very formal: Our children, whom we depend on, are very generous. Most usual: Our children, who we depend on, are very generous.

For non-human reference in non-restrictive clauses, the pronoun can only be which; it is always necessary.

Very formal: Our house, in which we’d lived for ten years, was completely destroyed.

Most usual: Our house, which we’d lived in for ten years, was completely destroyed.

Adjectival relative pronouns as genitives

In genitive contexts, English uses the form whose for both restrictive and non-restrictive, and both human and non-human reference. For non-human reference, some stylists prefer the structure noun + of which. Examples:

Today I met a man whose wife works with your daughter.

Do you see that old car whose tyres (or the tyres of which) are all flat? This is Alba, whose sister you already know.

We passed by the Royal Palace, whose roof (or the roof of which) had been damaged in the bombing.

Adjectival relative pronouns as adverbials

There is one important adverbial relative pronoun, where, and two of lesser importance,

when and why. The use of the latter is generally optional. Examples:

It is the shop where we buy all our books.

Let’s meet at Cal Ramon, where the beer is cold and the food is hot. That was the year (when) we met.

That’s the reason (why) I did it.

When the antecedent is a clause

A special case is when the relative pronoun refers to a clause. In this case, English always uses which. Example:

He had locked the door to the men’s room, which we discovered too late.

1.4.2. Nominal relative pronouns

The proper use of nominal relative pronouns can be complicated. We will begin with a look at personal relative pronouns, distinguishing those with specific reference from those with non-specific reference. In the second section, we will study non-personal relative pronouns, again distinguishing those with specific reference from those with non-specific reference, but also, in the case of the specific non-personal pronouns, distinguishing between definite and non-definite reference.

Personal nominal relative pronouns

The specific personal nominal relative pronouns are who, the one(s), or the one(s) who. When the reference is non-specific we use whoever or, more rarely and only when the pronoun is an object, whomever. The one(s) is used when the pronoun is an object and the one(s) who when it is the subject.

Note that who is never used as the subject of an affirmative sentence; we must use either

the one(s) who (specific) or whoever (non-specific).

Specific reference (when referring to specific persons, not just anybody): Subject: The ones who stayed to help are heroes.

Subject: He is the one who created these characters. Direct object: I saw who (or the one) you were helping. Indirect object: The song is dedicated to the ones we love.

Non-specific reference (when referring to anybody):

Subject: Whoever said that is a liar.

Subject: Whoever wins will have our support.

Direct object: Whoever you marry had better know how to cook. Indirect object: Whoever you sent fliers to, it wasn’t me.

Impersonal nominal relative pronouns

The specific impersonal nominal relative pronouns are the one(s) [that], when the reference is definite, and what when the reference is indefinite. When the reference is non-specific we use either whatever or whichever, the latter when the speaker considers that there is a limited choice of options. These forms are not affected by grammatical category.

As for the difference between the one(s) [that] and what, though both are translated by the C_ATALAN el que (and variants), the former corresponds to the expression aquell que (and variants), whereas the latter corresponds to allò que.

Specific reference (when referring to specific things or abstractions):

Definite: These books are last year’s and the ones on the shelves are new. Definite: Do you want to wear this shirt or the one you wore yesterday? Indefinite: You’ll never guess what happened last night!

Indefinite: What he says and what he does are two different things.

Non-specific reference (when referring to things in general):

Whatever you want you can have. I took whatever they gave me.

Whatever you did, it was wrong.

There are three coats in the closet; take whichever you like.

1.4.3. Interrogative pronouns and adverbs used as relatives

All the interrogative pronouns (see Sy 4.3.) and adverbs (see Sy 6.7.) can be used as relatives. Remember that, in these cases, there is no inversion of subject and verb. Examples:

He wouldn’t admit where he had gone. She asked him when he could start.

I’ve found out why they were in such a bad mood. Did you see how he scored that goal?

I wonder who she’s loving now.

I can’t remember which train we’re supposed to take. She wouldn’t tell me what the problem was.

1.5. Indefinite pronouns (and adverbs)

Indefinite pronouns refer to one or more unspecified persons or things, and indefinite adverbs to an unspecified place.

I did not send it to anyone. (Not I did not send it to no one.)

(In this example, I sent it to no one, while possible, is quite unusual.)

We haven’t gone anywhere. (Not We haven’t gone nowhere.)

(In this example, We have gone nowhere, while possible, is quite unusual.) Non-affirmative pronouns cannot be used as the subject of negative sentences:

No one came. (Not Anyone did not come.)

When expressing possession, the indefinite personal pronouns use the Saxon genitive:

Someone’s coat is lying out on the lawn. It was nobody’s fault.

Adjectives are placed after all the indefinite pronouns:

everything available someone interesting nothing major

The adverb else is positioned after the indefinite pronoun with the meaning of other or more (we’ll offer examples in the relevant sections). Note too that these forms also take the Saxon genitive.

everyone else everything else someone else nobody else

someone else’s problem nobody else’s business

1.5.1. Universal indefinite pronouns

The English universal indefinite pronouns are everybody/everyone (tothom or cadascú) and everything (tot [totes les coses]), and the universal indefinite adverb is everywhere (per tot arreu). Remember that everybody and everyone, in spite of their plural reference, are singular and take a singular verb (as does tothom). Note also that when the C_ATALAN tot is used as a pronoun, it is generally translated by everything and not all. Finally, it is common to use the plural possessive forms their and theirs with the singular antecedents everybody and everything, though some style guides discourage this. Examples:

Everybody is free to have their (or his or her) own opinion. Everyone’s vote counts.

Everyone else has gone home.

Everything is happening too fast. (Not ~~All is happening...~~) Thanks for everything.

We had to sell everything.

His chair was spotless; everything else was covered with dust. I’ve looked everywhere but can’t find the money.

Nowadays you find McDonald’s restaurants everywhere.

1.5.2. Affirmative indefinite pronouns

The English affirmative indefinite pronouns are somebody/someone (algú) and something (alguna cosa), and the adverb is somewhere (algun lloc). These are used not only in affirmations, but also in questions when the speaker anticipates or desires a positive response. Examples:

Someone has left this package for you.

I saw someone taking pictures of your house.

Has someone been bothering you? (The speaker thinks this is likely.)

I must be drinking someone else’s coffee.

There’s something the matter with my computer. I want to tell you something very important.

Would you like something to eat? (The speaker hopes you’ll say yes.)

Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk.

Keep in mind that, in certain contexts, somebody can mean someone important.

Because he won the award now he really thinks he’s somebody.

1.5.3. Non-affirmative indefinite pronouns

The English non-affirmative indefinite pronouns anybody/anyone and anything, and the adverb anywhere have three meanings in English. First of all, when used with a negative verb, they correspond, respectively, to the C_ATALAN ningú, res and enlloc or cap lloc. We will indicate the cases in which the expression can be restated with an affirmative verb and a negative pronoun or adverb. Examples:

I haven’t seen anyone yet. I haven’t seen anyone else. (Or I have seen no one. I have seen no one else.)

We don’t want to depend on anybody.

We don’t need anyone else’s help. (Unusual: We will need no one else’s help.) We haven’t taken anything. (Or We have taken nothing.)

Anything else?

It didn’t say anywhere that we had to pay. I don’t want to go anywhere.

Secondly, this group of non-affirmative pronouns can correspond to the C_ATALAN qualsevol persona, qualsevol cosa or qualsevol lloc. Examples:

Anybody can look you up on the internet.

“What do you want for dinner?” “Anything is fine with me.” You can find love anywhere.

Although sentences of this type are nearly always affirmative, an exception is the phrase

just + non-affirmative:

I won’t go out with just anyone.

A rational person doesn’t believe just anything. Cats won’t do their business just anywhere.

Finally, in conditional and interrogative sentences, the English non-affirmatives correspond to the C_ATALAN indefinite pronouns algú, alguna cosa, algun lloc, ningú, res and enlloc. Remember that in these cases the affirmatives someone/somebody, something and somewhere are used when the speaker desires or anticipates an affirmative response. Examples:

Has anybody seen my keys? If anyone calls, I’m out.

Did he suspect anything?

If you break anything, you’ll have to pay for it! I never go anywhere without my cell phone.

If I see your friends anywhere, I’ll let you know

1.5.4. Negative indefinite pronouns

The English negative indefinite pronouns are nobody/no one (ningú), nothing (res) and none (cap), and the adverb is nowhere (enlloc). Moreover, the indefinite determiner neither (cap dels dos) can also be used as a pronoun. These pronouns are most often used as the

subjects of sentences, though they can be used as objects if the verb is affirmative (see the previous section). Examples:

No one came. Nothing has changed.

None of the solutions was/were successful. There was nowhere to hide.

Neither of them liked the show.

1.5.5. Other indefinite pronouns

The indefinite determiners the other (l’altre), another (un altre) and either (qualsevol dels dos) can also be used as indefinite pronouns. What’s more, the pronoun one can be considered an indefinite determiner in certain contexts. Examples:

One girl was willing to help us, but the other wasn’t. Those cookies are great! Can I have another?

Which movie do you want to see? Either is fine.

One twin’s eyes were blue, but the other’s were brown.

They are both attractive; I can’t decide between one and the other.

1.6. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer to nouns, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns that precede them in the same clause, ie myself, yourself, itself; whereas reciprocal pronouns refer reciprocally to other people and things, ie one another or each other.

1.6.1. Reflexive pronouns

Here is a table showing the nine English reflexive pronouns.

Reflexive pronouns
Singular	Plural
myself	ourselves
yourself	yourselves
himself	themselves
herself
itself
oneself

Note that the suffix -self is pluralized in -selves for the three plural reflexive pronouns. There are three main uses for the reflexive pronouns in English:

as an object, when the action of a transitive verb falls on the subject itself; as an emphasizer;

forming part of certain reflexive verbs.

Reflexive pronouns as objects

The use of reflexive pronouns is obligatory when their antecedent is the subject of the sentence. They can be used as direct objects, indirect objects and prepositional objects. Examples:

Last night I saw myself on TV. Have you hurt yourself?

The rabbit freed itself from the trap. He has bought himself a new watch.

We should depend on ourselves and not others.

Exceptions: When referring back to an antecedent that is the subject, English will use an objective pronoun after a preposition if the reference could only be to that person. For example, we say I’m taking the dog with me (and not ~~with myself~~) because it would be impossible to take the dog with anyone other than myself. I certainly couldn’t take the dog with you or with him. On the other hand, we say I’m angry with myself (not ~~with me~~) because it’s possible for me to be angry with someone else.

In certain dialects, the reflexive pronouns are sometimes used even when not referring back to the subject; this generally occurs after the prepositions like, but and except, and also in compound sentences. For example, Like myself, he married young or Either John or myself will help you. However, this use should be avoided in formal contexts.

Reflexive pronouns as emphasizers

Reflexive pronouns are also used to emphasize their antecedents. When referring to the subject, they usually come at the end of the sentence (though they can come directly after the subject) and when referring to an object, they must come directly after it. Examples:

I’ll take care of it myself. (Less usual: I myself will take care of it.)

We’ve picked these mushrooms ourselves. (Less usual: We ourselves have...). In New York we saw Bob Dylan himself.

Reflexive pronouns forming part of reflexive verbs

Unlike in C_ATALAN, reflexive verbs are rather uncommon in English. That said, there are a few verbs for which the inclusion of the reflexive pronoun oneself is generally felt necessary. Here is a list of some of the most important of these verbs.

demean oneself enjoy oneself

ingratiate oneself (with) perjure oneself

pride oneself (on)

1.6.2. Reciprocal pronouns

As is the case in C_ATALAN, reciprocal pronouns are used when two people or things are both the agents and the objects of the action of the verb. The two reciprocal pronouns in English are compound: they are each other, which is most often used when there are only two people or things involved, and one another, which is used when referring to three or more. Examples:

Jordi and Marta love each other very much. We haven’t seen each other for months.

We were placed on earth to love one another. All lawyers trust one another.

When used as prepositional objects, the preposition must go before the compound pronoun, never between the two elements. Examples:

They are getting tired of each other.

The triplets are often confused with one another.

Note that both each other and one another can take the Saxon genitive.

John and Mary cut each other’s hair.

The children were playing with one another’s toys.

1.7. Translation of the C_ATALAN pronouns ho, en and hi

The translation in English of the C_ATALAN weak pronouns ho, en and hi depends on the grammatical role they play. Moreover, in nearly all contexts, the translation can be either obligatory, optional or null.

Although a complete study of these pronouns falls outside the scope of this work, we will try to touch upon the most important issues concerning these pronouns and their relationship to English.

Broadly speaking, these pronouns are used to avoid the repetition of a noun, an adjective, a syntagma, etc. They are especially frequent in conversation. For example:

–És molt intel·ligent –No ho és pas!

–Tindràs pa? –Sí que en tindré.

–Vas mai amb pantalons curts? –Sí que hi vaig sovint.

It often happens that English will use other means, especially auxiliary verbs, to express the same ideas. For example, the translation in English of the previous three uses of the C_ATALAN pronouns might well be “No, he isn’t!”, “Yes, I will” and “Yes, I often do”.

1.7.1. Translation of the C_ATALAN pronoun ho

The C_ATALAN weak pronoun ho can represent either the direct object of the sentence – eg Qui ha portat això? Qui ho ha portat? – or the subject complement – eg L’un és dolent i l’altre també ho és; –Ets músic? –Sí que ho sóc.

Ho as a direct object

The pronoun ho can represent three kinds of direct objects: a non-specific noun, a subordinate clause or an infinitive clause.

Ho representing a non-specific noun

In the first case, ho is almost always translated by it. Examples:

Ahir ho vaig fer.

I did it yesterday.

Dimarts ho acabarem.

We’re going to finish it Tuesday.

Ho he tret d’en Toni.

I got it from Toni.

Ho representing a subordinate clause

When ho represents a subordinate clause, it can be translated by either it, on the one hand, or so or not, on the other, depending on the verb. The former is by far the most frequent. Here are some examples in which ho, representing a subordinate clause, is translated by it.

He descobert que els coneixen; ho he descobert.

I’ve learned that they know them; I’ve learned it.

Garanteixo que arribarà puntualment; ho garanteixo.

I guarantee he’ll be on time; I guarantee it.

El sospitós va jurar que no havia robat res; ho va jurar.

The suspect swore that he hadn’t stolen anything; he swore it.

The weak pronoun ho can be translated by so (or not in negative statements) in the case of certain verbs that express opinions or speculations. Here is a list of some of the most important verbs of this class.

*Verbs that accept so or not* to represent a subordinate clause**
assume	presume
be afraid	say
believe	suppose
expect	suspect
guess	tell
hope	think
imagine

Examples:

Espero que se’n recordi; ho espero.

I hope she remembers; I hope so.

M’imagino que no saben què dir-li; m’ho imagino.

I imagine they don’t know what to tell him; I imagine not.

Penso que això els agafarà de sorpresa; ho penso.

I think this is going to take them by surprise; I think so.

Suposo que véns per cobrar; ho suposo.

I suppose you’ve come to get paid; I suppose so.

Tothom diu que fracassarà; tothom ho diu.

Everybody says he’ll fail; everybody says so.

Finally, there are certain verbs for which English omits the object. For example, in C_ATALAN we say Ja ho sé, whereas in English it’s I know (more usual than I know it). In the case of some ditransitive verbs (verbs that accept an indirect object), English converts the indirect object pronoun into a direct object, omitting the original direct object: for example, M’ho van dir is translated They told me (more usual than They told it to me). We can confirm that the pronoun me is now the direct object because the passive construction, I was told, is perfectly correct. The following is a list of some of the most important verbs in this class. The asterisk marks those verbs that convert a personal indirect object into a direct object.

Verbs that do not translate ho to represent a subordinate clause
forget	remember
*guarantee	*show
guess	*teach
hear	*tell
imagine	understand
notice	wonder
*promise

Examples:

Has fet el que t’he demanat? No, ho he oblidat.

Have you done what I asked? No, I forgot.

No sabeu què tinc a les mans? Doncs endevineu-ho!

Don’t you know what I’ve got in my hands? Well, guess!

Heu sentit que s’apujaran els preus? Sí, ho hem sentit.

Have you heard that prices are going up? Yes, we’ve heard.

Que no anem a la platja? Però si ens ho vas prometre!

We’re not going to the beach? But you promised us!

Ens han mostrat on podíem fer càmping; ens ho han mostrat.

They showed us where we could camp; they showed us.

Ho representing an infinitive clause

When the pronoun ho represents an infinitive clause, it is translated by to if the corresponding English verb accepts an infinitive as an object, and by it if the corresponding English verb accepts a gerund as an object. What’s more, depending on the verb, this translation can be either required or optional.

Here is a list of English verbs that accept an infinitive as an object and use the particle to to substitute for it. An asterisk marks those verbs for which the presence of to is required.

Verbs that accept infinitives as an object
ask	*need
decide	pretend
*expect	promise
*hope	*want
manage

Examples:

Ha demanat de venir amb nosaltres; ho ha demanat.

He’s asked to come with us; he’s asked (to).

Espero acabar la feina avui; ho espero.

I expect/hope to finish the work today; I expect/hope to.

Fingien de treballar; ho fingien.

They were pretending to work; they were pretending (to).

Volem treballar de nit. Nosaltres també ho volem.

We want to work at night. We also want to.

Here is a list of English verbs that accept a gerund as an object and use the pronoun it to substitute for it. An asterisk marks those verbs for which the presence of it is required. Note that the verb quit is an exception.

Verbs that accept gerunds as an object
*admit	*deny
*avoid	*miss
*can’t stand	practice
confess	quit [ho not translated]
*consider	*regret

Examples:

Evitem conduir de nit; ho evitem.

We avoid driving at night; we avoid it. No puc suportar de fer cua; no ho puc suportar. I can’t stand queuing; I can’t stand it.

Va negar haver vist res d’estrany; ho va negar.

He denied seeing anything strange; he denied it.

Va deixar de fumar; va deixar de fer-ho.

He quit smoking; he quit.

Ho as a subject complement

Broadly speaking, when used as a subject complement, the weak pronoun ho is only translated into English when it refers to an adjective or a non-specific noun. The copulative verbs used before subject complements are be (ser, estar), seem, appear and look (semblar,

aparentar, parèixer). The translation of the pronoun ho depends on both the verb itself and the part of speech represented by ho; the following table shows this relationship (null means it is not translated; look cannot take a noun complement).

Translation of ho when representing a subject complement
Part of speech	Be	*Seem, appear*	*Look*
Adjective	-/so	so	-
Noun	-	so

Examples:

La Lídia és alta i la seva germana encara ho és més.

Lidia is tall and her sister is even more so.

És canadenc, però la seva mare no ho és. He’s a Canadian but his mother isn’t. Sembla una bona idea; sí que ho sembla.

It seems (to be) a good idea; yes, it seems so.

Aquestes dues línies semblen paral·leles. A mi no m’ho semblen pas.

Those two lines appear/seem (to be) parallel. They don’t appear/seem so to me.

Ell sembla cansat, però ella no ho sembla gens.

He looks tired but she doesn’t at all.

Finally, the C_ATALAN construction noun + també ho + verb is translated in English by the expression so + auxiliary + noun. Examples:

La Laura sembla cansada i la Marta també ho sembla. Laura seems/appears/looks tired and so does Marta. L’un és dolent i l’altre també ho és.

One is bad and so is the other.

1.7.2. Translation of the C_ATALAN pronoun en

The C_ATALAN weak pronoun en can represent either the direct object of the sentence – eg Us agrada el vi? Doncs beveu-ne!, a prepositional object – eg En tinc cura (d’una àvia), a noun complement – eg Dels nostres amics, cal apreciar-ne les qualitats, or an adverbial complement – eg En vénen ara, del jardí. We will therefore divide this chapter into four sections, corresponding to these four uses.

En as a direct object

Broadly speaking, the translation in English of the weak pronoun en representing the direct object depends on whether it is accompanied by an adjective. In this case it is usually not translated, though it can be translated of it, for non-count nouns, or of them for count nouns. Examples:

–Tenim tomàquets? –Sí, en tenim tres.

“Do we have any tomatoes?” “Yes, we have three (of them).”

–Voleu bitllets? –Sí, compra’n tres.

“Do you want tickets?” “Yes, buy three (of them).”

No en vull gaires. No en volia gaire.

I don’t want many (of them). I didn’t want much (of it).

Si no t’agraden aquests mocadors, tria’n uns altres.

If you don’t like these handkerchiefs, choose some others.

When the weak pronoun en, representing the direct object, is not accompanied by an adjective, it is usually translated some. Examples:

Tens pomes? Doncs, porta-me’n.

Do you have (any) apples? Then bring me some.

El vi era molt bo i per això n’he begut.

The wine was really good and so I drank some.

A special case is the C_ATALAN construction en + verb + de + adjective. Examples:

Camises? En tenim de molt maques.

Shirts? We have some really pretty ones.

Trobaràs capses petites i també en trobaràs de grosses.

You’ll find (some) little boxes and you’ll also find (some) big ones.

Val més que en compris un de nou.

You’d better buy a new one.

En as a prepositional object

The most important use of the pronoun en as a prepositional object is accompanying those verbs that require the preposition de before the complement, verbs such as queixar-se and enamorar-se. For example, Es va queixar de la calor; se’n va queixar and M’enamoro d’ella; me n’enamoro. These expressions are usually translated in English by the combination preposition + pronoun, which is logical if we consider that the meaning of en in these cases is d’això and d’ella, respectively. Hence: He complained about the heat; he complained about it and I’m falling in love with her; I’m falling in love with her. Note that in the second example, the two sentences are the same. Note too that there is often a discrepancy between the C_ATALAN and English prepositions (eg enamorar-se de = fall in love with).

Here are some examples in which the pronoun en can be translated in English by the combination preposition + pronoun.

Parlem-ne.

Let’s talk about it.

És molt innocent, aquest noi; sempre se’n riuen.

That boy is really naïve; they’re always laughing at him. Al principi m’agradava aquesta cervesa, però ara me n’he cansat. At first I liked this beer, but now I’ve got tired of it.

És un cap de pardals; no te’n pots fiar.

He’s a scatterbrain; you can’t rely on him.

We should mention too that there is another group of C_ATALAN verbs that require de before their complements, and that are translated in English by transitive verbs. In these cases, en is translated simply by a pronoun. Examples:

L’Imma és una mica perillosa; no te’n fiïs. Imma is a little dangerous; don’t trust her. Parlava sense pensar i ara me’n penedeixo.

I spoke without thinking and now I regret it.

En as a noun complement

When the pronoun en is used as a noun complement, it generally refers to an element pertaining to another. As such, it is usually translated in English by some kind of possessive. Examples:

Hem d’analitzar l’afer i esbrinar-ne les conseqüències.

We have to analyse the affair and discover its consequences.

No hauríem de criticar massa els nostres amics; cal apreciar-ne les qualitats.

We shouldn’t criticize our friends too severely; we need to appreciate their good qualities.

En as an adverbial complement

When the pronoun en refers to an adverb complement, it is usually one of origin; it can be translated by the expression from + place or simply be omitted.

No vénen de Mollerussa, aquestes cireres? Sí que en vénen.

Don’t those cherries come from Mollerussa? Yes, they come from there.

Quan nosaltres entrem a classe, ells en surten.

When we go into class, they’re coming out.

1.7.3. Translation of the C_ATALAN pronoun hi

The two most important uses of the C_ATALAN weak pronoun hi are as a prepositional object, eg No hi pensis més, and as a place adverb, eg Hi vaig (allà) cada dia.

Hi as a prepositional object

The most important use of the pronoun hi as a prepositional object is accompanying those verbs that use a preposition other than de before the complement, verbs such as acostumar-se and somiar. For example, No li agrada la calor però s’hi acostumarà and Estic obsessionat amb el tema i fins i tot hi somio. These expressions are usually translated in English by the combination preposition + pronoun, which is logical if we consider that the meaning of hi in these cases is a la calor and amb el tema, respectively. Hence: He doesn’t like the heat but he’ll get used to it and I’m obsessed with the subject and I even dream about it. Note that there is often a discrepancy between the C_ATALAN and English prepositions (eg somiar amb = dream about).

Here are some examples in which the pronoun hi can be translated in English by the combination preposition + pronoun.

És un projecte dubtós; no t’hi fiquis.

It’s a dubious; don’t get involved (in it).

Penses massa en els teus problemes; no hi pensis tant.

You think too much about your problems; don’t think about them so much.

La Maria? No hi comptis pas!

Maria? Don’t count on her!

We should mention too that there is another group of C_ATALAN verbs that require prepositions other than de before their complements, which are translated in English by transitive verbs. In these cases, hi is translated simply by a pronoun. Examples:

No estic d’acord amb la proposta i m’hi oposaré.