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PRONOUN USAGE
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Definition: A pronoun that changes form depending on what
person is referred to
1st person—person speaking (I, we)
2nd person—person spoken to (you)
3rd person—person other than the speaker or the person
spoken to (he, she, it, they)
PRONOUN CASES
Definition: The case or form changes depending on the use of
the pronoun
Singular Pronouns
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
Nominative
Case
I
you
he, she, it
Objective
Case
me
you
him, her, it
Possessive
Case
my, mine
your, yours
his, her, hers,
its
Plural Pronouns
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
Nominative
Case
we
you
they
Objective
Case
us
you
them
Possessive
Case
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
The Nominative Case
Used as:
1. SUBJECT
2. PREDICATE NOMINATIVE
The Nominative Case as a Subject:
She is a good friend of mine.
Problem Situations:
1. A compound subject
 The girls and (he, him) went to the movies.
 Try each subject separately.
The girls went to the movies.
(He, him) went to the movies.
2. A pronoun and a noun appositive
 (We, us) freshmen wish we didn’t have to write a
research paper
 Remove the appositive
(We, us) wish we didn’t have to write a research
paper.
The Nominative Case as a Predicate Nominative
 Predicate nominative is a noun that follows a linking verb
 SUBJECT = PREDICATE NOMINATIVE
(Common linking verbs: AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE,
MAY BE, etc.)
Example: It was he who suggested that they take a day off
of work.
THE OBJECTIVE CASE
Used in the following ways:
1. Direct object
2. Indirect object
3. Object of the preposition
As a direct object:
Jessica decided to call him.
The explosion frightened my friends and me.
As an indirect object
I handed him my math homework.
As the object of a preposition:
He stood in line between you and me.
NOTE: Again, watch out for the following scenarios:
1. Compound object—I made sure to call Sam and
(she, her).
2. Noun appositive—Everyone blames (we, us)
students for the trouble.
WHO VS. WHOM, p. 224
Nominative—who, whoever
Objective—whom, whomever
When WHO/ WHOM is used in a subordinate clause, the use of
the pronoun is determined by its function IN THE CLAUSE.
Steps in Using Who/ Whom:
1. Find the subordinate clause
2. Determine how the pronoun is used IN the clause
 SUB, PN, DO, IO, OP
 Identifying the subject and verb of the clause
may help
3. Determine the case of the pronoun based on the usual rules
4. Select the correct from of the pronoun
NOTE: No words outside of the clause affect the case of the
pronoun.
EXAMPLE:
Herb Matthew, (who, whom) I sat next to, fell asleep during the
last act of the play.
1. SUBORDINATE CLAUSE: (who, whom) I sat next to
2. FUNCTION IN CLAUSE:
 Subject of clause = I
 Verb of clause = sat
 (Who, whom) = object of preposition
3. CASE
 Object of Preposition = OBJECTIVE
4. FORM
 OBJECTIVE IS WHOM
Example: I voted for Margaret O’Rourke (who, whom) my friends
recommended.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Example: Do you know (who, whom) she is?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Incomplete Construction, p. 230
 Occurs when part of the sentence is omitted but
understood
Example: My sister is older than I
(IMPLIED: My sister is older than I [am old]).
After than and as in an incomplete construction, use the form of
the pronoun that you would use if the construction were
completed.
Example: Fran was as delighted as (I, me).
Fran was as delighted as I was.
NOTE: Sometimes the choice of pronoun affects the meaning of
the entire sentence.
Example: I know Jerry better than (he, him).