Pronouns

Unit 6

Grammar/Usage 1: Subject Pronouns• A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. A subject

pronoun takes the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence.

Noun PronounCarl watches the swimmers He watches the swimmers.Rope divides the lanes. It divides the lanes.Jean and Susan practice. They practice.

Subject PronounsSubject pronouns also follow forms of the linking verb be.

Example: The lifeguard today is he.Example: Yesterday, the lifeguards were Tara and I.

Singular PluralI WeYou YouHe, she, it they

TIP:

Although not required in this textbook, you should know that subject pronouns are also called Nominative Pronouns in other books.

Grammar/Usage 2: Object Pronouns

Object pronouns can replace nouns used after action verbs or after words to, for, with, in, or out.Example: Mrs. Stone drove Carl. NounExample: Mrs. Stone drove him. Object Pronoun

Object Pronouns

Do NOT use and object pronoun when you need a subject pronoun.

Incorrect Example: Him and me like that car.Correct Example: He and I like that car.

Incorrect Example: The drivers were Dad and her.Correct Example: The drivers were Dad and she.

Object PronounsA pronoun after an action verb or after words such as to, for, with, in, or at is always an object pronoun even where there are more than one object.

Incorrect Example: Mary thanked he and Mrs. Stone.Correct Example: Mary thanked him and Mrs. Stone.Incorrect Example: Alice waited on Mary and she.Correct Example: Alice waited on Mary and her.

Grammar/Usage 3: Using I

and Me You have learned to use the subject pronoun I as a subject or after forms of the linking verb be. You have also learned to use the object pronoun me after action verbs or words such as to, for, with, in, or at. You may have trouble, however, deciding whether to use I or me when they are joined with nouns or other pronouns. To help you decide, say the sentence with only I or me.

Using I and MeWith a Noun or Another Pronoun

With I or me only

Diana and I ride the bus. I ride the bus.The winners were Dave and I. The winner was I.Who chose Carl and me? Who chose me?Is Leo coming with him and me?

Is Leo coming with me?

Using I or Me

When you use I or me with nouns or other pronouns, always name yourself last.

Example: Scott and I invited Rosa.Example: He and I saw Rosa.Example: Rosa met Scott and me.Example: Rose waited for him and me.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns Used with Nouns Possessive Pronouns That Stand Alone

My My book is green. Mine The green book is mine.

Your Clean your desk. Yours Yours is messy.

His His bike is blue. His The blue bike is his.

Her This is her house. Hers Hers is the gray house.

Its Its coat is shaggy. Its Its is the shaggy coat.

Our Those are our pens. Ours Those pens are ours.

Your Take your sweaters. Yours Leave yours here.

Their Their hats are red. Theirs Those hats are theirs.

Grammar/Usage 5: Contractions with Pronouns

A contraction is a shortened form of two words. An apostrophe (‘) replaces any letters dropped when the words are combined. You can make contractions by combining pronouns and the verbs am, are, is, will, would, have, has, and had.

ContractionsPronoun + Verb ContractionI am I’mHe is He’sIt is It’sYou are You’reThey are They’reI will/shall I’llYou will You’llWe would We’d

ContractionsPronoun + Verb ContractionI am I’mHe has He’sIt has It’sYou have You’veThey have They’veI had I’dYou had You’dWe had We’d

Grammar/Usage 6: Double Subjects

Every sentence must have a subject. Sometimes people incorrectly use a double subject—a noun and a pronoun-to name the same person, place, or thing.Incorrect Example: Mary she is my sister.Correct Example: Mary is my sister.Correct Example: She is my sister.Incorrect Example: Her hat it is pretty.Correct Example: Her hat is pretty.Correct Example: It is pretty.

Grammar/Usage 7: Using We and Us with Nouns

• Sometimes you use a noun with the pronoun we or us to make clear whom you are talking about.

Example: We girls took our places on the field.• Use the same pronoun as you would if the noun were not

there. Use we with noun subjects or after linking verbs.Example: We girls threw the ball. Example: The best players are we girls.

Using We and Us with Nouns

Use the pronouns us with nouns that follow an action verb or a word such as to, for, with, or at.Example: The girls threw the ball to us boys.Example: They will not beat us boys.To decide whether we or us is correct, read the sentence without the noun.Example: We friends watch the game. We watch the game.Example: The coach talked to us players.Example: The coach talked to us.

The End