[Grammar] Each one of us is doing our/one's/his duty.

In the given sentence which is right out of one's,his and our:-
Each one of us is doing our/one's/his duty.

Please reply with a little explanation.

Thanks in advance.

'Each of us is doing his/her duty.'
I use 'his/her' because it applies to both genders.

Not a teacher.

I agree with Matthew, but we also have to accept the gender neutral 'their duty' as being correct.

Rover_KE said:

I agree with Matthew, but we also have to accept the gender neutral 'their duty' as being correct.

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Each one being a singular noun should take a singular pronoun,shouldnt it ?
"their" is plural

Sahil Dhankhar said:

Each one being a singular noun should take a singular pronoun,shouldnt it ?
"their" is plural

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Correct, but usage is shifting to avoid the clumsy "his/her" and to avoid using "his" and seeming to exclude women.

50 years ago the answer would have been "his" full stop, end of story. Now, it is not so clear. Many use the plural nowadays even if not correct by historical, traditional grammar.

Click here and start reading from the fifth thread down.

You can always avoid the problem:

'We are all doing our duty'.


`

1. Each one is doing one's duty.
2. No one is doing one's duty.
Can 'one's' be used? Should it be replaced with 'his/her'?

Not a teacher.

None of the four options is colloquial.

Most native speakers would say

1. They are all doing their duty.

2. No one is doing their duty.

Dear Rover_KE and other members,

According to the book that I am reading nowadays, in the "pronouns" section, following example was given.
:-Each one of us is doing one's duty.
So I was confused between "his" and "one's" and that is why I raised this question.

I am not a teacher.

'Each one of us is doing one's duty' is very unnatural, and I would never use 'one's' in this way. In this example the subject isn't 'one' but 'each one of us'.

If 'one' is the subject of the sentence it would work in something like, 'One should always strive to do one's duty'.

If the choice is between "Each one is doing one's duty" and something else pick the other choice. (I hope you didn't pay for that grammar book.)

:roll:

Roman55 said:

'One should always strive to do one's duty'.

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May I say 'No one should shirk one's duty'?

Tarheel said:

"Each one is doing one's duty"

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Is it grammatical but unnatural?

Sahil Dhankhar said:

the book that I am reading nowadays

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Was the book written by a non-native speaker?

Not a teacher.

If one wishes to use "one", I would say "One should not shirk one's duty".

Are the 'no one' and 'each one' ones grammatical but unnatural?

Matthew Wai said:

May I say 'No one should shirk one's duty'?

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You can say that, but don't. Better to say:

Matthew Wai said:

Is it grammatical but unnatural?

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That's a good way to put it. (Mike managed to use "one" four times in one sentence. ;-))

Tarheel said:

Everybody should do his duty.
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Women should, too.

'Everybody should do their duty' is correct and standard.

Those of us who don't like it can easily rephrase it.

Rover_KE said:

Women should, too.

'Everybody should do their duty' is correct and standard.

Those of us who don't like it can easily rephrase it.

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Old habits die hard. (Also: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks.")

You are right, of course. (I should have included that one.)

:up:

Tarheel said:

(Mike managed to use "one" four times in one sentence. ;-))

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Is there a prize for that? :lol:

MikeNewYork said:

Is there a prize for that? :lol:

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I can count on you. (But I don't know how to finish that sentence. ;-))

:up: