Pronoun Case Rules

Usage - Pronoun Case

  

The pronoun's function in a sentence determines which case to use.

RULE:  Use a subjective case pronoun

                  

                 1) Personal pronoun subject

                     

                2) Personal pronoun subjective complement ("completes" the subject)

                    

RULE:  Use an objective case pronoun

  

            1)  Personal pronoun direct object

                       

                2)  Personal pronoun indirect object

                        

                        

                3)  Personal pronoun object of preposition

                        

                             

Additional pronoun case rules

    1.  When a pronoun is used along with a noun, choose the pronoun case that matches the noun's function.

            

     2.  When a pronoun is part of a compound element, choose the pronoun case that would be correct if the pronoun were not part of a compound element.

         

                NOTE:  To make certain that pronoun case is correct in compound elements, omit one

                                half of the compound to check each pronoun.

                      

                   

     3.  When a personal pronoun is used in a comparison, choose the correct pronoun case by carrying the sentence out to its logical conclusion.

                    

     4.  Choose who or whom depending upon the function of the pronoun in the sentence.

            Who is subjective case like the pronouns he, she, they, I, and we.

            Use who as the subject or subjective complement of a sentence.

             

             Helpful tip:  To see whether who is the correct choice, substitute he for who.

                                     If the sentence sounds correct, then  who is the correct choice.     

               

            

            Whom is objective case like the pronouns him, her, them, me, and us.

            Use whom as the direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition in a sentence.

             

               Helpful tip:  To see whether whom is the correct choice, substitute him for whom.

                                     If the sentence sounds correct, then  whom is the correct choice.

               

                      

            NOTE:  In an adjectival subordinate clause, choose who or whom by determining the

                           pronoun's  function within the subordinate clause.

           

     5.  Use possessive case pronouns with gerunds.

         Reminder:  A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing, used as a noun. 

            

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Rules

Usage - Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun.

A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.

        Example:

                  

We do not talk or write this way.  Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with a pronoun.  More naturally, we say

                    

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln.  President Lincoln is the ANTECEDENT for the pronoun his. 

An antecedent is a word for which a pronoun stands.  (ante = "before")

The pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.

Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must replace a plural noun.

Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

                

        

Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules.  These rules are related to the rules found in subject-verb agreement.

1.  A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the number of the antecedent.

            Example:

                    

2.  Indefinite pronouns as antecedents

• Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.   

          

            Example:

                    

• Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.

                PLURAL:  several, few, both, many

            Example:

                    

• Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be either singular or plural. 

          EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL:  some, any, none, all, most

              

               Examples:

                        

                        Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

                        

                        

                        Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent pronoun.

                

             

                Examples:

                          

                        Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

                

                            

                        Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent pronoun.

3.  Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent.

                    Example:

                         

4.  With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with the antecedent closer to the pronoun.

                    Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

                          

                    Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

                          

    Note:  Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a smoother sentence               than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."   

5.  Collective Nouns  (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.    

                          

                In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent pronoun is singular.

                    

                          

                In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
                 pronoun is plural.

            

                             

                  In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the referent
                  pronoun is plural.

     
              

6.  Titles of single entities. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a singular referent.

        EXAMPLES:

                              

                                

7.  Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent.  (news, measles, mumps, physics, etc)

        EXAMPLE:  

                            

8.  Every or Many a  before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent.

            EXAMPLES:

                            

                            

9.  The number of   vs  A number of  before a subject:

• The number of is singular.  

                           

• A number of is plural.

                                    

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Usage - Subject-Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural).  Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways:  

                        nouns ADD an s to the singular form,

                                                    BUT

                        verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.

                

Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules.

1.  A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.

                Examples:

                       

          

2.  Indefinite pronouns as subjects

•    Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.

   
            

•    Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs.

   PLURAL:  several, few, both, many

                      

                

•    Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural: with uncountable, use singular; with countable, use plural.

   EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL:  some, any, none, all, most

                                

                Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

                                

                Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

                           

          

3. Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.

                     

             

4.  With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

                

          In the above example, the plural verb are agrees with the nearer subject actors.

                

            In this example, the singular verb is agrees with the nearer subject director.

                

5.  Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.   

                

                

          

6.  Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.

                

            In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

       

                

            In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is plural.

       

                                  

7.  Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.

                

      

8.  Plural form subjects

• Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news, measles, mumps, physics, etc.)

                

             

• Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning.  (e.g. politics, economics, etc.)

                

    In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

    In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

          

• Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g.  scissors, trousers)

                

                                     

            Note:  In this example, the subject of the sentence is pair; therefore, the verb must agree with it.  (Because scissors is the object of the preposition, scissors does not affect the number of the verb.)

                

9.  With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees with the subject.

                

                

10-A. With one of those ________ who, use a plural verb.

     

     The above example implies that others besides Hannah like to read comic books.  Therefore, the plural verb is the correct form to use. 

10-B.  With the only one of those ________who, use a singular verb.

     The above example implies that no one else except for Hannah likes to read comic books.  Therefore, the singular verb is the correct for to use.

                   

11-A.  With the number of _______, use a singular verb.
                             

11-B.  With a number of _______, use a plural verb.
              

12.  With every ______ and many a ________, use a singular verb.