| SUBJECT
PRONOUNS (I, HE, SHE, IT, WE, THEY, WHO) are used for
-
Subjects
of independent clauses : HE knows the time.
-
Subjects
of dependent clauses: Bill knows that I am sick.
Note: Dependent clauses start with words like BECAUSE,
THAT, WHEN, WHERE, etc.
- Subject
complements: It is SHE.
Note: This always used in written English, but is seldom
used in spoken English, so it will not
sound right.
- Appositives
to subjects or subject complements: The Main StreetGang--Edgar,
Amy, and I--have always
helped out our school.
Note: An appositive is a word or phrase that follows and renames a noun.
Don't be confused when an appositive follows a pronoun: WE students were punished.
OBJECT
PRONOUNS (ME, HIM, HER, IT, US, THEM, WHOM) are used for
- Direct
objects: Ed asked HER to the dance.
- Indirect
objects: Sam gave HIM the answer.
- Objects
of prepositions: Jeff talked to THEM.
- Objects
of verbals: It took almost an hour to write HIM.
- Pushing
THEM to their limit, the captain became exhausted.
- Teasing
HER was a favorite game.
- Appositives
to an object: The principal
punished the disruptive students--my pals and ME.
Note: Don't
be confused when an appositive follows a pronoun: The teacher gave US students a
dirty look.
COMPOUNDS--To
identify the functions of pronouns when they are part of compounds,
omit the rest of the compound:
Butch and I got lost.
(I got lost.)
Give it to Edith and ME.
(Give it to me.)
POSSESSIVE
PRONOUNS do not have an apostrophe:
The problems were HERS.
The dog hurt ITS paw.
The only time you will use an apostrophe with a pronoun is with a
contraction: IT'S over. (IT IS over.)
SHE'S gone. (SHE IS gone.)
Formal English does not use contractions.
WHO/WHOM--WHO
is used for subjects; WHOM is used for objects.
Look to see how
it's used in the smallest unit it is in.
The secretary is not sure WHO CALLED. (WHO is the subject of
the verb CALLED.)
I don't know WHOM it is YOU MEAN. (WHOM is the object of the verb
MEAN.)
The use of WHO
is common than WHOM, and spoken English seldom uses WHOM.
NOTE:
You need to be able to find subjects and objects to use pronouns correctly.
If you have trouble identifying functions of words in sentences,
review Module #1--Basic Sentence Patterns. |
