Can object pronouns and possessive pronouns be used side by side without a preposition? [duplicate]
Solution 1:
Pronouns are troublesome little devils, especially when there is an indirect object about, as their usually is with verbs like ‘give’. I can give a present to my Aunt or just give my Aunt a present. So I gave it to her. But what if I am female and we switch to the 3rd person? She gave it to her. That doesn’t sound too bad. But when we get to “she handed her her hairbrush”, we really get into trouble, even though the grammar is faultless. To whom did the brush belong, the giver or the receiver? So there has to be something immediately before to make clear who the owner of the brush was. Or you have to find a different way of saying the same thing.
In addition one should avoid ‘overaspiration’. All those haitches in succession are uncomfortable to say (and odd to hear, unless there is a clear literary purpose to the alliteration).
So to take your examples.
- They gave her them.
There is nothing wrong with this in ordinary speech. It is not appropriate in more formal writing, but this is a reflection of formal writing, which tends to avoid short cuts.
- the girls gave her theirs.
I see nothing wrong with this either in conversation. Like you, I would not use the short cut in writing - except for particular stylistic purposes. But that has nothing to do with grammar.