Using Pronouns Properly
The correct pronoun? Test the
pronoun by itself without the
other party.
1.
Maria
and
she/her
playedsoftball.
softball.
Maria
and
(she,
her) played
2. My friends and I/me ate lunch.
3. Atascadero and we/us face similar
problems.
Pronouns for Proper Speech
Use S/He
We I when…
1) they are the subject
NOT
Her Him
Me Us
2) they follow a PASSIVE VERB
We are scuba divers.
She was our instructor.
I am an undersea explorer.
He was last to come up.
Scuba divers are we.
An undersea explorer am I.
Our instructor was she.
Last to come up was he.
Is
Are
Was
Were
Be
Being
Been
Am
Use HER HIM ME US
1) the object of a preposition,
2) the object of the verb!
Objects of preposition
It was a toss up between her and me.
It was an insult to Juan and me.
Objects of verb (direct objects / indirect objects)
The Twinkies gave me a headache.
The Twinkies gave Bob and me a headache.
More examples
of the predicate nominative pronoun
A predicate nominative is a word or word group in the
predicate that identifies the subject or refers to it.
The one in the costume really was she.
she.
The most experienced stagehands were they.
they.
The winner of the race was he.
A predicate nominative pronoun (I, she, he, we) must
follow a PASSIVE VERB (is, are, was, were, be, being, been, am)
Using Pronouns Properly
Choose the correct form of the pronoun in
parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer.
1. Dad and (me, I) cleaned the entire house.
2. Was it really (she, her) on the evening news
last night?
3. (He, Him) and the clerk reached an
agreement.
4. The ones dancing a waltz are (them, they).
Using Pronouns Properly
On Your Own
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form
of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. José and (me, I) are the only candidates for treasurer.
2. Maura and (he, him) will move to Puerto Rico.
3. How did you know the mystery guest was (her, she)?
4. You and (we, us) were the first visitors.
5. The youngest tour guides were (they, them).
Using Pronouns Properly
Choose the correct form of the pronoun in
parentheses. Be prepared to explain your answer.
1. The teacher asked (he, him) a difficult
question.
2. The baseball glove fits both Carl and (I, me).
3. The chef prepared the meal for Sylvia and
(they, them).
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
On Your Own
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form
of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. I found Nina and (she, her) on the soccer field.
2. The newest members of the team are (they, them).
3. Will Keith and (he, him) enter the art contest?
4. Mr. Cruz sent (I, me) a postcard from Peru.
5. Would you like to play a word game with Fred and (I,
me)?
[End of Section]
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
Answers
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct
form of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. I found Nina and (she, her) on the soccer field.
2. The newest members of the team are (they, them).
3. Will Keith and (he, him) enter the art contest?
4. Mr. Cruz sent (I, me) a postcard from Peru.
5. Would you like to play a word game with Fred and (I,
me)?
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
Pronouns in the possessive case are used to show
ownership or possession.
Possessive case pronouns
First person
my, mine, our, ours
Second person
your, yours
Third person
his, her, hers, its, their, theirs
My alarm clock is broken.
May I please borrow yours?
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
The possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers,
ours, and theirs are used in the same ways that
pronouns in the nominative and objective cases
are used.
Subject
Predicate nominative
Direct object
Indirect object
Object of preposition
His bicycle and mine need repairs.
This dictionary is hers.
We finished ours yesterday.
The judge gave theirs a close look.
Next to yours, my gerbil seems big.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
The possessive pronouns my, your, his, her, its,
and their are used as adjectives before nouns.
Does your aquarium need frequent cleaning?
Manuel buys most of his tropical fish at Aqua World.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
my
our
your
his
her
its
their
Do you know their last names?
Some authorities prefer to call these possessive
forms adjectives. Follow your teacher’s
instructions on what to call these words.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the
blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns.
1. The backpack on the floor is _______. (The
backpack belongs to Jared.)
2. Please place _______ cans in the recycling
bin. (The cans belong to you.)
3. Ms. Kwan gave _______ papers a quick
review. (The papers belong to the
students.)
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the
blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns.
his
1. The backpack on the floor is _______.
(The
backpack belongs to Jared.)
Jared is the name of a male, so the possessive pronoun
his is correct.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the
blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns.
your cans in the recycling bin. (The
2. Please place _______
cans belong to you.)
The possessive form of you is yours.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
The possessive case
Use the clues in parentheses to fill in the
blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns.
their papers a quick review.
3. Ms. Kwan gave _______
(The papers belong to the students.)
Students is a plural word, so the possessive pronoun
their is correct.
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
On Your Own
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct
form of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. Ken admires (him, his) baseball coach.
2. (They, Them) ate some cheese and grapes.
3. The server brought some pepper for (we, us).
4. Leave (your, yours) suitcase in the hallway.
5. Martin has already finished his project, but we haven’t
finished (our, ours) yet.
[End of Section]
What are the cases of personal pronouns?
Answers
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct
form of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. Ken admires (him, his) baseball coach.
2. (They, Them) ate some cheese and grapes.
3. The server brought some pepper for (we, us).
4. Leave (your, yours) suitcase in the hallway.
5. Martin has already finished his project, but we haven’t
finished (our, ours) yet.
Review A
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form
of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. The most improved player on the team is (he, him).
2. The coach asked Paula and (they, them) for help with the
equipment.
3. Nobody except Josh and (she, her) finished the marathon.
4. Heather and (he, him) live on a blueberry farm.
5. At the head of the parade were (us, we) Girl Scouts.
[End of Section]
Review A
For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form
of the pronoun in parentheses.
1. The most improved player on the team is (he, him).
2. The coach asked Paula and (they, them) for help with the
equipment.
3. Nobody except Josh and (she, her) finished the marathon.
4. Heather and (he, him) live on a blueberry farm.
5. At the head of the parade were (us, we) Girl Scouts.
Review B
If a sentence has an incorrect pronoun, supply the correct
pronoun form. If a sentence is already correct, identify it
with a C.
_____ 1. I was standing in line behind Dave and him.
_____ 2. Her and Mr. Wendell have written a play.
_____ 3. The drama club will put on the play for they.
_____ 4. Two of the actors will be Alisha and him.
_____ 5. The audience might give them a standing ovation.
Review B
If a sentence has an incorrect pronoun, supply the correct
pronoun form. If a sentence is already correct, identify it
with a C.
C
_____
1. I was standing in line behind Dave and him.
She 2. Her and Mr. Wendell have written a play.
_____
them 3. The drama club will put on the play for they.
_____
he
_____
4. Two of the actors will be Alisha and him.
C
_____
5. The audience might give them a standing ovation.
The End