ENGLISH ENGLISH 7CP7CP

MR. SNOWMR. SNOW

USING PRONOUNSUSING PRONOUNSCORRECTLYCORRECTLY

CASECASE• Case is the form a noun or pronoun takes to show its

relationship to other words in the sentence.

• 3 types of case:

• Nominative — SUBJECT

• Objective — OBJECT

• Possessive — OWNERSHIP

NOMINATIVE OBJECTIVENOMINATIVE OBJECTIVE(SUBJECT) (OBJECT)(SUBJECT) (OBJECT)

I, we

You, you [plural]

He, she, it, they

Me, us

You, you [plural]

Him, her, it, them

NOMINATIVENOMINATIVE CASECASE• The subject of a verb is in nominative case.

• He and I mowed lawns yesterday.

• You and she ought to go to the store.

• Will you or we be presenting this paper?

NOMINATIVE CASENOMINATIVE CASE• A predicate nominative is a word in the predicate

that identifies the subject.

• Predicate nominatives take the nominative case.

• The winners should have been he and she. [not him and her]

• The members of the team are they. [not them]

• It is I! [not me]

OBJECTIVE CASEOBJECTIVE CASE• If a pronoun is not the subject, it is the If a pronoun is not the subject, it is the objectobject..

• Direct and indirect objects (words that identify who/what the Direct and indirect objects (words that identify who/what the verb is done for or to) are in the objective case.verb is done for or to) are in the objective case.

• Mom called me to the phone. [not I]

• Julia bought them to make the filling. [not they]

• The hostess handed herher a nametag. [not she]

• Mom, can you take him and me to the mall? [not he and I]

OBJECTIVE CASEOBJECTIVE CASE• Pronouns that appear in prepositional phrases are called

objects of a preposition, and they take the objective case.

• Before us lay rows of green cornstalks. [not we]

• The secret is between him and me. [not he and I]

• Please stand next to her. [not she]

• Give it to her and them, please. [not she and they]

WHO VS. WHOMWHO VS. WHOM• When do I use who, and when do I use whom??

• When it is nominative [subject], use who.

• When it is objective [object], use whom.• Please ask who is calling. [who = subject]• Who left this? [who = subject]• To whom should I give the ticket? [whom = object of the

preposition to]• Whom are we inviting to the dance? [whom = direct

object of the verb are inviting]

• If you’d use he, use who. If you’d use him, use whom.

PRONOUN/APPOSITIVEPRONOUN/APPOSITIVE• Sometimes a pronoun is directly followed by a noun that

identifies it. This noun is called an appositive.

• Ex: Sometimes we teachers do actually leave our classrooms!

• To determine whether to use a nominative or objective pronoun before an appositive, remove the appositive, and try both pronouns.

PRONOUN/APPOSITIVEPRONOUN/APPOSITIVE• On Saturdays ( we / us ) cyclists ride to Mt.

McCabe and back.

• On Saturdays, ( we ride / us ride )

• On Saturdays, we cyclists ride…

• The speaker praised ( we / us ) volunteers for our hard work.

• The speaker ( praised we / praised us )

• The speaker praised us volunteers…

CLEAR REFERENCECLEAR REFERENCE• Be sure a pronoun clearly tells which antecedent

it’s referring to.

• Jeremy promised to meet Joe at his house.

• at whose house?

• Jeremy promised to meet Joe at Joe’s house.

• Jeremy promised to meet Joe at Jeremy’s house.

UNCLEAR!

CLEAR!

CLEAR!

CLEAR REFERENCECLEAR REFERENCE• Mr. Cassner asked Todd to file the memo after he

read it.

• after who read it?

• Mr. Cassner asked Todd to file the memo after Mr. Cassner read it.

• Mr. Cassner asked Todd to file the memo after Todd read it.

UNCLEAR!

CLEAR!

CLEAR!

POSSESSIVE CASEPOSSESSIVE CASE• The possessive case shows ownership/possession.

• That is my car.

• The house’s foundation appears to be solid.

• The students’ scores were high.

• Which apple is hers?

FIN