Download Topic: Holt Handbook Chapter 10: Using Pronouns Correctly

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Topic: Holt Handbook
Chapter 10: Using
Pronouns Correctly
Questions/ Main Idea Details/Notes
Case is the form that a noun or pronoun takes to
Case
show its relationship to other words in a
sentence. In English, there are 3 cases:
nominative, objective, possessive.
The form of a noun is the same for both the
nominative case and the objective case. For
example, a noun used as a subject (nominative
case) will have the same form when used as an
indirect object (objective case.)
Nominative case: The singer received a
standing ovation. [subject]
Objective case:
The audience gave the
singer a standing ovation.
[indirect object]
A noun changes its form in the possessive case,
usually by adding an apostrophe and an s.
Possessive case:
Many of the singer’s fans
waited outside the theater.
Unlike nouns, most personal pronouns have
different forms for all three cases. In the
following example, the pronouns in boldface
type all refer to the same person. They have 3
different forms because of their different uses.
• I [nominative] remembered to bring my
[possessive] homework with me [objective].
Refer to chart on pg. 216
Nominative Case
--Predicate
nominative
Objective Case
--Direct object
Nominative case pronouns – I, you, he, she, it,
we and they – are used as subjects of verbs and
as predicate nominatives. The subject of a verb
should be in the nominative case.
Examples:
• I like classical music. [I is the subject of
like.]
• Did he and she sell tickets? [He and she are
the subjects of Did sell]
A predicate nominative should be in the
nominative case. It is a noun or a pronoun that is
in the predicate and that identifies or refers to the
subject of the verb. A personal pronoun used as
a predicated nominative follows a linking verb,
usually a form of the verb be (am, is, are, was,
were, be, or been).
Examples:
• The last one to leave was he. [He follows
the linking verb was and identifies the
subject one.]
Objective case pronouns – me, you, him, her, it,
us and them – are used as direct objects, indirect
objects, and objects of preposition.
A direct object should be in the objective case. It
is a noun, pronoun, or word group that tells who
or what receives the action of the verb.
Examples:
• Evan surprised them. [Them tells whom
Evan surprised]
• Uncle Ramon took me to the rodeo. [Me
tells whom Uncle Ramon took]
• The ranger guided us to the camp. [Us tells
whom the ranger guided.]
--Indirect object
--Object of a
preposition
Possessive Case
An indirect object should be in the object case.
They often appear in sentences containing direct
objects. It tells to whom or what or for whom or
what the action of the verb is done. An indirect
object usually comes between an action and its
direct object.
Examples:
• Coach Mendez gave them a pep talk.
[Them tells to whom Coach Mendez gave a
pep talk.]
• His mother built him a bookcase. [Him tells
for whom his mother built a bookcase.]
A noun or pronoun that follows a preposition is
called the object of a preposition. This should
be in the objective case.
Examples:
• When did you mail the package to them?
[Them is the object of the proposition to.]
• Are you still planning to go to the movies
with us? [Us is the object of the proposition
with.]
The personal pronouns in the possessive case –
my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our,
ours, their, theirs – are used to show ownership
or possession.
The possessive pronouns mine, your, his, hers,
its, ours, and theirs are used as parts of a
sentence in the same ways in which pronouns in
the nominative and the objective cases are used.
(See examples on pg. 225.)
The possessive pronouns my, your, his, her, its,
our, and their are used before nouns to show
ownership or possession.
Who and Whom
Appositives
The use of who or whom in a subordinated
clause depends on how the pronoun functions in
the clause.
(Refer to steps on pg. 226.)
A pronoun used as an appositive is in the same
case as the word to which it refers. An
appositive is a noun or pronoun placed next to
another noun or pronoun to identify or describe
it.
Examples:
• The runners – he, she, and I – warmed up
on the track. [The pronouns are in the
nominative case because they are used as
appositives of the subject, runners.]
• The drama coach introduces the actors,
Laura and me. [The pronoun is in the
objective case because it is used as an
appositive of the direct object, actors.]
Sometimes a pronoun is followed directly by an
appositive. To help you choose which pronoun
to use before an appositive, omit the appositive
and try each form of the pronouns separately.
(See examples on pg. 227.)
Clear Reference
1. Avoid an ambiguous reference, which occurs
when any one of two or more words could be
a pronoun’s antecedent.
Example:
Ambiguous: Melissa proofread Stacy’s essay
while she was at lunch. [Was
Melissa at lunch or was Stacy?]
Clear:
While Melissa was at lunch, she
proofread Stacy’s essay.
Clear:
Melissa proofread Stacy’s essay
while Stacy was at lunch.
2. Avoid a weak reference, which occurs when a
pronoun refers to an antecedent that has been
suggested but not expressed.
Example:
Weak:
We sat quietly bird-watching all
afternoon, but we never saw any.
[The antecedent of any is not
expressed.]
Clear:
We sat quietly bird-watching all
afternoon, but we never saw any
birds.
Clear:
We sat quietly all afternoon
watching for birds, but we never
saw any.