Download ch06 - QP Central Library

Chapter 6
Personal
Pronouns
10th Edition, © 2011, Cengage Learning
Guidelines for Using Personal Pronouns
Pronouns fall into three cases.
Singular
Plural
Subjective Case Objective Case Possessive Case
I
me
my, mine
you
you
your, yours
he
him
his
she
her
hers
it
it
its
we
us
our, ours
you
you
your, yours
they
them
their, theirs
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-2
Basic Use of Subjective Case
Subjective case pronouns are used as
subjects of verbs.
◦ He is the supervisor we hired last month.
◦ We asked if they were coming.
◦ They submitted the report on time.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-3
Basic Use of Objective Case
Objective case pronouns are used as
objects of verbs and prepositions.
◦ Object of verb
 The manager called us.
 We told them our plans.
◦ Object of preposition
 That desk is for her.
 Requests are sent to him.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-4
Basic Use of Possessive Case
Possessive pronouns show ownership or
special relationship. They require NO
apostrophes: hers, yours, ours, theirs, its.
◦
◦
◦
◦
Hers is the shiny red Jeep.
Our report is here; where is yours?
Its hood makes the machine less noisy.
Theirs is the house with white trim.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-5
Challenges in Using
Personal Pronouns
 Compounds
 Comparatives
 Appositives
 Reflexive Pronouns
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-6
 Compounds
When pronouns appear as compound
subjects or objects, ignore the extra noun
or pronoun and related words.
◦ Only the manager and I (not me) will
attend.
◦ Mrs. Kuwata assigned Mike and me (not I)
to the job.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-7
 Comparatives
In statements of comparison, finish the
implied comparison in order to determine
pronoun case.
◦ No one works harder than she (not her).
(No one works harder than she works.)
◦ Smoking annoys me as much as him.
(Smoking annoys me as much as it annoys him.)
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-8
 Appositives
Appositives rename or explain previously
mentioned nouns or pronouns.
 When pronouns are used in apposition,
temporarily ignore the appositive.

◦ We (not Us) clerks have our own union.
◦ The lockers are for us (not we) girls.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-9
 Reflexive Pronouns
Do not use self or selves to end a
pronoun unless it refers to a previously
stated noun or pronoun in the same
sentence.
◦ I myself placed the order.
◦ My friend and I (not myself) will apply.
◦ The mail is for Lisa and him (not
himself).
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-10
Advanced Applications of SubjectiveCase Pronouns
 Subject complement
 Infinitive to be without
subject
 Infinitive to be with
subject
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-11
 Subject Complement
Whenever a pronoun follows a linking verb,
that pronoun will be in the subjective
case.
◦ It was he who volunteered.
◦ The caller might have been she.
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-12
 Infinitive To Be Without Subject
Subjective pronouns are used following
the infinitive to be when the infinitive has no
subject.
◦ Kelly was often taken to be she.
(The infinitive to be has no subject. The pronoun
she functions as the complement of the subject.
Kelly is she.)
◦ I wonder if Mr. Woods was taken to be
he.
(The infinitive to be has no subject; the pronoun
he completes the meaning of Mr. Woods. Mr.
Woods was he.)
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-13
 Infinitive To Be With Subject
Objective case pronouns are used
following the infinitive to be when the infinitive
does have a subject.
◦ We thought Ann to be her.
(The subject of to be is Ann. Ann and its pronoun
both function as objects: We thought her to be
Ann.You would not say, We thought she to be Ann.)
◦ Do you expect the attorney to be him?
(The subject of to be is attorney; the object is the
pronoun him. Attorney and its pronoun both
function as objects.)
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-14
Summary of Pronoun Cases
Subjective Case
Objective Case
• Subject of verb

• Subject
complement
Direct or indirect
object of verb

• Infinitive to be
without subject
Object of
preposition

Object of an infinitive

Infinitive to be with
subject
Chapter 6, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
6-15