Personal Pronouns: “To thine own self be true.”

(Hamlet, Act 1, scene iii)

Years ago, I was an instructional coach for STEAM and arts integration at a D.C. Public Charter School. Many of my colleagues hailed from Jamaica, and I flat-out adored listening to the musicality of their voices. The accent entranced me.

As intense as I can be about punctuation and grammar, one of my Jamaica-born, -raised, and -educated DCPS colleagues could best me any day in the “Grammar Queen” category. And she proudly shared her thoughts on this topic with all of us at the school.

One instance stands out in my memory. Someone in a our team meeting said, “You can borrow that book. It’s mines.” My colleague’s posture instantly changed from relaxed to high alert. She said, “Are you digging for diamonds? No. You are not one of the Seven Dwarfs, you are a teacher, so do not say ‘mines.’ The word is ‘mine.’ No S.” After her outburst, she returned to a somewhat at-ease position and said, “I am sorry, but I am passionate about this. We are educators. We must use correct language in school.”

Code Switching

The key to this story is how my colleague contextualized her words by saying, “correct language in school.” She was not telling our fellow teacher she was totally wrong in her use of the pronoun “mines” to show possession. She was telling her that in school, for us teachers, the correct pronoun is “mine.” Outside the classroom, chances are she never would have corrected our colleague—or at least I like to think so. She spoke in support of code switching from colloquial language to “academic-speak.”

According to multiple in-the-know sources, code switching is being able to seamlessly move between specific dialects, mannerisms, and speech patterns, depending on the situation. Sometimes we do it because we are literally moving from speaking in one internationally recognized language to another, i.e., speaking Spanish with your family but English at work. Sometimes the code switching is more subtle, manifesting itself in speaking and behaving one way with our close friends and another way with work colleagues. We code switch to fit in with a community or a group of friends or the group culture. Many students code switch multiple times per day. They behave and talk one way with their peers and then switch to a new code to interact with teachers or coaches or fellow cast members. 

I do not purport to have a deep understanding of code switching; there are social linguists and sociologists and educational gurus who excel in this realm. To that end, I highly recommend the NPR Podcast “Code Switch” and their suggested readings. But we should be aware of how we—and others in our communities—use code switching every day. 

Pronoun Awareness

Building an awareness of colloquial or dialectical pronouns used in various regions of America can be helpful in code switching in one-on-one, small group, and large group conversations or when reading or discussing any kind of literature. It’s important for classrooms, and, moreover, it is essential to know when to switch between colloquial language and business-appropriate language in work communications.

Below is a NancyProofed Tricky Word Chart for personal pronouns. It has been expanded to include ancient and colloquial/dialectical versions of personal pronouns. Yinz might encounter some of these when ordering a cheesesteak sandwich in a Pittsburgh delicatessen (also known as a “deli counter encounter”) or while reading Shakespeare in thine own comfy chair. 

Tricky Word Chart: Personal Pronouns of Present and Past

While Shakespeare could never be accused of using the East Coast “yous guys” nor the “y’all” of the South as a second person plural personal pronoun (try saying that five times fast), he did have a good time mixing together “thee,” “thou,” and “thy.” Many an actor knows the required hours of elocution practice to speak these words “trippingly on the tongue.” (Thank you, Hamlet.)

Below you’ll find examples from Shakespeare with ancient or classic personal pronouns. To make things obvious, all the personal pronouns are in bold type. Try reinterpreting a few of these Shakespearean lines with modern, colloquial personal pronouns. And while all-yahs are doin’ that, you-uns should try updating some of the other language too. It’s not exactly code-switching, but it might be a fun exercise to make it so!

“Methink’st thou art a general offense and every man should beat thee.”
All’s Well That Ends Well (Act 2, Scene iii)

“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”
Hamlet (Act 1, Scene iii)

“Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver’d boy.”
Macbeth (Act 5, Scene iii) 

“O, thou didst then never love so heartily!
If thou rememb'rest not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou hast not lov'd;
Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
Wearing thy hearer in thy mistress' praise,
Thou hast not lov'd;
Or if thou hast not broke from company
Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
Thou hast not lov'd.” 
As You Like It (Act 2, Scene iv)

“Thine forward voice, now, is to speak well of thine friend; thine backward voice is to utter foul speeches and to detract.”
The Tempest (Act 2, Scene ii)

“I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;
I'll fish for thee and get thee wood enough.
A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,
Thou wondrous man.”
The Tempest (Act 2, Scene ii)