Download Grammar Notes - Mrs. Freeman

Grammar Notes
Chapter 8: Using Pronouns
(Part 1)
English II
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Pronoun Cases
•Personal pronouns take on different forms depending on how they
are used in sentences.
•These forms are called cases.
Singular
First person
Second Person
Third person
Plural
First person
Second person
Third person
Nominative
Objective
Possessive
I
you
he, she it
me
you
him, her, it
my, mine
your, yours
his, her, hers, its
we
you
they
us
you
them
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
Nominative Case
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• The nominative form of a person pronoun is used when a pronoun
functions as a subject or a predicate nominative.
• Examples:
• We saw Bonnie Raitt in concert. She played the guitar.
• A nominative pronoun may be used as part of a compound subject.
• Example:
• Jerry and he went to the concert.
• When a nominative pronoun is used as a predicate nominative, it is
called a predicate pronoun. A predicate pronoun immediately follows
a linking verb and identifies the subject of the sentence.
• Example:
• It was they who stood up and cheered.
Objective Case
• The objective form of a person pronoun is used when the pronoun
functions as a direct object, and indirect object, or an object of a
preposition.
• An objective pronoun is also used as part of a compound object.
• Examples:
• Rena called her. (direct object)
• Rena lent me the CD. (indirect object)
• Rena gave the poster to us. (object of a preposition)
• We heard Sam and her in concert. (compound direct object)
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Possessive Case
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• Personal pronouns that show ownership or relationships are in the possessive
case.
• Possessive pronouns can be used in two ways.
• 1. A possessive pronoun can be used in place of a noun. The pronoun can
function as a subject or an object.
• Examples:
• Where are the earplugs?
• Let me borrow yours. (direct object)
• Mine are upstairs. (subject)
• 2. A possessive pronoun can be used as an adjective to modify a noun or a
gerund. The pronoun comes before the word it modifies.
• Examples:
• Jeb is playing his bongo drums. (modifies a noun)
• Our complaining doesn't help. (modifies a gerund)
Using Who and Whom
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•The case of the pronoun who is determined by the pronoun's function in a
sentence.
Forms of Who and Whoever
Nominative
who, whoever
Objective
whom, whomever
Possessive
whose, whosever
Who and Whom in Questions
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• Who is the nominative form. In a question, who is used as a subject
or as a predicate pronoun.
• Examples:
• Who wrote the song "This Land Is Your Land"? (subject)
• The writer was who? (predicate pronoun)
• Whom is the objective form. In a question, whom is used as a direct
or indirect object of a verb or as the object of a preposition.
• Examples:
• Whom did you ask? (direct object)
• From whom did you get the information? (object of a preposition)
Who and Whom in Subordinate Clauses
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• Who and whom are also used to introduce subordinate clauses.
• To choose the correct form, you must figure out how the pronoun is used
in the clause.
• Who should be used when the pronoun functions as the subject of a
subordinate clause.
• Example:
• Pete Seeger is a singer who cares about the environment.
(subject/subordinate clause)
• Whom should be used when the pronoun functions as a direct object, an
indirect object, or an object of a preposition.
• Example:
• Bob Dylan is one singer whom Pete Seeger influenced. (direct
object/subordinate clause)