Using Pronouns Correctly

Nominative, Objective, and Possessive Case: Clear Reference

Case Forms of Personal Pronouns• Case: is the form that a noun or pronoun takes to show its

relationship to other words in a sentence. In English, there are three cases; nominative, objective and possessive. Nouns have the same form in both the nominative and the objective cases. Nouns usually add an apostrophe and an –s to form the possessive case.• Personal Pronouns have different forms for the different

cases…

Case Forms of Personal PronounsSingular PluralNominative Case

First PersonSecond PersonThird Person

Iyouhe, she, it

weyouthey

Objective CaseFirst PersonSecond PersonThird Person

meyouhim, her, it

usyouthem

Possessive CaseFirst PersonSecond PersonThird Person

my, mineyour, yourshis, her, hers, its

our, oursyour, yourstheir, theirs

The Nominative Case

• Personal pronouns in the nominative case—I, you, he, she is, we, and they—are used as subjects of verbs and as predicate nominatives.

1. A subject of a verb should be in the nominative case• I solved the problem.• They know that we are going.• Ethan and she cleaned the house.

2. A predicate nominative should be in the nominative case• It was I who took the message.• The winner might be he.• Could the caller have been she?

The Objective Case

• Personal pronouns in the objective case—me, you, him, her, it, us, and them—are used as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions

1. A direct object should be in the objective case• The coach has turned them into the best team in the state.

2. An indirect object should be in the objective case• Carl saved me a seat in the front row.

3. An object of a preposition should be in the objective case• for both her and us• with him

The Possessive Case• The personal pronouns in the possessive case—my, mine, your, yours, his,

her, hers, its, our, ours, their and theirs—are used to show ownership or possession

1. The possessive pronouns—mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs—can be used in the same way that the personal pronouns in the nominative and objective cases are used.• Mine has a flat tire.• This key is yours.

2. The possessive pronouns—my, your, his, her, its, our, and there are used to modify nouns and pronouns.• My bicycle has a flat tire. (My modifies bicycle.)• This is your key. (Your modifies key.)

3. A noun or pronoun preceding a gerund generally should be in the possessive case• They approved of the students’ [or their] organizing a cleanup campaign.

Special Problems in Pronoun Usage

The Relative Pronouns Who and Whom• The use of who or whom in a subordinate clause depends on how the

pronoun functions in the clause

• Follow these steps to decide whether to use who or whom in a subordinate clause

1. Find the subordinate clause2. Decide how the pronoun is used in the clause—as a subject, predicate

nominative, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition3. Determine the case of the pronoun according to the rule o standard,

formal English4. Select the correct form of the pronoun.

Nominative Case who, whoeverObjective Case whom, whomever

Examples:• Ray is the only student (who,

whom) earned a perfect score.1. The subordinate clause is (who,

whom) earned a perfect score.2. In this clause the pronoun is the

subject of the verb earned.3. As a subject the pronoun should

be in the nominative case.4. The nominative form is who.• Answer: Ray is the only student

who earned a perfect score.

• I saw Sarah, (who, whom) I know from school.

1. The subordinate clause is (who, whom) I know from school.

2. In this clause the pronoun is the direct object of the verb know.

3. As a direct object, the pronoun should be in the objective case.

4. The objective form is whom.• Answer: I saw Sarah, whom I

know from school.

Appositives

• A pronoun used as an appositive should be in the same case as the word to which it refers.• The late arrivals—she, he, and I—missed the first act. (The pronouns are in

the nominative case because they refer to the subject arrivals.)• The article you’re reading mentions the winners, her and me. (The pronouns

are in the objective case because they refer to the direct object winners.)

• The pronouns we or us is sometimes followed by a noun appositive.• We sophomore raised the most money for charity. (The pronoun is in the

nominative case because it is the subject of the verb raised. The appositive sophomores identifies We.)

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns• Reflexive and Intensive pronouns (sometimes called compound

personal pronouns) have the same forms.

Reflexive and Intensive PronounsSingular Plural

First PersonSecond PersonThird Person

myselfyourselfhimself, herself, itself

ourselvesyourselvesthemselves

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns cont.• Reflexive Pronouns: refers to the subject of a verb and may serve as a

direct object, an indirect object, a predicate nominative, or an object of a preposition.• I made myself a BLT sandwich.• David is just not himself today.

• Intensive Pronouns: has only one function: to emphasize its antecedent.• Don’t you think we can install the computer program ourselves?• Only you yourself can make that decision.

• Note: a pronoun ending in –self or –selves should not be used in place of a personal pronoun.• Nonstandard: Sonia and myself sang a duet in the talent show.• Standard: Sonia and I sang a duet in the talent show.

Pronouns in Incomplete Constructions• A pronoun following than or as in an incomplete construction should

be in the same case as it would be if the construction were completed.• I know Mac better than he [knows Mac].• I know Mac better than [I know] him.

• Do you visit Aunt Bessie as often as we [visit Aunt Bessie]?• Do you visit Aunt Bessie as often as [you visit] us?

Clear Pronoun Reference

• A pronoun should refer clearly to its antecedent.1. Avoid an ambiguous reference, which occurs when any one of two

or more words can be a pronoun’s antecedent.• Ambiguous: Marissa called Emily while she was at the library last weekend.

[Who was at the library, Marissa or Emily?]• Clear: While Marissa was as the library last weekend, she called Emily.

Or• Clear: While Emily was at the library last weekend, Marissa called her.

Clear Pronoun Reference cont.

2. Avoid a general reference, which is the use of a pronoun that refers to a general idea rather than to a specific antecedent.

• Most general reference errors are caused by the misuse of the pronouns it, this, that, which, and such.• General: Paul has a job interview after school today. That explains why he is

wearing a suit. (That has no specific antecedent.)• Clear: Paul is wearing a suit because he has a job interview after school today.

Or• Clear: The reason Paul is wearing a suit is that he has a job interview after

school today.

Clear Pronoun Reference cont.

3. Avoid a weak reference, which occurs when a pronoun refers to an antecedent that has been suggested but not expressed.• Weak: Ryan is multilingual. One of those that he speaks fluently is mandarin.

(The antecedent language is suggested by the use of the pronoun those but is not expressed.)• Clear: Ryan speaks several languages. One of those that he speaks fluently is

Mandarin.Or

• Clear: Ryan is multilingual. One of the languages that he speaks fluently is Mandarin.

Clear Pronoun Reference cont.

4. Avoid an indefinite reference, which is the use of a pronoun that refers to no specific antecedent ant that is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence.

• Most indefinite reference errors are caused by the misuse of the pronouns it, they, and you.• Indefinite: In the newspaper, it reported that the robbers had been caught.

(The pronoun it is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence.)• Clear: The newspaper reported that the robbers had been caught.