Mastering Pronoun Case: Essential Tips and Tricks
P
r
o
n
o
u
n
C
a
s
e
Adapted from
Real Good Grammar, Too
by Mamie Web Hixon
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
To.
To who?
To whom!
W
h
a
t
i
s
P
r
o
n
o
u
n
C
a
s
e
?
•
English has four cases of pronouns: subjective, objective, reflexive,
and possessive.
•
Most of the time, we
use pronouns
correctly without thinking about
which case we
a
re using.
•
However, certain situations often trip writers up.
•
Once you learn these six tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to handle
any pronoun situation that arises.
Subjective
I
He
She
We
They
Who
Objective
Me
Him
Her
Us
Them
Whom
Reflexive
Myself
Himself
Herself
Ourselves
Themselves
---
Possessive
Mine
His
Her(s)
Our(s)
Their(s)
Whose
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
1
:
W
h
o
v
e
r
s
u
s
W
h
o
m
.
S
u
b
s
t
i
t
u
t
e
h
e
f
o
r
w
h
o
a
n
d
h
i
m
f
o
r
w
h
o
m
.
Who/whoever = he, they, she
He is the candidate
who
should win.
(
He
should win.)
Give the money to
whoever
wins.
(
He
wins.)
Whom/whomever = him, them, her
He is a candidate
whom
we can trust.
(We can trust
him
.)
Give the money to
whomever
the team
chooses.
(The team chooses
him
.)
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
2
:
R
e
m
o
v
e
e
x
t
r
a
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
.
With multiple parts of the sentence in which the pronoun is functioning,
ignore/delete the word
and
and the other person:
You and
I figured out the answer.
The professor asked
Imani and
me to read the text.
Everyone except
Nelly and
me
attended the meeting.
With other pronouns accompanying nouns, ignore/delete the noun(s):
●
We
grammar nerds
must stick together.
●
The instructor told us
students
to sit down.
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
3
:
S
u
b
s
t
i
t
u
t
e
w
e
a
n
d
u
s
f
o
r
y
o
u
r
a
n
y
p
r
o
n
o
u
n
a
f
t
e
r
b
e
t
w
e
e
n
.
W
h
i
c
h
o
n
e
w
o
r
k
s
?
The debate was between
him
and his opponent.
The debate was between
we
.
OR
The debate was between
us
.
The
WE-
group (subject pronouns):
I, he, she, we, they, who
The
US-
group (object pronouns):
me, him, her, us, them, whom
An argument broke out between
her
and
me
.
An argument broke out between we.
OR
An argument
broke out between us.
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
4
:
U
s
e
a
p
o
s
s
e
s
s
i
v
e
p
r
o
n
o
u
n
p
r
e
c
e
d
i
n
g
a
g
e
r
u
n
d
.
My going
to the store was essential.
My biking
improved my health.
Substitute a noun for your gerund:
“My trip to the store.”
You wouldn’t say, “Me trip to the store,” so don’t say,
“Me going to the store” either.
Gerund = an
“-ing” verb
acting as a
noun.
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
5
:
I
n
c
o
m
p
a
r
i
s
o
n
s
,
a
d
d
o
r
m
e
n
t
a
l
l
y
i
n
s
e
r
t
t
h
e
m
i
s
s
i
n
g
/
e
l
l
i
p
t
i
c
a
l
w
o
r
d
s
.
My classmates are much older than
(I / me)
.
My brother eats more than
(I / me)
.
Carlos likes Tracy more than
(I / me)
.
Try inserting the implied words:
My classmates are much older than
I
am
.
My brother eats more than
I
do
.
Carlos likes Tracy more than
I
do
.
Or:
Carlos likes Tracy more than
he likes
me
.
T
I
P
/
T
R
I
C
K
6
:
U
s
e
t
h
e
W
e
G
r
o
u
p
(
s
u
b
j
e
c
t
p
r
o
n
o
u
n
s
)
a
f
t
e
r
B
e
-
v
e
r
b
s
.
The winner of the contest is she.
This trick works because the linking verb acts as
an equal sign. “The winner of the contest is she”
means the same thing as “She is the winner of
the contest.” You wouldn’t say, “Her is the
winner of the contest.”
CALLER: May I speak with
Olivia?
OLIVIA: This is she.
Some linking verbs are
is, am, are, was,
and
were
.
Learn about the four cases of pronouns in English - subjective, objective, reflexive, and possessive. Discover six essential tips and tricks to handle pronoun usage effectively, from using "who" and "whom" correctly to understanding when to remove or substitute information. Improve your grammar skills and confidently navigate any pronoun situation that arises.
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Presentation Transcript
Pronoun Case Adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Web Hixon
Knock, knock. Who s there? To. To who? To whom!
What is Pronoun Case? What is Pronoun Case? English has four cases of pronouns: subjective, objective, reflexive, and possessive. Most of the time, we use pronouns correctly without thinking about which case we are using. However, certain situations often trip writers up. Once you learn these six tricks of the trade, you ll be able to handle any pronoun situation that arises.
Subjective Objective Reflexive Possessive I Me Myself Mine She Her Herself Her(s) He His Himself Him They Them Their(s) Themselves We Us Our(s) Ourselves --- Who Whose Whom
TIP/TRICK 1: TIP/TRICK 1: Who for for whom. whom. Who versus versus Whom. Whom. Substitute Substitute he he for for who who and and him him Who/whoever = he, they, she He is the candidate who should win. (He should win.) Give the money to whoeverwins. (He wins.) Whom/whomever = him, them, her He is a candidate whom we can trust. (We can trust him.) Give the money to whomever the team chooses. (The team chooses him.)
TIP/TRICK 2: Remove extra information. TIP/TRICK 2: Remove extra information. With multiple parts of the sentence in which the pronoun is functioning, ignore/delete the word and and the other person: You and I figured out the answer. The professor asked Imani and me to read the text. Everyone except Nelly and me attended the meeting. With other pronouns accompanying nouns, ignore/delete the noun(s): We grammar nerds must stick together. The instructor told us students to sit down.
TIP/TRICK 3: TIP/TRICK 3:Substitute pronoun after pronoun after between Substitute we between. Which one works? . Which one works? we and and us us for your any for your any The debate was between him and his opponent. The debate was between we. OR The debate was between us. The WE-group (subject pronouns): I, he, she, we, they, who The US-group (object pronouns): me, him, her, us, them, whom An argument broke out between her and me. An argument broke out between we. OR An argument broke out between us.
TIP/TRICK 4: Use a possessive pronoun TIP/TRICK 4: Use a possessive pronoun preceding a gerund. preceding a gerund. My going to the store was essential. My biking improved my health. Gerund = an -ing verb acting as a noun. Substitute a noun for your gerund: My trip to the store. You wouldn t say, Me trip to the store, so don t say, Me going to the store either.
TIP/TRICK 5: In comparisons, add or mentally TIP/TRICK 5: In comparisons, add or mentally insert the missing/elliptical words. insert the missing/elliptical words. My classmates are much older than (I / me). My brother eats more than (I / me). Carlos likes Tracy more than (I / me). Try inserting the implied words: My classmates are much older than Iam. My brother eats more than Ido. Carlos likes Tracy more than Ido. Or: Carlos likes Tracy more than he likes me.
TIP/TRICK 6: Use the TIP/TRICK 6: Use the We pronouns) after pronouns) after Be We Group (subject Group (subject Be- -verbs. verbs. The winner of the contest is she. Some linking verbs are is, am, are, was, and were. This trick works because the linking verb acts as an equal sign. The winner of the contest is she means the same thing as She is the winner of the contest. You wouldn t say, Her is the winner of the contest. CALLER: May I speak with Olivia? OLIVIA: This is she.
