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Problems created by the pronoun...
Introduction
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Using one as a subject can create several problems. Here are some ways to revise a sentence that has one as its subject.
Decide what person the subject should be: First person (I, we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they, or a noun that can be replaced by one of those pronouns).
Example: One should have one's own protractor if one is a geometry student.
Substitute the appropriate noun or pronoun for one.
Revised: A geometry student should have his or her own protractor.
Note that this rule does not apply to sentences where one is functioning as a part of a larger subject: for example, One of the geometry students forgot her protractor. In this case, the entire subject is One of the geometry students.
If necessary, revise again to eliminate any agreement problems and any awkward or wordy constructions. In this case, his or her is necessary for agreement with the singular subject, but is somewhat wordy.
Revised: A geometry student should own a protractor.
Remember: Avoid using one as a subject. Substitute another pronoun, noun, or noun phrase instead.
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