Pronouns: Types and Usages Review Pronouns: Types and Usages

Pronouns Subject: names the subject of the sentence Example Sentences: He and she are archetypes of honest people. They were full after completing the eating challenge. Object: receives the action of the verb He surprised her with two tickets to a concert. What did she get for him?

Pronouns (continued) Possessive: shows ownership Example Sentences: He wanted his new home to be even better than the last. Her lack of focus created stress for her group; they did not appreciate the added problem to their lives. Indefinite: does not refer to a specific group of people or things Someone will eventually discover how to cure many of the world’s diseases. What did the couple do for Valentine’s Day?

Pronouns (continued) Relative: used in conjunction with an adjective phrase to provide more information Example Sentences: The Pirates, who were predicted to lose, beat Virginia Tech this past weekend. The players, whose spirits were lifted by a touchdown on the first drive, did not lower their momentum until the end of the fourth quarter. Interrogative: used to introduce an interrogative sentence (question) What did the announcer say after the last touchdown? Who believes that the Pirates will be ranked after next weekend?

Pronouns (continued) Demonstrative: used to rename nouns, show place/location in relation to a speaker Example Sentences: That is the wrong way to go. When teams are behind at the half, those are the moments when they must re-evaluate their strategies and modify their game plans.

Pronoun Usage: Subject of a Sentence The simple subject is the most important word(s) in the complete subject and tells whom or what the sentence is about. A sentence can have more than one subject; this is called a compound subject. Pronouns that stand in the subject or predicate nominative position are called nominative. Example Sentences: Ben Franklin was the most famous signer of the Constitution. Ben Franklin= male in subject position= He (replacement pronoun) The Constitution explains the organization and principles of our government. The Constitution= neutral object in subject position= It (replacement pronoun)

Pronoun Usage: Predicate Nominatives The predicate nominative is the noun following a linking verb that restates or stands for the subject. You can test to see if you have identified the predicate nominative correctly by flip- flopping the nominative and the subject. If there is no chance in the overall interpretation or intent of the sentence, the correct choice has been made. Example Sentence: The winner was I. Ask yourself, “Who was the winner?” Answer: “I” was. Ask, “If I flip flop the ‘I’ and ‘the winner,’ will I still win?” Answer: Yes, you will. #winning 

Pronoun Usage: Direct Objects Direct objects receive the action of the verb. Only action verbs have direct objects. A sentence can have more than one direct object (compound direct object). To find a direct object, (1) say the verb then (2) ask “What?” / “Whom?” Example Sentence: Marie called him. - Ask: “Who/What is being called?” - Answer: “him” - Explanation: “Him” receives the call that Marie makes. Notice that “him” is an object pronoun because it is an OBJECT of the verb.

Pronoun Usage: Indirect Objects An indirect object is a person or thing TO WHOM something is given/told/taught. Also, it will come before the direct object. Example Sentence: He gave her a diamond ring. Direct Object Identification: “What was given?” Answer: “a ring” Indirect Object Identification: “To whom was the diamong ring given?” Answer: “her” Note: “Her” is in the objective case because it is one of the OBJECTS of the verb.

Pronoun Usage: Objects of Preposition A prepositional phrase can tell how, what kind, when, how much, or where. They begin with a preposition. They end with a noun or pronoun that is the object of the preposition. The words between the preposition and its object are part of the prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases can appear at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence. Example Sentences: The puppy sleeps with a blanket over her. Talk it Out: “Over her” is a prepositional phrase in this sentence. “Her” is the object of the preposition. The amendment was the same as that written by him forty- four years earlier. Talk it Out: “By him” is the prepositional phrase in the sentence. “Him” is the object of the preposition. HINT: The pronoun used in a prepositional phrase will be in the OBJECTIVE case.