The proper use of pronouns has all but ceased in our modern age. In truth, common vernacular has begun to create a new rule with regards to proper usage here- mainly, that there is no rule. Furthermore, the proper use of pronouns has even accrued a sort of negative stigma in our modern speech; it is seen as stuffy, even obtuse in some cases. This is not quite the travesty that some linguistic purists might make it out to be. If the goal of conversation is communication, and if understanding is achieved, then what have we really lost? Yet, there are instances in which one might need to adhere to proper usage, particularly in scholarly writing and, perhaps, in formal interviews, etc. Thus, I have compiled a quick guide to proper pronoun usage. My goal here is to make the rules as simple and accessible as possible. So, without further rambling, let us begin.
To begin, I will give a brief list of the pronouns most commonly used in the English language:
First Person Singular: I, me
First Person Plural: we, us
Second Person Singular and Plural: you
Third Person Singular: he/she, him/her, it
Third Person Plural: they, them
Relative Pronouns Relevant Here: who, whom
This does not compile the entire list of pronouns in common usage. The purpose of this essay is, particularly, to address confusion surrounding when to use particular Personal and Relative Pronouns (he vs. him, who vs. whom, I vs. me, etc.).
First, of the common pronouns above, some are subject pronouns and others are object pronouns. The simple difference between the two is that a subject pronoun commits and action while an object pronoun receives an action.
Subject Pronouns: I, we, you, he, she, it, they, who
Object Pronouns: me, us, you, him, her, it, them, whom
Examples: I gave the book to him.
He gave the book to me.
In this example the subject pronoun is used to signify who is giving. The use of the object pronoun indicates to whom the book is given, or who is receiving. This can be tricky at times. Often the same action can be communicated with either the subject or the object pronoun in use, depending on how the sentence is structured and where emphasis is placed.
Examples: I got the book.
The book was given to
me.
This is clearly the same scenario, the same action. The difference here is that the first sentence places emphasis on the reception of the book, whereas the second sentence places emphasis on the giving of the book. In the first sentence, the person represented by the pronoun I is performing the action by getting the book. In the second sentence, an unidentified other is performing the action of giving the book, and the person represented by the pronoun me is the object, or target, of that action.
Making the distinction between subject and object is the most vital part of correct pronoun usage. Once one comes to an understanding of the distinction between subject and object pronouns, one only need remember which pronouns are assigned to which roles and the meat of the work is done.
This completes a majority of the initial discussion of proper pronoun usage. I will close with a few more examples, for the sake of clarification, and with a brief tip concerning multiple pronouns appearing in the same sentence.
Examples: For Whom the Bell Tolls I gave her the book.
Who tolled the bell? She gave the book to him.
To whom did she give it? We ate.
We were eaten. You ate us.
Warning: some of the most confusing pronoun usage situations appear when multiple pronouns are used in the same sentence. When dealing with a situation like this, omit one of the pronouns to see how the sentence would sound with only one, and then do the same with the other. It is much easier to judge proper usage in a simplified sentence.
Not: The books were given to her and I.
To simplify this sentence, omit the pronoun her and rewrite the sentence.
What you are left with: The books were given to I.
This is most obviously incorrect. So, we replace I with me and form the sentence:
The books were given to me. --> The books were given to her and me.
This, though it may sound stuffy if said in everyday conversation, is correct pronoun usage. It may not be imperative that you speak in such a way, but most people looking at essays and articles will expect this kind of attention to detail and understanding of basic grammar.
I got a hold of some bad pork chops the other day, and they didn't
agree with me. Stomach aches aren't very pleasant. Don't you
agree?
We all know these meanings of "agree," but when we talk about
subject-verb agreement, we're talking about something different: matching
subjects and
verbs according to
number. That is, when you have a
singular subject, you have to match it with a
singular verb form:
The boy plays. When you have a
plural subject, you must have a
plural verb form:
The boys play.
In short, simple sentences, you should have no problem with agreement. You can hear the problem: The boys plays. When it's wrong , it just sounds funny. However, there are four potential problem spots that you need to watch carefully:
- stuff in between the subject and verb
- reversed sentence order
- "-body," "-one," and "-thing" words
- "who," "which," and "that"
Stuff in between subjects and verbs
The
stuff here is usually a
prepositional phrase that separates the subject from the verb. Remember how we crossed out prepositional phrases in order to find the subject? (For a quick review, click
here.) Do the same thing if you're having problems with agreement. Now, thinking about that, look at the following sentence and decide what's wrong with it:
The dishes in the kitchen is dirty.
Good guess! The subject and the verb don't agree. What's the probable cause for the problem? Kitchen (a singular noun) is right in front of is (a singular verb). If kitchen were the subject, that would be okay. But, it's not. Cross out the prepositional phrase and you're left with:
The dishes in the kitchen is dirty.
"The dishes . . . is dirty?" Sounds wrong, doesn't it? The subject is plural, but the verb is singular. They don't agree. The correct version is:
The dishes in the kitchen are dirty.
Once you know how to look for this problem, it shouldn't be too hard to get rid of it when you proofread your paper.
Reversed sentence order
The normal pattern for English sentences is subject-verb. However, there are a few situations where this order is reversed (like this sentence):
- There are snacks on the laundry-room table.
- Where are they?
- On the table are the goodies!
See how the subject comes after the verb in each of these? If you can remember how to locate subjects and verbs, you shouldn't blunder into mistakes when writing reversed-order sentences.
"-body," "-one," and "-thing" words
The correct term for these words is indefinite pronouns, but if you remember them as "-body," "-one," and "-thing" words, you'll probably be able to spot them more easily. You only need to know one thing: if a word has one of these endings (like everybody, everyone, anyone, anything, etc.), it is always singular! You can also include each, either, and neither in this group. Look at the following:
- Everyone is going on a picnic.
- Each of the boys is taking his own lunch.
- If anyone drops something to eat, I'll grab it before he can pick it up.
You shouldn't have problems with these if you simply memorize the endings of words that are always singular.
NOTE: We said that either and neither are always singular; however, if you have two subjects in an either . . . or or neither . . . nor construction, getting the agreement right may give you fits. To get it right, just locate the subject closest to the verb and make the verb agree with it:
- Either the mailman or the construction workers are causing Peggy to bark like crazy.
- Neither the dogs down the street nor the one next door pays any attention.
Compare this with the following:
- Either the construction workers or the mailman is causing Peggy to bark like crazy.
- Neither the one next door nor the dogs down the street pay any attention.
Agreement, in this case, depends on the placement of the subject.
"Who," "which," and "that"
Remember
dependent clauses? They have a subject and a verb, but they can't stand alone. That's what we're dealing with here, but with a little something extra. Now we've got to consider
pronouns. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun that comes before it, usually in the same clause or one very close to it.
Peggy is a troublemaker. She bites my ears and steals my food.
"Who," "which," and "that" are pronouns. When they take the place of a singular noun, they are singular; when they take the place of a plural noun, they are plural. This is important to remember when they are the subject of a clause. Compare the following sentences:
- Big Dog is one of those animals who are very intelligent.
- Big Dog is an animal who is very intelligent.
In both, who is the subject of a dependent clause. In number 1, it takes the place of animals (a plural form). That's why "are" is the correct verb choice. In number 2, who takes the place of animal (a singular form), and that's why "is" is correct.
This may seem a bit confusing at first, but there's a way to get it right every time. If you find "who," "which," or "that" introducing a dependent clause (like in the examples above):
- Look at the word right in front of it (usually that's the word it takes the place of).
- Decide if the word is singular or plural (that will tell you whether "who," "which," or "that" is singular or plural).
- Make the verb agree!
That's all there is to it!
Pronouns are a handy way to keep from repeating nouns too much. Consider the following:
- When Big Dog snuck under the fence, Big Dog ran to the dumpster.
- When Big Dog snuck under the fence, he ran to the dumpster.
Clearly the second sentence sounds better.
When we talked about
subject-verb agreement, we said that the
subject and the
verbmust agree in
number. That is, you have to make sure that both are singular or both are plural. The same goes for
pronouns and antecedents.
A pronoun renames (takes the place of) a noun that comes before it.
An antecedent is what we call the noun that comes before the pronoun.
Two examples should be enough:
- I get worried when the neighbors let their dog out.
- The dog goes wild, and he always messes up my front yard.
In number 1, neighbors is the antecedent; their is the pronoun. They agree becauseboth are plural. In number 2, dog is the antecedent, and he is the pronoun. They agreesince both are singular. If you are having problems with pronoun-antecedent agreement, underline all your pronouns; then, locate the antecedent for each. Make sure that both are the same in number. That's all you have to do.
With subject-verb agreement, we also talked about
indefinite pronouns ("
-one," "
-body," and "
-thing" words). With pronouns, we need to look at the "-one" and "-body" words again. (
Also include "either," "neither," and "each.") These are always singular, and that should be easy enough to remember. But most beginning writers seem to have trouble with them. Part of the problem is the way we speak. Few would notice anything wrong if they heard someone say,
- Everyone needs to take their dog to the vet regularly.
- Everybody was enjoying their vacation.
These sound okay, right? Maybe so, but they're wrong if you're writing. Words like "everyone" and "everybody" are always singular, so the plural pronoun their can't agree with them. The correct
versions are:
- Everyone needs to take his dog to the vet regularly.
- Everybody was enjoying her vacation.
You could use his or her in either sentence, depending upon the context.
Sexism in the language
Some suggest that you should always use "he or she," "his or her," or "him or her" instead of simply using the masculine "he," "his," or "him." If you're worried about the sexist tradition of using masculine pronouns to refer to all people, then rewrite your sentences in the plural, as in "People need to take their dogs to the vet regularly." "The people were enjoying their vacations."
You could use "he or she" (etc.), but it sounds awkward and will eventually lead to an agreement problem--if it doesn't bore your readers to death first. For instance:
If an owner doesn't take proper care of his or her dog, then he or she will find his or her pet may suffer. The pet will be grateful to him or her if he or she takes care of his or her responsibilities. When he or she . . . .
You may be an inexperienced writer, but you're not an inexperienced listener. That passage simply sounds dumb. Like I said, if you're worried about a sexist slant, go for the plural.
An adjective is simply a word which modifies the noun it is related to. Adjectives usually come before the modified noun. An adjective could also be a phrase or a clause instead of being a single word. John bought a blue shirt. (single word) Last night, a man in a blue coat stole my wallet. (phrase) I love the car which just crossed the street. (clause)
Adverbs are like adjectives, but they modify the verb. Ordinarily, there are three types of adverbs (see above examples).
He carefully left the room. He left the room with a scared face. He left the room which was located on the seventh floor.
Most single word adverbs are made simply by adding to the end of the respective adjective: Careful = in a careful manner Usually = in a usual manner (often) Simply = in a simple way.
We've talked about
pronouns with regard to
reference and
agreement: pronoun-antecedent. Here we need to cover a few odds and ends, and some of this stuff may really sound
odd to you. But these are a few things you should know.
Subjects and objects
First let's look at case--that is, the difference between the
subject and
object forms of the pronouns. We know what
subjects are, and
objects are those words that come at the end of
prepositional phrases (among other things). You probably already know the differences, but just in case, here's a list of the forms:
Subject
|
Object
|
|---|
I
|
me
|
you
|
you
|
he
|
him
|
she
|
her
|
it
|
it
|
we
|
us
|
they
|
them
|
The only thing you need to know is that these forms can't be switched around. If the word is a subject, it must be a subject form; if it's an object . . . well, you get the idea. Consider the following:
- Peggy and me barked at the garbage truck.
- Her and me fought over the bone.
Some of you are probably thinking, "What's wrong with these?" In spoken English, you'll hear things like this every day. But in written English, you need to make sure your forms aren't mixed up. The correct versions are "Peggy and I" and "She and I," since the words are the subject of the sentence. Nothing in the object list can be a subject--ever! You wouldn't say, "Me barked" or "me fought"--unless you were trying out for a Tarzan movie.
The same goes for objects of prepositions. You can't use a subject form in a prepositional phrase.
- Big Dog fetched the paper for her and I.
- Peggy ran after John and she.
"For I"? "After she"? These can't be right, since both are in the subject list; but, they're used as objects of the preposition. The correct versions are "for me" and "after her." You shouldn't have as much trouble with these because you don't hear them misused quite as often in this way. But watch out for "just between you and I." That phrase gets a lot of use--even though "I" can't be an object. It's "just between you and me"!
With "to be" verbs
Now we get to the stuff that will sound odd to you. Remember when we talked about "to be" verb forms? (If you need a quick review, click
here for a refresher.) Any time a pronoun comes after one of these verbs, the
subject form is required.
- It is I.
- It was they.
- It is he.
I told you this would sound funny--but it's correct! So, all these years you've been saying, "It's me" and "It's them," and you've been wrong. Right or wrong, I can't bring myself to say, "It is I." "It's me" sounds more natural. The best thing to do when you write yourself into a construction like this is to rethink and rewrite in a different way. (If anyone tells you otherwise, just say "it was I" who told you.)
With "than" or "as"
Another common pronoun mistake happens in sentences where you use "than" or "as" to compare people or things:
- Peggy is smaller than I.
- The dog down the street is meaner than she.
- Dogs are as smart as they.
You want to use "me," "her," and "them," don't you? You could, but that wouldn't be right. The subject form of the pronoun always comes after "than" or "as." Why? There's an understood verb in the construction.
- Peggy is smaller than I (am).
- The dog down the street is meaner than she (is).
- Dogs are as smart as they (are).
You can see why the object form won't work: "me am," "her is," and "them are" are just plain wrong! Even though you probably hear these kinds of sentences used incorrectly, when you're writing you can get them right if you remember thatunderstood verb.
Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, that, and which
In addition to renaming another word (like all pronouns), relative pronouns often introduce added details in your sentences. They can also be used to ask questions. Look at the following:
- Big Dog is the one who is a true grammar hound.
- Peggy is the dog whom everyone loves to pet.
- Whose ball is that?
- She is the one that I like.
- I want to know which dog trampled the flowers.
These won't cause you too much trouble most of the time. Just remember: when you write about people, use "who," "whom," and "whose." When you write about things, use "which." "That" can be used in either case.
You may, however, have trouble with who and whom. Who is a subject form, and whomis an object. Like the subject and object forms we talked about earlier, you can't switch these around. Let's take a closer look at two of the sentences you just read:
- Big Dog is the one who is a true grammar hound.
- Peggy is the dog whom everyone loves to pet.
In number 1, "who" is the subject of the relative clause; in number two, "whom" is theobject. "Fine," you're thinking, "but how do I know when to use 'who' or 'whom?'" You've got a 50/50 chance of getting it right, but you can better the odds if you'll do the following when you find a sentence like one of those above:
- Mark the spot where "who" or "whom" should go.
- Look at the group of words to the right of that mark.
Big Dog is the one _____is a true grammar hound.
Peggy is the dog _____ everyone loves to pet.
- Since "who" or "whom" introduces a relative clause, there should be a subject and a verb in that group of words. (Remember clauses?)
_____is a true grammar hound.
_____everyone loves to pet.
- If there is no subject, "who" is the right choice. It is the subject form and becomes the subject of the clause.
. . . who is a true grammar hound.
- If there is a subject, "whom" is the right choice. It is the object form.
. . . whom everyone loves to pet.
Now that's not so hard, is it?
Reflexives
Reflexive pronouns are intensifiers that refer back to the doer of the action (the subject). You know the words: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,yourselves, themselves.
We often say things like, I'll do it myself, "She'll fix it herself," etc. There's really no problem--except when you use a reflexive in place of a subject or object form. Never write (or say) something like, "Send it either to my secretary or myself." Keep that in mind, and you should be okay.
Pronouns are little words, but they're often troublesome. That's why we've spent so much time on them. But enough, already!
To learn a language, especially English, is not easy. There will always new ways being implemented and they will succeed at first, but later everything will be level down to what is was before. When I was learning English it was all repetition and trying to mimic the instructor and at home all we did was resiting the lesson’s reading part allow for about 5 to 20 minutes. Grammar came out by itself latter..jpg)
I don't know why I come up with this title; it just came across my mind. I am so grateful that I have been given this wonderful opportunity to be here, in the middle of inspiring and talented people. No bullshit, this isn't just a meaningless nice thing that I would like to say. Its substantial.
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