Pronouns that are used to refer to persons or things are called personal pronouns.

Avoid errors by observing the following rules:

1. Use the nominative case for personal pronouns in a compound subject.

2. Use the objective case for a personal pronoun in a compound object.

3. Use the nominative case of a personal pronoun after a form of the linking verb to be.

4. Be careful not to spell possessive pronouns with apostrophes.

17.2 Pronouns with and as Appositives

Use the nominative case for a pronoun that is in apposition to a subject or a predicate nominative.

The judges, she and Mrs. Chiu, will have a difficult task.

The winners were the pianists, Linda and he.

Use the objective case for a pronoun that is in apposition to a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition.

The audience cheered their favorite performers, Darnell and her.

The director gave the stage crew, Lee and him, special thanks.

The judges explained the rules to both groups, them and us.

When a pronoun is followed by an appositive, choose the case of the pronoun that would be correct of the appositive were omitted.

We violinists hope one day to play in a concert hall.

17.3 Pronouns After Than and As

In elliptical adverb clauses using than and as, choose the case of the pronoun that you would use if the missing words were fully expressed.

You use a brush more skillfully than I (use a brush).

The logic of the problem puzzled Jennifer as much as (it puzzled) me.

Use the nominative pronoun who for subjects.

Who won the contest?

Tell me who is in your class.

In questions with an interrupting expression such as did you know or do you think, it is often helpful to drop the interrupting phrase to determine whether to use who or whom.

Who do you think will emcee the show?

Use the objective pronoun whom for the direct or indirect object of a verb or verbal or for the object of a preposition.

Whom are you introducing first?

Whom did you say Maria invited to the party?

They told him whom he could invite to the show.

A pronoun’s antecedent may be a noun, another pronoun, or a phase or clause acting as a noun.

Helen Keller did not let her blindness and deafness prevent her from

graduating cum laude form Radcliffe College.

Oysters and clams are becoming endangered because of oil spills near their breeding grounds.

Traditionally, a masculine pronoun is used when the gender of the antecedent is not known or may be either masculine or feminine.

An author must capture his readers.

Other options:

1. use he or she, his or her, etc.

2. use a plural pronoun

A pronoun must agree in person with its antecedent.

Suki and James are going to visit the Everglades, where you can see storks and alligators.

Suki and James are going to visit the Everglades, where they can see

storks and alligators.

Suki and James are going to visit the Everglades, where tourists can see storks and alligators.

They often visit New Orleans, where they can enjoy French Cooking.

I hiked on trails that amazed you with their beauty.

In general, use a singular personal pronoun when the antecedent is a singular indefinite pronoun, and use a plural personal pronoun when the antecedent is a plural indefinite pronoun.

Each of the boys must buy his own uniform.

One of the women has her own diving equipment.

Do not use the pronouns this, that, which, and it without a clearly stated antecedent .

She is an excellent singer, and this was evident in the performances last night.

She is an excellent singer, and her talent was evident in the

performances last night.

Last week our garbage burned, which started from a kerosene heater.

When the tickets slipped between the reports, they were lost.

The tickets were lost when they slipped between the reports.