Using Pronouns Correctly

Using Pronouns Correctly
What are the cases of personal pronouns? The nominative case The objective case The possessive case Solving special pronoun problems Appositives Elliptical constructions Reflexive and intensive pronouns Who and whom Review A Review B

What are the cases of personal pronouns?
A pronoun takes the place of a noun. He The rider approaches slowly. The rider watches the longhorns closely. them His The rider’s horse is well trained.

Case is the form that a pronoun takes to show its relationship to other words in a sentence. Nominative Objective Possessive Singular First person I me my, mine Second person you your, yours Third person he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its Plural we us our, ours they them their, theirs

What are the cases of personal pronouns? The nominative case
Pronouns in the nominative case are used as subjects and as predicate nominatives. Nominative case pronouns First person I, we Second person you, you Third person he, she, it, they Subject We compete in several sports. Predicate nominative The winner in the high hurdles was he.

The nominative case The subject of a sentence tells whom or what the sentence is about. Subject Manatees are large water mammals. Subject Although manatees are gentle, divers should not touch or ride the animals.

The nominative case A predicate nominative is a word or word group in the predicate that identifies the subject or refers to it. The student with the pet iguanas was he. The student with the pet iguanas was he. Subject Predicate Predicate nominative The most unusual reptiles in the show were they. The most unusual reptiles in the show were they. Subject Predicate Predicate nominative

The nominative case A predicate nominative is connected to its subject by a linking verb, usually a form of the verb be. Linking verb Predicate nominative The guitarist you heard might have been he. The guitarist you heard might have been he. The guitarist you heard might have been he. Linking verb Predicate nominative The people in line were they. The people in line were they. The people in line were they.

Make sure the subject of a verb is in the nominative case. Subject Rob and his friends shot some baskets. his friends they they ? Nominative case them ? Subject Then Rob played by himself for an hour. he Rob Nominative case him ? he ?

Grammar Gal Says... To choose the correct pronoun form in a compound subject, try using the pronoun by itself with the verb. Aaron and he rode the bus. Aaron and (he, him) rode the bus. Would you say “he rode” or “him rode”? The correct pronoun is he.

Make sure a predicate nominative is in the nominative case. Predicate nominative The team leaders were Tom and Sara. they Tom and Sara they ? Nominative case them ? Predicate nominative The more experienced caver is Sara. Sara she Nominative case her ? she ?

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. Mom and (me, I) went to see a musical. 2. Were (they, them) first in the region last year or the year before? 3. In my opinion the best dancers were (he and she, him and her). 4. (Us, We) collected boxes of old toys and games for the garage sale.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. Mom and (me, I) went to see a musical. The pronoun is used as a subject, so the nominative pronoun I is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 2. Were (they, them) first in the region last year or the year before? The pronoun is used as a subject, so the nominative pronoun they is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 3. In my opinion the best dancers were (he and she, him and her). The pronouns are used as predicate nominatives, so the nominative pronouns he and she are correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 4. (Us, We) collected boxes of old toys and games for the garage sale. The pronoun is used as a subject, so the nominative pronoun We is correct.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. 1. Cynthia and (me, I) took scuba-diving lessons. 2. Wyatt and (she, her) will pass out the sheet music. 3. How did you guess the winner would be (he, him)? You and (we, us) raised the most money for the dance. 5. The children on the parade float were (they, them). [End of Section]

What are the cases of personal pronouns? The objective case
Pronouns in the objective case are used as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions. Direct object Objective case pronouns First person me, us Second person you, you Third person him, her, it, them Carmen has invited me to her party. Indirect object My uncle gave it a tuneup. Object of preposition Don’t you sit in front of me in class?

What are the cases of personal pronouns? Direct object
A direct object is a noun, pronoun, or word group that tells who or what receives the action of a verb or shows the result of the action. Direct object This shelf holds books about racing. books holds what? books Direct object Clayton told Gary about the race. Gary told whom? Gary

What are the cases of personal pronouns? Indirect object
An indirect object tells to whom or to what (or for whom or for what) the action of a transitive verb is done. Indirect object Direct object I read the children a scary story. children story read a story to whom? children Notice that indirect objects appear in sentences that also have direct objects.

What are the cases of personal pronouns? Object of a preposition
An object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun in a prepositional phrase. Object of preposition Object of preposition Preposition Preposition near the window near the window near the window in front of the fireplace in front of the fireplace in front of the fireplace

A direct object should be in the objective case. Direct object My uncle took ______ to the State Fair. us ? we ? Objective case us Direct object I saw Barbara and ______ on the Ferris wheel. them them ? Objective case they ?

An indirect object should be in the objective case. Indirect object Tony found _____ a new home. them them ? Objective case they ? Indirect object He gave Teresa and _____ the tiny kittens. her Objective case she ? her ?

An object of a preposition should be in the objective case. Object of preposition Aside from _____, who else will be coming? us Objective case we ? us ? Object of preposition The package was addressed to you and _____. me ? I ? me Objective case

Grammar Gal Says... You’ve probably heard phrases like these before, but they are incorrect. me for you and I ^ him them between he and they ^ ^ Objective pronouns should be used in these phrases.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. My brother told (I, me) a really funny joke. 2. Did you call Natasha or (she, her)? 3. Everyone except Brandon and (he, him) had ridden on the subway.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. My brother told (I, me) a really funny joke. The pronoun is used as an indirect object, so the objective pronoun me is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 2. Did you call Natasha or (she, her)? The pronoun is used as a direct object, so the objective pronoun her is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 3. Everyone except Brandon and (he, him) had ridden on the subway. The pronoun is used as the object of a preposition, so the objective pronoun him is correct.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. 1. The guests thanked Rita and (she, her) for the party. 2. The first guests to arrive were (they, them). 3. Are Gloria and (I, me) playing in the first match? 4. What were you telling Chuck and (we, us) earlier? 5. An from (he, him) just arrived. [End of Section]

What are the cases of personal pronouns? The possessive case
Pronouns in the possessive case are used to show ownership or possession. Possessive case pronouns First person my, mine, our, ours Second person your, yours Third person his, her, hers, its, their, theirs My car won’t start. We’ll have to ride in hers.

The possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs are used in the same ways pronouns in the nominative and objective cases are used. Subject Her sister and mine play soccer. Predicate nominative This tennis racquet is hers. Direct object Have you finished yours yet? Indirect object His father gave ours a tour. Object of preposition Apart from his, no score was perfect.

The possessive pronouns my, your, his, her, its, and their are used as adjectives before nouns. Does your brother play the guitar? Where does he buy his guitar strings?

Some authorities prefer to call these possessive forms adjectives. my our your his her its their Did you look up their address? Follow your teacher’s instructions on what to call these words.

Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns. 1. The notebook on the desk is _______. (The notebook belongs to Laura.) 2. Please pick up _______ clothes. (The clothes belong to you.) 3. For practice, Jeff repaired _______ bicycles. (The bicycles belong to Jeff’s friends.)

Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns. 1. The notebook on the desk is _______. (The notebook belongs to Laura.) hers Laura is the name of a female, so the possessive pronoun hers is correct.

Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns. 2. Please pick up _______ clothes. (The clothes belong to you.) your When used as an adjective to modify a noun, the possessive form of you is your.

Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns. 3. For practice, Jeff repaired _______ bicycles. (The bicycles belong to Jeff’s friends.) their Friends is a plural word, so the possessive pronoun their is correct.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. 1. Robert has trained (him, his) new puppy. 2. (They, Them) brought cheese and crackers to the party. 3. The college sent some information to (we, us). Make sure (your, yours) name is on every page. 5. Carla has completed her application, but I haven’t started (my, mine). [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. 1. Robert has trained (him, his) new puppy. 2. (They, Them) brought cheese and crackers to the party. 3. The college sent some information to (we, us). 4. Make sure (your, yours) name is on every page. 5. Carla has completed her application, but I haven’t started (my, mine).

Solving special pronoun problems Appositives
A pronoun used as an appositive should be in the same case as the word to which it refers. Appositive Subject Both teachers, Mr. Petrakis and ___, coach the team. Both teachers, Mr. Petrakis and ___, coach the team. Mr. Petrakis and he The appositive identifies the subject, teachers. Since a subject is in the nominative case, a pronoun in an appositive identifying a subject should also be in the nominative case.

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it. Appositive My cousin always orders salad with dinner. My cousin Maria always orders salad with dinner. The appositive Maria identifies the noun cousin. Appositive Riboflavin, a vitamin, is found in leafy vegetables. Riboflavin is found in leafy vegetables. The appositive a vitamin identifies the noun riboflavin.

A pronoun used as an appositive should be in the same case as the word to which it refers. Direct object Appositive The director chose us, Joel and ___, for major roles. The director chose us, Joel and ___, for major roles. Joel and me The appositive identifies the direct object, us. Since a direct object is in the objective case, a pronoun in an appositive identifying a direct object should also be in the objective case.

Solving special pronoun problems Elliptical constructions
A pronoun following than or as in an elliptical construction should be in the same case as it would be if the construction were completed. Completed The tenor sang louder than he sang. Elliptical The tenor sang louder than he. The accident hurt Tim as much as the accident hurt her. Completed Elliptical The accident hurt Tim as much as her.

An elliptical construction is a clause from which words have been omitted. The words than or as often begin an elliptical construction. I understand him better than she. than she understands him. Elliptical construction Complete clause The practice helps Roger as much as me. as much as it helps me. Elliptical construction Complete clause

In an elliptical construction the meaning depends on the pronoun form. Be sure to use the form that expresses your meaning. Grammar Gal Says... I understand him better than she. I understand him better than she understands him. I understand him better than her. I understand him better than I understand her.

Solving special pronoun problems Reflexive and intensive pronouns
Reflexive and intensive pronouns have the same forms. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns First person myself, ourselves Second person yourself, yourselves Third person himself, herself, itself, themselves Reflexive I think I will treat myself to a movie. Intensive Evelyn herself raked all the leaves.

A reflexive pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence or clause and may serve as . . . Direct object I can’t believe I hurt myself laughing. Indirect object Daniel bought himself a new book. Object of preposition Clarice and Sarah should be proud of themselves for completing the work. Predicate nominative Sharon is not herself today.

An intensive pronoun emphasizes its antecedent and has no grammatical function. Simon himself painted those pictures. The pronoun himself emphasizes Simon. Jorge and Kim installed the new hard drive themselves. Themselves emphasizes Jorge and Kim.

The words hisself, theirself, and theirselves are nonstandard. Use himself and themselves instead. Grammar Gal Says... Louis built the new benches hisself. himself. Students should learn to do that for theirselves. themselves.

Do not use a pronoun ending in –self or –selves instead of a personal pronoun. Nonstandard Standard Mariah and myself went to the rodeo. I Myself does not refer to or emphasize any other word. Nonstandard Can I depend on Jay and yourself? you Standard Yourself does not refer to or emphasize any other word.

Solving special pronoun problems
Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. Nolan has been working at that grocery store longer than (he, him). 2. The comedians, Ken and (she, her), got a standing ovation. 3. If you are hungry, you can fix (you, yourself) a sandwich.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. Nolan has been working at that grocery store longer than (he, him). The pronoun in the elliptical construction should have the same case as the complete clause would have. The complete clause would be than he has been working at the grocery store. The nominative form he is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 2. The comedians, Ken and (she, her), got a standing ovation. The pronoun in the appositive should be in the same case as the word to which it refers. The appositive refers to comedians, the subject, so the nominative pronoun she is correct.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 3. If you are hungry, you can fix (you, yourself) a sandwich. The pronoun refers to the subject you, so it is a reflexive pronoun. The reflexive pronoun form is yourself.

On Your Own Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses to correct each sentence below. 1. He remained true to (him, himself) and his own values. 2. Can she really be six months older than (I, me)? 3. Mr. Webster gave a prize to his best students, Tim and (we, us). 4. We promised that we would do all the carpentry work (ourself, ourselves). 5. The mural was painted by two seniors, Chad and (he, him). [End of Section]

Solving special pronoun problems Who and whom
The use of who or whom in a subordinate clause depends on how the pronoun functions in the clause. Nominative case Objective case who whoever whom whomever Subject Is there someone here who can help me? who Object of a preposition Sharla, whom I practice with, is a good tutor. whom

A subordinate clause (or dependent clause) has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand by itself as a sentence. Subordinate clause If you finish the exam early, you may leave class. If you finish the exam early, you may leave class. If you finish the exam early, you may leave class. Subject Verb Subordinate clauses begin with words such as when, whom, because, which, that, if, and until.

To choose between who and whom in a subordinate clause, follow these steps: STEP 1 Find the subordinate clause. Subordinate clause Do you know (who, whom) borrowed the ladder? The subordinate clause is (who, whom) borrowed the ladder.

STEP 2 Decide how the pronoun is used in the clause. Subject? (who, whom) borrowed the ladder Predicate nominative? The pronoun is used as the subject of the verb borrowed. Direct object? Indirect object? Object of preposition?

STEP 3 Determine what case the pronoun should be in. Subject (who, whom) borrowed the ladder Is a subject in the nominative or objective case? The subject should be in the nominative case.

Who and whom Grammar Gal Says... To help choose between who or whom, rearrange the words in the subordinate clause to make a normal sentence. I can’t decide (who, whom) the winner is. the winner is (who, whom)

Who and whom Grammar Gal Says... Substitute a nominative case pronoun (he, she, or they) for who or an objective case pronoun (him, her, or them) for whom. the winner was she the winner was (she, her) the winner was (who, whom) correct If the nominative case pronoun is correct, use who. If the objective case pronoun is correct, use whom. I can’t decide who the winner is.

STEP 4 Select the correct form of the pronoun. Nominative case who Objective case whom (who, whom) borrowed the ladder (who, whom) borrowed the ladder The nominative form is who. Answer Do you know who borrowed the ladder?

Apply the steps to the following sentence: Those are the teachers (who, whom) I want. 1. Find the subordinate clause. (who, whom) I want 2. Decide how the pronoun is used in the clause. direct object—I want (who, whom) 3. Determine what case the pronoun should be in. objective 4. Select the correct form of the pronoun. whom Answer Those are the teachers whom I want.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. The musicians with (who, whom) he practices are professionals. 2. Everyone (who, whom) arrives early should go to the cafeteria or the gym. 3. The guest speaker, (who, whom) the principal introduced, addressed the assembly.

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 1. The musicians with (who, whom) he practices are professionals. Subordinate clause: with (who, whom) he practices Pronoun used as: object of preposition—he practices with (who, whom) Correct form: objective case—whom

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 2. Everyone (who, whom) arrives early should go to the cafeteria or the gym. Subordinate clause: (who, whom) arrives early Pronoun used as: subject Correct form: nominative case—who

Choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer. 3. The guest speaker, (who, whom) the principal introduced, addressed the assembly. Subordinate clause: (who, whom) the principal introduced Pronoun used as: direct object—the principal introduced (who, whom) Correct form: objective case—whom

On Your Own Choose the correct form, who or whom, to complete each sentence below. 1. The child _____ fell off the swing is not hurt. 2. There goes Fred, _____ I sit behind in chemistry class. 3. Are they the teammates with _____ you work out? 4. Everyone has guessed _____ the winner will be. 5. I can’t remember _____ I asked that question. [End of Section]

Review A For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the pronoun in parentheses. Greg and (myself, I) both got our driver’s licenses. When he called, I could hardly believe it was really (he, him). “Does anyone dance better than (her, she)?” I wondered. What the crowd appreciated most was (him, his) singing. 5. (Who, Whom) can name this geometric shape? [End of Section]

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Using Pronouns Correctly

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