Skip to main content
M:S3:22 2
Edit position
Edit position

Last set 6 days, 1 hour ago. Manual moves override automatic placement until the next shelfie/spine match.

Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words
Diagnose this book
Open in Vernon Browser

Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words

by John McWhorter

This work explores the history, evolution, and modern controversies surrounding pronouns, analysing how these essential words have changed over time and challenging common grammatical myths.

Accession 28688 ISBN 9780593713280 Publisher Avery (Publisher)
Book Images
Reference and live side by side Hover to see live images
Reference
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words spine
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words cover
Live
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words live spine
No live
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words spine Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words live spine
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words cover
No live
TAGS
Curated Derived
Change History Language Linguistics Words
CONNECTIONS
No connections
State
on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-04 14:47
orientation
vertical
Details

Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
M:S3:22 2 Current vertical
6 days, 1 hour ago
M:S3:24 2 vertical
3 weeks, 5 days ago
Book Location
Updated 6 days, 1 hour ago
Vernon snapshot
View live

Frozen copy of Vernon's record from the last sync. Fields tagged → flow back into the Pulse record.

Last synced 2026-05-21 01:57 (2 weeks, 6 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words
vernon_id
40748
accession_no→ accession_number
28688
vernon_slug
pronoun-trouble-the-story-of-us-in-seven-little-words-john-mcwhorter

Drives Pulse state

curr_loc_status→ on_shelf
On Shelf
location_name
Zone S3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
On Shelf
isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780593713280

Descriptive

production_date
2025
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
The nature of language is to shift and evolve-but every so often, a new usage creates a whole lot of consternation. These days, pronouns are throwing curve balls, and it matters, because pronoun habits die hard. If you need a refresher from eighth grade English: pronouns are short, used endlessly, and serve to point and direct, to orient us as to what is meant about who. Him, not her. Me, not you. Pronouns get a heavy workout, and as such, they become part of our hardwiring. To mess with our pronouns is to mess with us. But many of today's hot button controversies are nonsense. The singular "they" has been with us since the 1400s and appears in Shakespeare. In fact, many of the supposedly iron-clad rules of grammar are up for debate (Billy and me went to the store is perfectly acceptable!), and with tasty trivia, unexpected twists, and the weird quirks of early and contemporary English, McWhorter guides readers on a journey of how our whole collection of these little words emerged and has changed over time. -- publisher

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
John McWhorter
tags→ tags
English language -- Usage, English language -- Grammar, English language -- Composition and exercises, English language -- Rhetoric, Germanic languages, Indo-European languages, English language
subject_people
—
subject_objects
—

Cover image

vernon_cover_image_id→ cover_image
52583

Raw Vernon JSON

click to inspect

The source payload behind the snapshot above.
Use ⌘F to search once expanded.
{7 keys}
"slug": "pronoun-trouble-the-story-of-us-in-seven-little-words-john-mcwhorter"
"opacObjectId": "40748"
"opacCollection": {1 keys}
"opacCollectionId": "1"
"imagesCollection": {2 keys}
"images": [1 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"imageId": "52583"
"cssColors": [3 items]
"[0]": {9 keys}
"hex": "9932cc"
"hue": 280
"rank": 1
"presence": 87.71
"colorName": "darkorchid"
"lightness": 50
"colorGroup": "purple"
"saturation": 61
"formattedColorName": "darkorchid"
"[1]": {9 keys}
"hex": "778899"
"hue": 210
"rank": 2
"presence": 10.27
"colorName": "lightslategray"
"lightness": 53
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 14
"formattedColorName": "light slate gray"
"[2]": {9 keys}
"hex": "708090"
"hue": 210
"rank": 3
"presence": 0.76
"colorName": "slategray"
"lightness": 50
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 13
"formattedColorName": "slate gray"
"rawColors": [7 items]
"[0]": {6 keys}
"hex": "8d42a3"
"hue": 286
"rank": 1
"presence": 87.71
"lightness": 44
"saturation": 42
"[1]": {6 keys}
"hex": "dfdbe4"
"hue": 266
"rank": 2
"presence": 10.27
"lightness": 87
"saturation": 14
"[2]": {6 keys}
"hex": "3f3445"
"hue": 278
"rank": 3
"presence": 0.76
"lightness": 23
"saturation": 14
"[3]": {6 keys}
"hex": "a385a9"
"hue": 290
"rank": 4
"presence": 0.9
"lightness": 59
"saturation": 17
"[4]": {6 keys}
"hex": "d48fdd"
"hue": 293
"rank": 5
"presence": 0.2
"lightness": 71
"saturation": 53
"[5]": {6 keys}
"hex": "544253"
"hue": 303
"rank": 6
"presence": 0.09
"lightness": 29
"saturation": 11
"[6]": {6 keys}
"hex": "c493d4"
"hue": 285
"rank": 7
"presence": 0.07
"lightness": 70
"saturation": 43
"imageLabels": [5 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"count": 606
"score": 95.29
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Text"
"imageLabelId": 2114
"[1]": {5 keys}
"count": 19411
"score": 89.46
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Font"
"imageLabelId": 12
"[2]": {5 keys}
"count": 19018
"score": 70.75
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Publication"
"imageLabelId": 23
"[3]": {5 keys}
"count": 15171
"score": 67.66
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Book"
"imageLabelId": 67
"[4]": {5 keys}
"count": 4954
"score": 50.06
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Science"
"imageLabelId": 180
"imageDerivatives": [6 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/large/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "575"
"height": "800"
"identifier": "LARGE"
"[1]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/medium/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "288"
"height": "400"
"identifier": "MEDIUM"
"[2]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/nano/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "25"
"height": "35"
"identifier": "NANO"
"[3]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/small/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "108"
"height": "150"
"identifier": "SMALL"
"[4]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/tiny/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "54"
"height": "75"
"identifier": "TINY"
"[5]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/xlarge/36041/742fff4547857806675949e15f878006ab0fe22e.jpg"
"width": "863"
"height": "1200"
"identifier": "XLARGE"
"totalImages": 1
"objectSearchScore": 0.31199765
"opacObjectFieldSets": [40 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "accession_no"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "28688"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words / John McWhorter"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "title"
"value": "Pronoun trouble : the story of us in seven little words / John McWhorter"
"[2]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "other_name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "artist_last_first"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "McWhorter, John"
"[4]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "2025"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "earliest_date"
"value": "2025-01-01Z"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"key": "latest_date"
"value": "2025-12-31Z"
"[5]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[6]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "edition"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[7]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "brief_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "The nature of language is to shift and evolve-but every so often, a new usage creates a whole lot of consternation. These days, pronouns are throwing curve balls, and it matters, because pronoun habits die hard. If you need a refresher from eighth grade English: pronouns are short, used endlessly, and serve to point and direct, to orient us as to what is meant about who. Him, not her. Me, not you. Pronouns get a heavy workout, and as such, they become part of our hardwiring. To mess with our pronouns is to mess with us. But many of today's hot button controversies are nonsense. The singular "they" has been with us since the 1400s and appears in Shakespeare. In fact, many of the supposedly iron-clad rules of grammar are up for debate (Billy and me went to the store is perfectly acceptable!), and with tasty trivia, unexpected twists, and the weird quirks of early and contemporary English, McWhorter guides readers on a journey of how our whole collection of these little words emerged and has changed over time. -- publisher"
"[8]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "measure_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[9]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "credit_line"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[10]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "On Shelf"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "curr_loc_status:"On Shelf""
"[11]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "ob_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Accessioned"
"[12]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "lender"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[13]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_owner"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[14]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[15]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_start"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[16]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_expiry"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[17]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[18]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone S3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[19]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "object_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "object_type:"Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication""
"[20]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "collection"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Main Collection/Library"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "collection:"Main Collection/Library""
"[21]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "New York City/New York/United States of America"
"[22]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_publisher"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Avery (Publisher)"
"[23]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "physical_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[24]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "language"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "English"
"[25]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "isbn_issn"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "9780593713280"
"[26]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_1"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "425.55 MCW"
"[27]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "usual_loc_being"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone S3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[28]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_class"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "English language -- Usage/English language -- Grammar/English language -- Composition and exercises/English language -- Rhetoric/Germanic languages/Indo-European languages"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"English language -- Usage/English language -- Grammar/English language -- Composition and exercises/English language -- Rhetoric/Germanic languages/Indo-European languages""
"[1]": {2 keys}
"value": "English language/Germanic languages/Indo-European languages"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"English language/Germanic languages/Indo-European languages""
"[29]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_date"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[30]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[31]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_period"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[32]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[33]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[34]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[35]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[36]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[37]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[38]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[39]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_9"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"relationshipsCollection": {2 keys}
"relationships": [1 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"relatedRecords": [1 items]
"[0]": {3 keys}
"slug": "john-mcwhorter"
"title": "John McWhorter"
"relatedRecordId": "13809"
"relationshipId": "object_prod_pri_person"
"relatedRecordType": "person"
"totalRelatedRecords": 1
"totalRelationships": 1
Topics and Themes