(For an example, see the very first sentence in this section.A pronoun stands in the place of a noun.

This is often similar in function to general use of you and one. This is the we that we editors use when we’re speaking in a general voice, especially as a way to avoid I, which is often seen as too personal (especially when the writer’s voice, opinion, or identity is not relevant). Some people use the royal we to be funny. The word we is famously used in some cases by sovereign rulers as a formal way of saying I, as if they are speaking for the entire nation. It can also be used in place of you in a way that’s condescending or sarcastic, as in We don’t want to be too hasty, do we? We is sometimes used in place of you in a way that’s sometimes intended to be more polite, such as when giving someone an assignment, as in We should do that by Friday. For example, saying We cast the deciding votes may be a neutral statement, but saying We ourselves cast the deciding votes indicates that there was some significance to the fact that it was your group who did it. Sometimes, you might use the phrase we ourselves to emphasize that something was done by the group that you’re part of as opposed to others. Ourselves is also sometimes used in place of we after the words as, than, and but, as in children no older than ourselves. For example, it’s common to say things like We should think for ourselves. In some cases, the word ourselves is used as another way of saying we. For example, instead of saying Luckily, we weren’t affected by the storm, you could say Luckily, the storm didn’t affect us.

Sometimes, you can reword a sentence that uses the object form us to instead use the subject form we, or vice versa.

This phrasing is often used to emphasize the entirety of the group that’s present, as in All of us wanted to be here to say goodbye. The phrase all of us can replace we as the subject of the sentence in some situations. Instead of saying We walked home together, you could say Emily, Dave, and I walked home together. Sometimes, though, it’s best to be clear by naming them. We’s main job is to serve as a way of not having to name every person in a group of two or more people. We don’t traditionally think of we as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace-or be replaced with-another word, phrase, or series of words.

What pronoun is we