Download Writing A pronoun must agree in Gender and Number with its

Writing
Pronoun
A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or
quality but does not refer to it by its name.
Antecedent
An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers,
understood by the context.
A pronoun must agree in Gender and Number with its
antecedent.
A pronoun must also maintain the same part of speech as its
antecedent.
First Singular
First Plural
Second
Third Singular
Third Plural
No Number
Nominative
I
we
you
he/she/it
they
who
Possessive
my, mine
our, ours
your
his/hers/its
their/theirs
whose
Objective
me
us
you
him/her/it
them
whom
Reflexive
myself
ourselves
yourselves
himself/herself/itself
themselves
Some personal pronouns are often referred to by other pronouns.
When this happens, the pronouns must agree in number and gender.
Singular
each, either, neither, one,
everyone, everybody, no one,
nobody, anyone, anybody,
someone, somebody.
Plural
May be Singular or
Plural
several, few, both, all, most, any,
many
none
Example:
• Each student took out his or her book.
• Several students took out their books.
• All students took out his or her book.
• All students took out their books.
Use the Nominative case when:
1.
2.
the Pronoun is doing the action of the sentence (is the subject).
• She was right.
a. the Pronoun is contained within an appositive serving as the subject.
• Two boys, Peter and he, were called upon.
the Pronoun is the predicate normative. (Comes after a linking verb such as ‘to be.’)
• It was she who called.
Use the Objective case when:
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
the Pronoun is the direct object. (That which the action is done to.)
• Dad took Richard and me to the game.
the Pronoun is the indirect object. (That which the action is done for.)
• The teacher read a story (to) us.
the Pronoun is the object of a preposition. (Is linked to a preposition.)
• Between you and me, I don’t like this coat.
• Dad left a dollar for Louise and me.
the Pronoun is part of the appositive which makes up the object.
• The teacher called upon two girls, Joan and me.
the Pronoun is the subject of an infinitive.
• I know him to be guilty.
Use the Possessive case:
8.
9.
the Pronoun comes before a noun belonging to someone or something.
• These are his books.
the Pronoun comes before a gerund (a verb posing as a noun).
• Mother didn’t like my being out late.
Who v. Whom
Whom is not simply a fancy form of who.
Who is the nominative case. –use who when you would use the other nominative pronouns
(I, you, he, she, it, they, etc…).
Who was with you?
He was with me.
Whom is the objective case. –use whom when you would use the other objective, “m,”
pronouns (me, him, her, them, etc…).
Whom does he want?
He wants him.