How-To Guide: Using Pronouns Correctly

and Other Editing Tips

October 5, 2007

It may seem like a no-brainer, but many of us in casual conversations occasionally misuse
pronouns. In spoken language, those errors go by instantly and will not likely be remembered
even if noticed. Not so with the written word. The following, from Ace Copyediting, is excerpted
from their website, www.acecopyediting.com. Ace Copyediting is a for-profit editorial service
that provides lots of free tips for writers and editors. We make no endorsement of the company,
but do encourage you to explore the site.

30-SECOND WRITING CLINIC

LESSON: The use of pronoun cases.

Do you make any of these pronoun usage errors?

Wrong: Him and I are going to see Titanic tonight.

Wrong: Mary invited both he and I to her birthday party.

Wrong: Me and her are going to eat out tonight.

Wrong: Me and John and you should take Spanish lessons.

Wrong: Who's going to the party tomorrow? Myself and her.

Are you asking, "What's wrong with that?" From this moment on, you're going to know!

Correct: He (or she) and I are going to see Titanic tonight

Correct: Mary invited both him and me to her party.

Correct: She and I are going to eat out tonight.

Correct: You, John, and I should take Spanish lessons

Correct: Who's going to the party tomorrow? She and I.

RULE: Pronouns have three cases: nominative (I, you, he, she, it, they), possessive (my, your,
his, her, their), and objective (me, him, her, him, us, them).

Use the nominative case when the pronoun is the subject of your sentence, and remember the
rule of manners: always put the other person's name first!

HELPFUL HINT: Use this test. Leave out the other person's name in your sentence and then
your own; you'll get a better idea of the correct pronoun form to use. "Me is going to see Titanic
tonight." "Him is going to see Titanic tonight." Obviously, both examples are incorrect!

Practice several other examples, until you understand the rule.

Susan and he will be at the party. (Susan will be at the party. He will be at the party.)

Mary invited both him and me to the party. (Mary invited me to the party. Mary invited him to
the party!)

Russ and she are the new managers. (Russ is a new manager. She is a new manager.)

He and she are co-anchors. (He is a co-anchor. She is a co-anchor.)

Wrong: Me and Henry will be late, as usual!

Correct: Henry and I will be late, as usual!

TEST QUESTION:

Would you say, "Me will be late, as usual!" or "I will be . . . ."?

LESSON: Agreement errors: singular subjects with plural pronouns. In most cases you should
use a singular pronoun if your sentence has a singular subject. Sometimes, however, you do not
know the preferred gender of the subject of your sentence or the subject identifies as neither mail
nor female. In those cases you might rework the sentence to eliminate the need for a singular
pronoun or, if that is not possible or results in awkward or unclear writing, you can use they,
them or their as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun.

In the past, writers used "his" as a generic pronoun to include both male and female. This is no
longer acceptable.

Wrong: Every parent wants his child to succeed in school.

Correct: Parents want their children to succeed in school.

Correct: All parents want their children to succeed in school.

Wrong: Each employee will submit his choice for an HMO by Friday.

Correct: Employees will submit their choice for an HMO by Friday.

Wrong: Everyone has an opportunity to express his concern.

Correct: All of you have an opportunity to express concern.

Correct: Everyone has an opportunity to express concern.

1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. C
7. D
8. A
9. B
10. A
11. C
12. D
13. B
14. B
15. B
16. A
17. A
18. C
19. D
20. D
21. B
22. A
23. C
24. A
25. D
26. A
27. B
28. B
29. C
30. D

Pronoun Case and Perspective Answers

1. I went to the mall.

Subjective

First Person
2. He and she bought groceries to eat for dinner.

Subjective

Third Person

3. Don't mess with them.

Objective

Third Person

4. They completed all of their homework.

Subjective

Third Person

5. She helps you study all of the time.

Objective

Second Person

6. It is the coolest game ever.

 Subjective

Third Person

7. Pirates are known for robbing people and making them walk the plank.

Objective

Third Person

8. You are my best friend.

Subjective

Second Person

9. Mandy came to the library with us.

Objective

First Person

Pronoun Case and Perspective Review

X Subjective Objective
First Person I, we me, us
Second Person you You
Third Person he, she, they, it him, her, them, it

Case: what role the pronoun has in a clause.

Subjective: when the pronoun takes an action.

Ex: I, we, you, he, she, they, it

We went home.

Objective: when the pronoun does not take an action.

Ex: me, us, you, him, her, them, it

Mike hit me.

Perspective: The point of view of the sentence.

First Person: First hand account, directly from the speaker.

Ex: I, we, me, us, my, mine.

We love school.

Second Person: When someone else is speaking for you.

Ex: you, your, yours

You feel good when you do your homework.

Third Person: Other pronouns not referring to I, we, or you.

Ex: he, she, they, it, his, her, its, their(s), him, her, them

She left.

It is my favorite.

Pronouns and Perspective Answers

Pronouns are Bold.

Passage from A Journal of the Plague Year, by Daniel Defoe

They told innumerable dismal stories: sometimes they dropped down dead in the very markets;
for many people had the Plague upon them and knew nothing of it; till the inward Gangrene had
affected their Vitals and they would die in a few moments; they died frequently in that manner
in the streets suddenly, without any warning: others perhaps had time to go to any door, porch
and just sit down and die.
Point of View (narrative perspective): Third-Person Objective

Passage from The Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac

Both of us were feeling fine and were talking a blue streak about anything, literature, the
mountains, girls, the poets, Japan, and I suddenly realized it was a kind of blessing in
disguise. Then I got up and walked over the rail road bridge and just then a man saw me and
said, "How would you like to earn two dollars an hour helping me move a piano?"

Point of View (narrative perspective): First-Person

Passage from You Won't Get Fooled Again, by Steve Reed

You're in the market for a previously enjoyed car. You locate a reputable dealership downtown
and arrive to find a lot brimming with potential vehicles. A salesman approaches you. You
absently place your hand on your wallet and state your preferences. He nods his head and leads
you to an orange, two-door compact about five years past its "best before" date.

Point of View (narrative perspective): Second-Person

It might very well be that literally every word in the history books, even the things one accepted
without question, was pure fantasy. For all he knew there might never have been any such
creature as a capitalist, or any such garment as a top hat.

Third-Person Limited / Omniscient

Give me three examples of a subjective pronoun:

1. I
2.You

3.They, He, She, It

Give me three examples of an objective pronoun:

1.Me

2.You

3.Him, Her, Them, It

1. B
2. D
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. D
7. C
8. C
9. A
10. B
11. C
12. C
13. A
14. A
15. B
16. A
17. C
18. D
19. B
20. C
21. A
22. D
23. A
24. D
25. C
26. B
27. C
28. D
29. A
30. D