PRONOUN USAGE C. S. Lewis AH English I

PRONOUN CASE Nominative: subject of sentence or clause Objective: predicate of sentence or clause Possessive: denotes ownership EXAMPLE: I (nominative) forgot to bring my (possessive) notebook with me (objective).

THE CASE FORMS OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS Nominative: First Person: I, we Second Person: you Third Person: he, she, it, they Objective: First Person: me, us Third Person: him, her, it, them Possessive: First Person: my, mine, our, ours Second Person: your, yours Third Person: his, her, hers, its, their, theirs

NOMINATIVE CASE I told Phillip that we would win. I= nominative (1st person singular) We=nominative (1st person plural) Were Ronald and he on time? NOTE: Make the question into a statement first. If subject is compound, separate it. he=nominative (3rd person singular)

NOMINATIVE CASE (continued) A predicate nominative should be in the nominative case (because the sentence can be reversed). EXAMPLES: This is he. Did you know that the pitcher was she?

OBJECTIVE CASE These pronouns are used as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions. DIRECT OBJECT: Phil called her last night. INDIRECT OBJECT: Molly made me a tape. OBJECT OF PREPOSITION: with me; before her; next to them; for us

POSSESSIVE CASE MINE, YOURS, HIS, HERS, ITS, OURS, & THEIRS are used as parts of a sentence. SUBJECT: Your car and mine need tune-ups. PRED. NOM.: This backpack is hers. DIR. OBJ.: We finished ours yesterday. IND. OBJ.: Ms. Kwan gave theirs a quick review. OBJ. OF PREP.: Next to yours, my cat looks puny.

POSSESSIVE CASE (continued) MY, YOUR, HIS, HER, ITS, OUR, & THEIR are used as adjectives before nouns. EXAMPLES: My alarm clock is broken. Do you know their address?

SPECIAL PRONOUNS: WHO & WHOM Nominative: who, whoever Objective: whom, whomever The use of who or whom in a dependent clause depends on how the pronoun functions in the clause.

WHO/WHOM EXAMPLES EXAMPLE: Do you know who she is? She is who (Who is a predicate nominative here.) Susan B. Anthony, about whom Sam reported, championed women’s right to vote. about whom (Whom is the object of the preposition.)

APPOSITIVES A pronoun used as an appositive is in the same case as the word to which it refers. EXAMPLE: The teacher introduced the speakers, Lauren and me. Sometimes a pronoun is followed by an appositive that identifies or describes the pronoun. EXAMPLES: We soloists will rehearse next week. Give us girls a turn to bat.

INCOMPLETE CONSTRUCTION After than and as introducing an incomplete construction, use the form of the pronoun that would be correct if the construction were completed. EXAMPLES: Everyone knows that you like Joan much better than I (DO). The story mystified him as much as (IT MYSTIFIED) us.