Pronoun Usage

WRITING STYLE TIPS

Nominative case pronouns are used ONLY as subjects or predicate nominatives. Objective case pronouns are used ONLY as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions.

Note: An appositive pronoun is nominative case when the appositive renames a subject or a predicate nominative. An appositive pronoun is objective case when it renames a direct object, an indirect object or the object of a preposition.

EXAMPLES

The Queen and I had tea together.
          NOT
The Queen and me had tea together.

    Subject = I
             Use I because it is a nominative case pronoun.

King John and she were friends.
          NOT
King John and her were friends.

     Subject = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The winner is she.
         NOT
The winner is her.

     Predicate nominative = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The President gave him the Medal of Honor.

     Indirect object = him
              Use him because it is an objective case pronoun.

The police stopped them at the interstate exit.

     Direct object = them
              Use them because it is an objective case pronoun.

The little boy ate dinner with her.

     Object of the preposition = her
              Use her because it is an objective case pronoun.

Hint: When a pronoun functions as ANY sort of object in a sentence, always use the objective case.

Usage tips for indefinite pronouns:

Verbs must agree in number with pronoun subjects. Indefinite pronouns ending in “body” are always considered singular.

EXAMPLE    

 Everybody leaves at the same time.
        NOT
 Everybody leave at the same time.

Often indefinite pronouns are followed by a (prepositional phrase). The verb must agree in number with the indefinite pronoun.

EXAMPLE    

Each of the books is on the shelf.
        NOT
Each of the books are on the shelf.

Other pronouns used with indefinite pronouns ending in “body” must be singular in number.

EXAMPLE     

Everybody needs his or her hat.
        NOT
Everybody needs their hat.

Exceptions: Some, all, any, none, most.  For these pronouns you must look at the (prepositional phrase) or the context to determine singular or plural.

EXAMPLES of the exceptions

            Some (of the pie) is gone.

            Some (of the girls) are gone.

            Most (of the pie) is gone.

            Most (of the girls) are gone.

WRITING STYLE TIPS

Note the use of the relative pronoun in the sentence to tell which to use.

To begin questions:

Who are those Montagues?

Whom did Tybalt slay?

Which books are the new ones?

Whose friends are the Smiths?

What are you doing?

To connect a [noun clause] or an {adjective clause} with an independent clause:

[Whoever wants help] should see the teacher tomorrow.

     [Noun clause] used as subject = [whoever wants help]

Be careful not to use demonstrative pronouns as nouns.

WRITING STYLE TIPS

Only use reflexive pronouns to add emphasis (intensive pronouns) or to refer to the subject in the sentence.

EXAMPLE

For emphasis

It was Christopher Columbus /himself/ who led the ships across the ocean to the New World 
         Pronoun of emphasis used as /appositive/= /himself/

George Washington chopped the cherry tree down (by himself).
         Pronoun referring to the subject and used as object of the preposition = himself

Reflexive pronouns are not used as subjects 

Mother and I are going to the mountains.
        NOT
Mother and myself are going to the mountains.

Anna and the King of Siam built a school (by themselves).
        NOT
Anna and the King of Siam built a school by theirselves.

Exercises

  Level A
  Level B
  Level C