Pronoun Rules – Review

• Harish Sir teaches us quant.

Remember Pronouns? The ‘dupes’!

Pronouns – 3 cases

• Subjective

– I took that picture.

• Objective

– Give the picture to me.

• Possessive

– The picture is mine.

Subjective Objective Possessive Reflexive

1st Person Singular

I Me My/Mine Myself

1st PersonPlural

We Us Our/Ours Ourselves

2nd Person Sing& Plural

You You Your/Yours Yourself

3rd Person Singular

He/She Him/Her His/Her/Hers Himself/Herself

3rd Person Plural

They Them Their/Theirs Themselves

Impersonal It It Its Itself

Subjective Objective Possessive Reflexive

1st Person Singular

I Me My/Mine Myself

1st PersonPlural

We Us Our/Ours Ourselves

2nd Person Sing& Plural

You You Your/Yours Yourself

3rd Person Singular

He/She Him/Her His/Her/Hers Himself/Herself

3rd Person Plural

They Them Their/Theirs Themselves

Impersonal It It Its Itself

Use the subjective case

• Pronoun is the subject of a verb

– Sam and (I, me) like to click photographs.

– Quick tip: You always come last – so never I and Sam in English

Use the subjective case

• Pronoun is a predicate nominative

– A noun/pronoun that follows a linking verb and identifies or renames the subject.

• The person on the terrace was (I, me).

• Use I since the pronoun just renames the person on the terrace.

• It is I or It is me???

Use the objective case

• Pronoun is the direct object of the verb

– The teacher failed (he, him).

– (Who, Whom) did she finally invite to the party?

– She can invite (whoever, whomever) she wants?

Use the objective case

• Pronoun is the indirect object of the verb

– Indirect object can take a ‘to/for’ before it.

– I bought my teacher a present.

– The book gave my boss and (I, me) some new strategies.

Use the objective case

• Pronoun is the object of a preposition

– Put the sheet over (I, me)

– Everybody wants to go out with (he, him)

Use the possessive case

• Before gerunds

– (You, Your) singing has been greatly appreciated.

– Do you mind (my, me) borrowing your cell phone?

– Quick tip

• Use possessive pronouns without apostrophes.

More rules

• Two girls, Priya and (she, her), were recommended for the scholarship. (apposition)

• The boss wants Anju and (I, me) to host the show. (infinitive)

More rules

• She forced herself to visit the doctor. (reflexive).

• The boss and (myself, I) went for a trip.

• (Myself, I) did it.

Consider:

1. Last week a wart appeared on my thumb and I want it removed.

2. Guilt and unkindness can be emotionally destructive to you and your friends. You must get rid of them.

3 Rules

1. Clearly refer to a single antecedent.

2. Place close to the antecedents

3. Refer to a definite antecedent

1. I told my friends that I was going to be a rock star, which annoyed my mother.

2. My mother was annoyed because I told my friends that I was going to be a rock star.

Who, which or that?

• Which – non restrictive; that – restrictive

• In it-clauses use ‘that’

– It is the car that I was referring to.

• Clauses with superlatives use ‘that’

– The best book that anyone can find.

• Two relative pronouns should not be the same.

– Who is the boy that you were talking about?