10 | Pronoun Case
10|Pronoun Case
Depending on a pronoun’s function in a sentence, we say that it is in the subjective case, the objective case, or the possessive case. Some pronouns change form when they change case, and some do not. The personal pronouns I, he, she, we, and they and the relative pronoun who have different forms in the subjective, objective, and possessive cases. Other pronouns, such as you and it, have only two forms: the plain case (which serves as both subjective and objective) and the possessive case.
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Personal Pronouns at a Glance
| SUBJECTIVE | OBJECTIVE | POSSESSIVE | ||||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| First Person | I | we | me | us | my/mine | our/ours |
| Second Person | you | you | you | you | your/yours | your/yours |
| Third Person | he | they | him | them | his | their/theirs |
| she | her | her/hers | ||||
| it | it | its | ||||
10aUse the subjective case for the subject of a sentence or clause.
A subject is the part of a sentence that names something—a person, an object, an idea, a situation—about which the verb in the predicate makes an assertion (see 2).
Jed and I ate the granola.
Who cares?
Maya recalled that she played baseball.
Election officials are the people who count.
A pronoun serving as the subject for a verb is subjective even when the verb isn’t written but is only implied:
Don’t be fooled by a pronoun that appears immediately after a verb, looking as if it were a direct object but functioning as the subject of a clause. The pronoun’s case is determined by its role, not by its position.
10bUse the subjective case for a subject complement.
A subject complement is a noun, an adjective, or a group of words that follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject (see 3b).
When a pronoun functions as a subject complement, it plays essentially the same role as the subject and its case is subjective.
An appositive is a word or group of words that adds information by identifying a subject or an object in a different way (see 4b).
10cUse the subjective case for an appositive to a subject or subject complement.
A pronoun in apposition to a subject or subject complement is like an identical twin to the noun it stands beside. It has the same meaning and case.
Objective Case
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10dUse the objective case for a direct object, an indirect object, the object of a preposition, or the subject of an infinitive.
A direct object is the target of a verb that completes the action performed by the subject or asserted about the subject (see 3a).
An indirect object is a person or thing affected by the subject’s action, usually the recipient of the direct object, through the action indicated by a verb (see 3a).
The custard pies hit him and me. [The objective pronouns him and me are direct objects of the verb hit.]
Mona threw us towels. [The objective pronoun us is an indirect object of the verb threw.]
Mona threw towels to him and us. [The objective pronouns him and us are direct objects of the preposition to.]
We always expect him to win. [The objective pronoun him is the subject of the infinitive to win. This is the only case in which an objective pronoun is used as a subject.]
10eUse the objective case for an appositive to a direct or indirect object or the object of a preposition.
The object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition, connecting it to the rest of the sentence (see 4b).
An infinitive consists of the base form of a verb plus the word to (see 8a).
Possessive Case
10fUse the possessive case to show ownership.
Possessive pronouns can function as adjectives or as nouns. My, your, his, her, its, our, and their function as adjectives by modifying nouns or pronouns.
My new bike is having its first road test today.
The possessive pronoun its does not contain an apostrophe. It’s with an apostrophe is a contraction for it is, as in “It’s a beautiful day for bike riding.”
The possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs can discharge the whole range of noun duties, serving as subjects, subject complements, direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions.
| SUBJECT | Yours is the last vote we need. |
| SUBJECT COMPLEMENT | This day is ours. |
| DIRECT OBJECT | Don’t take your car; take mine. |
| INDIRECT OBJECT | If we’re honoring requests, give hers top priority. |
| OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION | Give Mia’s request priority over theirs. |
10gUse the possessive case to modify a gerund.
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A gerund is a form of a verb, ending in -ing, that functions as a noun (see 8a).
A possessive pronoun (or possessive noun) is the appropriate escort for a gerund. As a noun, a gerund requires an adjective for a modifier.
A present participle is a form of a verb ending in -ing that cannot function alone as a main verb but can act as an adjective (see 8a).
However, editing possessives can be confusing because two different verb forms both end in -ing: gerunds that act as nouns and present participles that act as adjectives. If you are not sure whether to use a possessive for a gerund or an objective pronoun with a word ending in -ing, look closely at your sentence. Which word—the pronoun or the -ing word—is the object of your main verb? That word functions as a noun; the other word modifies it.
Mr. Phipps remembered them smoking in the boys’ room. [Mr. Phipps remembers them, those naughty students. Them is the object of the verb, so smoking is a participle modifying them.]
Mr. Phipps remembered their smoking in the boys’ room. [Mr. Phipps remembers smoking, that nasty habit. The gerund smoking is the object of the verb, and the possessive pronoun their modifies it.]
EXERCISE 10-1 Using Pronoun Case Correctly
Replace any pronouns used incorrectly in the following sentences. Explain why each was incorrect. (Consider all these examples as written—not spoken—English, so apply the rules strictly.) Some sentences may be correct. Example:
I didn’t appreciate you laughing at her and I.
Lee and me would be delighted to serenade whomever will listen.
The managers and us servers are highly trustworthy.
The neighbors were driven berserk by him singing.
Jerry and myself regard you and she as the very people who we wish to meet.
Have you guessed the identity of the person of who I am speaking?
It was him asking about the clock that started me suspecting him.
They—Jerry and her—are the troublemakers.
Mrs. Van Dumont awarded the prize to Mona and I.
The counterattack was launched by Dusty and myself.