Pronoun Tips
Pronouns take the place of nouns.
Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Rule: Use a Subject Pronoun (also called Nominative Case), not only as the subject of a sentence, but after to be verbs when the pronoun renames the subject.
To be verbs: is, are, was, were, will be, may be, may have been
Example: He is my friend.
He is the subject of the sentence, so use a subject pronoun.
Example: Enrique and she are friends.
Enrique and she are the subjects of the sentence.
Example: It is I who called.
I comes after the to be verb is and renames the subject it. Therefore, use the subject pronoun.
Rule: Use an Object Pronoun (also called Objective Case) when the pronoun is the direct object, the indirect object, or the object of the preposition.
Example: Ella met him at the restaurant.
Him is the direct object.
Example: Ella will give him his money back.
Him is an indirect object because you can mentally put the word to in front of it. Money is the direct object.
Example: Between you and me, this will never work.
You and me are the objects of the preposition between.
Rule: Use reflexive pronouns—myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselves—to refer back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence.
Correct Example: I did it myself.
Incorrect Example: Please give it to Butri or myself.
In this sentence, myself does not refer back to another noun or pronoun.
June 5, 2009 at 5:18 pm
A usage of the pronouns him and her that I hear all the time in my line of work (medical field) is as follows.
“We’re going to get blood work on him.” or “We got an x-ray on her.”
It makes me think along the lines of “you’re going to get it all over him?” “you attached it to her?”, or “you’re going to sit on him (were sitting on her) to do it?”
Ugh.
June 5, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I can understand how this may be the equivalent of fingers on a chalkboard for you. Many professions have their own jargon that, to outsiders, sounds strange or wrong. Sometimes, groups create jargon to distinguish themselves as a group. You’re either “in” or “out” depending on your knowledge and usage of particular words and phrases. One of the functions of language is to discern tribal membership.