The Trouble with Case-- Pronoun Case, That Is...

Students like to TRY to decide which pronoun to use simply by asking "does it SOUND" correct???  Sometimes, we are so used to speaking incorrectly, that it is difficult to know which is the proper pronoun to use!  In class lately, we have been practicing with personal, possessive, indefinite, reflexive, interrogative, demonstrative and relative pronouns.  We have been learning about pronoun/antecedent agreement, subject/verb agreement, when to use nominative case pronouns, when to use objective case pronouns and how to tell the difference between words used as pronouns or as adjectives.  While completing the review sheets for Grammar Notes 6, you may  still feel a bit confused with some of those concepts.  The purpose of this blog post is to help you find resources to clear up any confusion you may still have.

Review the basic rules regarding pronoun CASES, first.  This link has charts and explanations for you. The chart above is a listing of the personal and personal possessive pronouns by CASE.

If you forget WHEN to use each particular case, certain RULES do apply.  You simply must remember those rules when choosing.  It really depends on the FUNCTION of the word in question.

Remember-- Nominative (or SUBJECTive case pronouns are the ones that are acting either as the subject or the subject complement in a sentence.  Objective case pronouns take on the role of either the direct object, the indirect object or the object of the preposition in a sentence.


Much of the time, there is an antecedent present when using personal pronouns.  Although an antecedent may appear in a previous or subsequent sentence, we generally do not fail to refer to WHOM the pronoun is referring.

Often times when using indefinite pronouns, the antecedent is not present or is only referred to or assumed, OR the pronoun (if acting as a subject in the sentence) IS the antecedent!  In that case, it is necessary to remember which of the indefinite pronouns represent singular "indefinite" people, places, things or ideas, which represent "plural" people, places, things or ideas AND which can be either singular or plural.  This is just another LIST you need to memorize (or have handy to use when trying to decide.)

Don't forget... possessive pronouns ALWAYS act as adjectives EXCEPT when they are following a linking verb.  Indefinite pronouns, demonstrative pronouns and interrogative pronouns MAY be functioning as adjectives if they come IN FRONT of a noun, and words like that, which and who may be RELATIVE pronouns if they are telling you something about the group of words that come before the pronoun!