module 4

Pronoun Case

• Pronoun Functions:

  • Subject pronouns: act as the subject of a sentence.

  • Object pronouns: act as the object of a verb or preposition.

Types of Pronouns

• Singular Subject Pronouns:

  • I, you, he, she, it.

• Plural Subject Pronouns:

  • We, you, they.

• Singular Object Pronouns:

  • Me, you, him, her, it.

• Plural Object Pronouns:

  • Us, you, them.

Examples of Pronouns in Sentences

• Subject Pronoun Example:

  • "She loves the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall."

  • "Every summer, they picked up litter from national parks."

• Object Pronoun Example:

  • "Marie leaned over and kissed him."

  • "Jane moved it to the corner."

• Prepositional objects:

  • "Near them, the children played."

  • "My mother stood between us."

Compound Pronouns

• Compound Subject Pronouns:

  • Two or more pronouns joined by conjunction or preposition acting as the subject.

    • Incorrect: "Me and Harriet visited the Grand Canyon."

    • Correct: "Harriet and I visited the Grand Canyon."

• Compound Object Pronouns:

  • Two or more pronouns acting as the object.

    • Incorrect: "I have a good feeling about Janice and I."

    • Correct: "I have a good feeling about Janice and me."

• Tip: Always place yourself last in compound constructions.

Common Errors

• Remember: Object pronouns are not used in the subject position.

  • Example for verification: "Me visited the Grand Canyon last summer" sounds incorrect.

• Comparative Structures:

  • Comparisons use the subjective case. Examples:

    • "He is taller than I am."

    • "This helps you as much as it helps me." (not "than me").

Using Who vs. Whom

• Who: Always the subject of a verb.

  • Example: "Who won the marathon last Tuesday?"

• Whom: Serves as an object.

  • Example: "Whom did Frank marry the 3rd time?"

Tips for Using Who/Whom

• Substitution Trick:

  • Change the pronoun to "he" or "him" to determine which to use.

    • "I consider (him) my best friend" indicates using "whom"- so do consider "I consider who my best friend?" (incorrect).

• Key Indicators for Usage:

  • Who = she, he, I, they.

  • Whom = her, him, me, them.

Examples

• "Nicole is a girl who likes to read."

• "Nicole is a girl whom I admire."

Whoever vs. Whomever

• Whoever:

  • Replaces with she, he, I, they.

    • Example: "Danielle said she would run with whoever was ready."

• Whomever:

  • Replaces with her, him, me, them.

    • Example: "Alice is friendly to whomever she meets."

Correcting Usage in Practice

• Choose the correct form in sentences:

  1. "Danny is someone whom I admire."

  2. "He is the boy who works at Starbucks."

  3. "She is the girl whom we saw at the movies."

  4. "Whoever didn’t help with cooking should wash the dishes."

  5. "I wonder who told Olga about the surprise party."

  6. "They're the friends whom Tom introduced."

  7. "They're the ones who rode the bus with me."

  8. "Kendra may choose whoever she likes."

  9. "Amy is the girl whom people should ask about music."

Use of Literally vs. Figuratively

• Literally: Means actually, without exaggeration; should be used in an exact sense.

  • Often misused in casual conversation.

  • Example of misuse: "I was literally on fire" (not accurate).

• Figuratively: Means metaphorically, involves figures of speech.

  • Example: "She broke the figurative ceiling that was holding her back."

Key Distinctions

• Maintain precision:

  • Literally should not be loosely used as an intensifier.

  • Figuratively indicates a metaphorical or non-literal meaning.

AP Style Comparisons

• Literally: Should not be used metaphorically.

• Figuratively: Used in a non-exact sense.

• Example Analogy: "He literally bled them white" should be actual event not exaggeration.