Download Cases of Pronouns

Notes-Pronoun Case
1
Cases of Pronouns
Personal pronouns take on different forms, depending on how they are used in sentences. These
forms are called cases. There are three pronoun cases: nominative, objective, and possessive.
Personal Pronouns
Nominative
Objective
Possessive
Singular
First person
Second person
Third person
I
You
He, she, it
Me
You
Him, her, it
My, mine
Your, yours
His, her, hers, its
Plural
First person
Second person
Third person
We
You
They
Us
You
Them
Our, ours
Your, yours
Their, theirs
Nominative Case
The nominative case of a personal pronoun is used when the pronoun functions as a subject
or a predicate nominative. When a pronoun functions as a predicate nominative, it is
called a predicate pronoun. It immediately follows a linking verb and identifies the subject
of the sentence.
Subject: I went on the trip.
Predicate Pronoun: My best friend is she.
The nominative case is also used when the pronoun is part of a compound subject.
Carlos and he led the expedition.
Objective Case
The objective case of a personal pronoun is used when the pronoun functions as a direct
object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition.
Direct object: The group found me after a day-long search.
Indirect object: The mysterious stranger gave us the treasure map.
Object of a preposition: Katie climbed the mountain with them.
The objective case is also used when a pronoun is part of a compound object.
Suddenly the earth opened up between Josh and me.
Notes-Pronoun Case
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Procedure for choosing the correct pronoun case:
Ben and (I, me) explored the outback.
Erin went with Ben and (I, me).
1. Try each pronoun choice alone in the sentence.
I explored the outback.
Me explored the outback.
(nominative case correct)
Erin went with I.
Erin went with me.
(objective case correct)
2. Choose the correct case for the sentence.
Ben and I explored the outback.
Erin went with Ben and me.
Possessive Case
Personal pronouns that show ownership or relationships are in the possessive case.
Possessive pronouns can be used in two ways:
1. The possessive pronouns mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs can be used in place
of a noun. The pronoun can function as a subject or an object.
I need to see a map of the whole region.
Can I see yours? Mine is missing.
2. The possessive pronouns my, our, your, his, her, its, and their can be used to modify a
noun or gerund. The pronoun precedes the noun or gerund it modifies.
Our searching the area led to their recovery.
GERUND
NOUN
Remember that a gerund acts as a noun. That’s why the possessive pronoun can modify
it. DO use a possessive pronoun with a gerund.
No one objected to his climbing the mountain alone.
GERUND
DO NOT use a possessive pronoun with a participle.
We saw him climbing the mountain alone.
PARTICIPLE
Notes-Pronoun Case
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Who and Whom
Forms of Who and Whoever
who, whoever
Nominative
whom, whomever
Objective
whose, whosever
Possessive
Who and whom can be used to ask questions and to introduce subordinate clauses.
Who and Whom in Questions
In a question, the nominative pronoun who is used as a subject or as a predicate pronoun.
Who discovered radium?
The scientist was who?
In a question, the objective pronoun whom is used as a direct object, an indirect object, or the
object of a preposition.
Whom did Marie Curie marry?
With whom did she work?
Who and Whom in Subordinate Clauses
When deciding whether to use who or whom in a subordinate clause, consider only how the
pronoun functions within the clause. Use who when the pronoun is the subject of the clause.
He’s the climber who planted the flag.
Use whom when the pronoun is an object in the subordinate clause.
The climber whom we all know planted the flag.
Pronouns and Appositives
The pronouns we and us are often followed by an appositive, a noun that identifies the pronoun.
We explorers meet on Mondays.
APPOSITIVE
The task was assigned to us students.
APPOSITIVE
Procedure for choosing we or us with appositives:
(We, Us) divers refused to explore the ship.
1. Rewrite the sentence without the appositive.
(We, Us) refused to explore the ship.
2. Determine whether the pronoun is a subject or an object. In this sentence, the pronoun is
a subject.
3. Write the sentence, using the correct case.
We divers refused to explore the ship.
Notes-Pronoun Case
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Sometimes a pronoun is used in an appositive. The pronoun helps to identify a preceding noun.
Notice that pronouns used in appositives take the nominative case as a subject and the objective
case if they function as an object.
The guides, Emilio and I, met for lunch.
SUBJECT
APPOSITIVE
Procedure for choosing correct pronoun to use in appositives:
The museum paid the explorers, Ron and (she, her), for the find.
1. Rewrite the sentence, using the appositive by itself.
The museum paid Ron and (she, her) for the find.
2. Determine whether the pronoun is a subject or an object. In this sentence, the pronoun is
a direct object.
3. Write the sentence, using the correct case.
The museum paid the explorers, Ron and her, for the find.
Pronouns in Comparisons
A comparison can be made by using than or as to begin a clause.
Linda is a more successful explorer than he is.
No one was as adventurous as he was.
When you omit one or more words from the final clause in a comparison, the clause is said to be
elliptical.
No one was as adventurous as he.
If you have trouble determining the correct pronoun to use in an elliptical clause, fill in the
unstated words.
None of the guides were as experienced as (he, him). [was]
None of the guides were as experienced as he.
Notice that the case of the pronoun you use in a comparison can affect the meaning of the
sentence.
I depend on Paul more than he.
(This means “I depend on more on Paul than he does.”)
I depend on Paul more than him.
(This means “I depend on Paul more than I depend on him.”)