personal pronoun wsj crossword

Sandra Almird

2 min read

·

02-01-2025

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The Wall Street Journal crossword, known for its challenging clues and sophisticated vocabulary, often incorporates grammatical concepts into its puzzles. One such recurring theme is personal pronouns. Understanding the nuances of these seemingly simple words can be key to solving tricky clues. This article will explore common ways personal pronouns appear in WSJ crosswords, using examples and explanations informed by the insights gleaned from crosswordfiend.com (a valuable resource for crossword enthusiasts; credit given where specific clues are used). While crosswordfiend doesn't explicitly label clues as "sourced from WSJ," many clues reflect the style and difficulty commonly found in that publication.

What are Personal Pronouns, and Why are they Relevant to Crosswords?

Personal pronouns replace nouns referring to specific people or things. They include:

• First person: I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours
• Second person: you, your, yours
• Third person: he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs

Crossword clues often utilize the grammatical function or implied meaning of these pronouns rather than simply asking for the word itself. This makes understanding their context crucial. A clue might focus on possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns (like "myself"), or the pronoun's role in a sentence structure.

Examples and Analysis:

Let's explore some potential scenarios (inspired by the style of clues found on sites like crosswordfiend, although specific clues aren't directly quoted to avoid copyright issues):

• Clue: "One's own"

• Answer: MINE This clue relies on understanding the possessive pronoun "mine" indicating something belonging to oneself.

• Clue: "Opposite of 'you'"

• Answer: I or ME (depending on the context of the crossword grid) This clue plays on the grammatical opposition between first and second person pronouns.

• Clue: "Word before 'self'" (referring to reflexive pronouns)

• Answer: MY, YOUR, HIM, HER, ITS, OUR, THEIR. This exemplifies how the clue hinges on understanding the structure and function of reflexive pronouns. The answer could be any of the possessive pronouns depending on the length required by the crossword grid.

• Clue: "Used with 'am'" (testing understanding of subject pronouns)

• Answer: I This clue focuses on the grammatical agreement between subject and verb.

Beyond Basic Definitions: Adding Depth to Your Crossword Skills

Simply memorizing pronoun definitions isn't sufficient for conquering WSJ-level crosswords. You need to develop a sharper sense of:

• Grammatical function: Identify whether the pronoun acts as a subject, object, or possessive.
• Contextual clues: Pay close attention to words surrounding the potential answer to deduce the correct pronoun.
• Wordplay: WSJ clues frequently employ wordplay, requiring you to think laterally about the pronoun's possible implications.

Practical Tips for Solving Personal Pronoun Clues:

1. Review pronoun types: Familiarize yourself with the different categories of pronouns and their functions.
2. Practice: Regularly solve crosswords, focusing on understanding how pronouns are used in clues.
3. Analyze incorrect answers: If you get a clue wrong, analyze why. What aspect of the pronoun's function did you miss?
4. Utilize resources: Websites like crosswordfiend.com (always crediting the source appropriately) can be invaluable for learning from solved puzzles and understanding common clue types.

By mastering the subtleties of personal pronouns and applying these strategies, you'll significantly enhance your ability to tackle even the most challenging WSJ crossword clues. Remember, practice and a keen understanding of grammar are your most powerful tools.