Pronouns

Question 1

pronoun?

Answer 1

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Pronouns can be in one of three cases: Subject, Object, or Possessives.

Examples:

Subjective Case:

I (We, You, They) see the entire scene.

He (She, It, One) sees the entire scene.

Objective Case:

The editor criticizes me (us, him, her, one, them, it).

Possessive Case:

The mistake was mine (ours, yours, hers, his, theirs).

Mine (Ours, Yours, His, Hers, Theirs) was the only part that required revision.

Question 2

Remember subject pronouns by filling in the blank subject space for a simple sentence:

_________ did the job

Answer 2

Rule 1. Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. You can remember subject pronouns easily by filling in the blank subject space for a simple sentence.

_______ did the job.

I, you, he, she, it, we, and they all fit into the blank and are, therefore, subject pronouns.

Question 3

Identify the subject pronouns in the following sentences:

• It is he.*
• This is she speaking.*
• It is we who are responsible for the decision to downsize. *

Answer 3

Rule 2. Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They will follow to be verbs such as is, are, was, were, am and will be.

• It is he.*
• This is she speaking.*
• It is we who are responsible for the decision to downsize.*

Question 4

_Note: _

Common Grammar Mistake:

In spoken English, most people tend to follow to be verbs with object pronouns.

Correct/Improve the following sentences in which this mistake is made.

It could have been them

It is just me at the door.

Answer 4

Better: It could have been _they._

Better: *It is just I at the door. *