Description:
Pronouns are short nouns used in place of other nouns. "He," "she," "we,"
"I," "it," are all pronouns. Pronoun questions ask you to make sure that
the pronoun used in the sentence is the correct one.
Approach:
All pronouns must match the nouns they represent in several ways:
-
The case of the pronoun (subjective vs. objective) must be correct.
-
The number of the pronoun (singular vs. plural) must match the number
of the noun it represents.
-
The pronoun must clearly refer to only one noun.
1) Pronoun Case
'Case' describes how a pronoun functions. As you might have learned
(and possibly forgotten!) in foreign language classes, pronouns can appear
in either the subjective or objective case. Here's the difference:
Subject pronouns do the action of the sentence.
He went to the store.
(He = subject)
We sat down to the dinner table a little late.
(We = subject)
Object pronouns receive the action of a sentence.
The bike messenger delivered the letter to her on time.
(her = object; subject = ______________)
Mr. Robertson indicated that the phone call was for me.
(me = object; subject = ______________)
(back to top)
2) The most common subject and object pronouns
| SUBJECT |
OBJECT |
| I |
me |
| you |
you |
| he |
him |
| she |
her |
| we |
us |
| they |
them |
| who |
whom |
(back to top)
3) Who vs. Whom
Replace "who" or "whom" with "he" or "him" to determine the right choice.
If "he" works than "who" is the correct option; if "him" sounds right, pick "whom."
What should we do to the following sentence?
(Who, whom) gave you permission?
Which sounds better:
-
Him gave you permission?
-
He gave you permission?
The option that uses "he" definitely sounds better, so our choice should be "who."
(back to top)
4) I vs. Me
Choosing "I" or "me" can be hard if there is another person mentioned in the
sentence. Cover up the other person to determine which pronoun is better.
What should we do to the following sentence?
The masked marauder and (I, me) made a speedy getaway.
Which sounds better:
-
I made a speedy getaway.
-
Me made a speedy getaway.
The first option (with "I") sounds better, so "I" is the right choice.
(back to top)
5) TIP: If a pronoun comes after a preposition (to, of, from, for, etc.)
it should always be an object pronoun.
(back to top)
6) Practice: Choose the correct pronoun in the following sentences.
The principal told Billy to follow Barney and (I, me) to the principal's office.
It was unclear whether the documents were addressed to (he, him) or (I, me).
(We, Us) all want the best for all parties concerned.
(back to top)
7) Pronoun Number
Just like subjects and verbs, a pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun
it represents) in terms of number.
Incorrect:
Anyone who takes that job must be out of their mind!
("Anyone" is singular, so it doesn't match with "their." Instead of "their,"
we need to use the singular: "his," "her," or "his or her.")
What's wrong with this one?
I asked the journalist if the error was his fault and they replied that they were not to blame.
(back to top)
8) Ambiguous Pronoun Reference
Ambiguous pronouns are unclear; they could refer to any one of a number of antecedents.
The following sentences contain ambiguous pronouns:
Incorrect:
I saw Davey and James yesterday and boy was he tired!
(The problem here is that we don't know who the "he" is: Davey or James?
We need to mention one of them specifically.)
What's wrong with this one?
In that country, they have laws that prohibit littering.
Who's 'they'?
(back to top)
9) Animate vs. Inanimate Pronouns (otherwise known as People vs.
Thing pronouns)
People cannot be paired with pronouns that describe things. They must be linked
up with pronouns describing people. Only inanimate objects (things) can use the
pronouns "that" and "which." Refer to the following chart:
| TYPE OF NOUN |
PRONOUN |
| person, people |
who, whom |
| things |
that, which |
| places |
where |
| time |
when |
(back to top)
