{"id":371,"date":"2014-07-25T20:09:59","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T20:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/writershandbook\/?post_type=chapter&p=371"},"modified":"2014-07-25T21:17:46","modified_gmt":"2014-07-25T21:17:46","slug":"20-3-choosing-the-correct-pronoun-and-noun-cases","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-styleguide\/chapter\/20-3-choosing-the-correct-pronoun-and-noun-cases\/","title":{"raw":"20.3 Choosing the Correct Pronoun and Noun Cases","rendered":"20.3 Choosing the Correct Pronoun and Noun Cases"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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20.3<\/span> Choosing the Correct Pronoun and Noun Cases<\/h2>\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Recognize pronoun cases.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Recognize noun cases.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Learn tips for handling pronoun case situations that confuse you.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nOne feature that is easier in English than in many other languages is noun cases<\/span><\/span>. While other languages have changes for the objective case as well as changes based on gender, English nouns do not change form except for the formation of plurals and possessives.\r\n\r\nPronouns in English, on the other hand, have different forms for the subjective, possessive, and objective cases. The subjective case refers to words as they are used in the subject position, while the possessive and objective cases designate words that are used in the possessive and object positions, respectively. Study the following table for an overview of the noun and pronoun cases.\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    <\/th>\r\nSubjective Case<\/th>\r\nPossessive Case<\/th>\r\nObjective Case<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Nouns<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Singular<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\ncar<\/td>\r\ncar\u2019s<\/td>\r\ncar<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nJordy<\/td>\r\nJordy\u2019s<\/td>\r\nJordy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Plural<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\napples<\/td>\r\napples\u2019<\/td>\r\napples<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nchildren<\/td>\r\nchildren\u2019s<\/td>\r\nchildren<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Pronouns<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Singular<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    First person<\/td>\r\nI<\/td>\r\nmy<\/td>\r\nme<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    mine<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Second person<\/td>\r\nyou<\/td>\r\nyour<\/td>\r\nyou<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    yours<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Third person<\/td>\r\nhe<\/td>\r\nhis<\/td>\r\nhim<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    she<\/td>\r\nher, hers<\/td>\r\nher<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    it<\/td>\r\nits<\/td>\r\nit<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Plural<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    First person<\/td>\r\nwe<\/td>\r\nour, ours<\/td>\r\nus<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Second person<\/td>\r\nyou<\/td>\r\nyour, yours<\/td>\r\nyou<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Third person<\/td>\r\nthey<\/td>\r\ntheir, theirs<\/td>\r\nthem<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Indefinite Pronouns<\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nanybody<\/td>\r\nanybody\u2019s<\/td>\r\nanybody<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\neverybody<\/td>\r\neverybody\u2019s<\/td>\r\neverybody<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nsomeone<\/td>\r\nsomeone\u2019s<\/td>\r\nsomeone<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Relative and Interrogative Pronouns<\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nthat<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nthat<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nwhich<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nwhich<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nwho<\/td>\r\nwhose<\/td>\r\nwhom<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    <\/td>\r\nwhoever<\/td>\r\nwhoever\u2019s (slang)<\/td>\r\nwhomever<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Tips for Avoiding Pronoun Case Problems<\/h2>\r\n
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    • If you have trouble choosing between \u201cI\u201d and \u201cme\u201d in compound subject and object situations, remove the other subject or object, and try \u201cI\u201d or \u201cme\u201d alone.\r\n\r\nExample: Which of these two choices are correct?\r\n\r\nAt Bryce Canyon, Carol took thirty pictures of Anna and I.\r\n\r\nOR\r\n\r\nAt Bryce Canyon, Carol took thirty pictures of Anna and me.\r\n\r\nTest: At Bryce Canyon, Carol took thirty pictures of (I, me).\r\n\r\nResult: Since the correct choice alone is \u201cme,\u201d the correct choice within the compound object is also \u201cme\u201d\u2014At Bryce Canyon, Carol took thirty pictures of Anna and me.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • If you are confused about whether to use who<\/em> or whom<\/em> in a dependent clause, try isolating the clause that includes who<\/em> or whom<\/em>. Then reword the clause as a sentence and substitute a personal pronoun (subjective case: he, she, they; objective case: him, her, them) for who<\/em> or whom<\/em>. If he<\/em>, she<\/em>, or they<\/em> sounds right, use who<\/em>. If him<\/em>, her<\/em>, or them<\/em> sounds right, use whom<\/em>.\r\n\r\nExample: I don\u2019t know (who, whom) to ask about where to stay at the Grand Tetons.\r\n\r\nTest: Possible rewording\u2014I don\u2019t know if I should ask (he, she, they, him, her, them).\r\n\r\nResult: Since him<\/em>, her<\/em>, or them<\/em> are the choices that work, the correct choice in the first sentence is whom<\/em>\u2014I don\u2019t know whom to ask about where to stay at the Grand Tetons.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • If you are confused about whether to use who<\/em> or whom<\/em> at the beginning of a sentence, think of an answer for the sentence using a personal pronoun. Then mimic the case of the answer pronoun in the original sentence.\r\n\r\nExample 1: (Who, Whom) is getting up at sunrise to watch the sun come up over these magnificent trees?\r\n\r\nTest: They<\/span> will get up.\r\n\r\nResult: Since they<\/em> is subjective case, you should use who<\/em>, which is also subjective case.\r\n\r\nExample 2: (Who, Whom) did you ask to watch the fire?\r\n\r\nTest: I asked her<\/span> to watch the fire.\r\n\r\nResult: Since her<\/em> is objective case, you should use whom<\/em>, which is also objective case.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • In casual usage, some words are sometimes left out, thus requiring a pronoun to do extra work. If you are confused about which pronoun case to use in these situations, think about how the sentence would be written if it were totally complete. Considering the whole sentence meaning should help clarify the pronoun choice.\r\n\r\nExample 1: Harry likes camping more than (her, she).\r\n\r\nTest: Harry likes camping more than she (likes camping).\r\n\r\nResult: The pronoun she<\/em> is the subject of the assumed verb likes<\/em>. So subjective case is needed.\r\n\r\nExample 2: Harry likes camping more than (her, she).\r\n\r\nTest: Harry likes camping more than (he likes) her.\r\n\r\nResult: The pronoun her<\/em> is the object of the assumed verb likes<\/em>. So objective case is needed.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • If you are unsure whether to use we<\/em> and us<\/em> before a noun or noun phrase, say the sentence without the noun or noun phrase in place. Whichever pronoun works without the noun or noun phrase is also the correct pronoun to use with the noun.\r\n\r\nExample 1: Even (us, we) people who like our creature comforts fall in love with nature when viewing the Grand Tetons.\r\n\r\nTest: Even we fall in love with nature when viewing the Grand Tetons.\r\n\r\nResult: Once people who like our creature comforts<\/em> is dropped out, it becomes clear that the pronoun needs to be subjective case.\r\n\r\nExample 2: Don\u2019t wait for (us, we) creature-comfort people to come up with a plan.\r\n\r\nTest: Don\u2019t wait for us to come up with a plan.\r\n\r\nResult: Once creature-comfort people<\/em> is dropped, it becomes clear that the pronoun needs to be objective case.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
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      Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n