vahidkarimi wrote:
Hi guys,
could you please tell me which sentences are correct and why?
1. Firefighters should always secure one's safety gear before rushing into a fire.
2. Firefighters should always secure their safety gear before rushing into a fire.
3. Firefighters should always secure ones' safety gear before rushing into a fire.
4. Firefighters should always secure its safety gear before rushing into a fire.
5. Firefighters should always secure his/her safety gear before rushing into a fire.
Moved the topic to relevant forum and here are the answers:
When subject is a baby or an animal and of singular form then use
It –
its (do not confuse its with it’s because it’s means “it is”)
When singular person MALE – use HIS
When singular person FEMALE – use HER
When singular person MALE OR FEMALE (i.e. you want to cover both male and female in the meaning) then use - ONE – then use ONE’S
With these rules (which are pretty logical) it should be easy to pick right or wrong :D
Firefighter is plural subject. Hence ONLY plural form of pronoun would be correct.1. Firefighters should always secure one's safety gear before rushing into a fire. – WRONG (ONE – singular but Firefighters is plural)
2. Firefighters should always secure their safety gear before rushing into a fire. -
CORRECT (their is plural)
3. Firefighters should always secure ones' safety gear before rushing into a fire. –
CORRECT (ONES is plural of ONE and possessive form ONES’ correctly refer to Firefighters, a plural subject).
4. Firefighters should always secure its safety gear before rushing into a fire. – WRONG (It – singular but Firefighters is plural)
5. Firefighters should always secure his/her safety gear before rushing into a fire. – WRONG (HIS/HER – singular but Firefighters is plural)