Pronoun Case

 

What is Pronoun Case?

Case is the form of a pronoun that shows the reader how it functions in a sentence. The three pronoun cases are subjective, objective, and possessive.

 

Three Types of Pronoun Case:

1.      Subjective

Subjective pronouns function as the subjects in clauses.

 

Ex of subj: They have the flu.

Ex of subj: After he hit the golf ball, Nick walked to the next tee.

 

The following are subjective pronouns: I, he, she, it, we, you, they, who, whoever.

 

2.      Objective

Objective pronouns function as the objects in clauses.

 

Ex: Brendan gave me the flu.

      (In this example, me is the direct object of the verb “gave.”)

Ex: Their opinion of him has suffered.

       (In this example, him is the object of the preprosition “of.”)

 

The following are objective pronouns: me, him, her, it, us, you, them, whom, whomever.

 

3.      Possessive

Possessive pronouns show ownership in clauses.

 

Ex: I am sick of his whining.

Ex: Her umbrella is cute.

 

The following are possessive pronouns: my, mine, his, hers, its, our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs, whose.

 

Tips for Pronoun Case:

·        If the object of a preposition is a pronoun, that pronoun will always be objective case.

 

Ex: Cold weather is welcomed by us skaters.

 

·        If a pronoun follows any form of the verb "to be" (am, are, is, was, were, be, been), the pronoun will always be subjective case.

 

Ex: “This is she,” Julia answered into the phone.

 

·        Possessive pronouns never contain apostrophes.

 

Ex: This coat is yours (not your's).

 

·        Don't use "I" or "you" in your essays, unless the instructor permits it.

 

Pronoun Chart:

The chart below illustrates how pronouns change in their subjective, objective, and possessive forms.

 

                                        Subjective                   Objective                         Possessive

Singular

1st person                                I                                 me                                 my, mine

2nd person                            you                               you                               your, yours

3rd person                        he, she, it                     him, her, it                      his, her, hers, its

 

Plural

1st person                              we                                us                                  our, ours

2nd person                            you                               you                               your, yours

3rd person                            they                             them                              their, theirs

 

Interrogative

Pronouns                             who                            whom                                 whose

                                          whoever                      whomever

 

Remember:

Pronoun case shows the reader how the pronoun functions within the sentence, whether it’s the subject, object or shows ownership. There are three pronoun cases: subjective, objective, and possessive.