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Personal pronouns take on different forms depending on how they are used in sentences. These forms are called cases.
Here’s the Idea
The most common errors in writing concern pronouns. Be sure to check your writing for pronoun errors and correct any you find.
Here’s the Idea
Forms of Who and Whoever
The case of the pronoun who is determined by the pronoun’s function in a sentence.
Nominative who, whoever
Objective whom, whomever
Possessive whose, whosever
Here’s the Idea
Who is the nominative form. In a question, who is used as a subject or as a predicate pronoun.
Here’s the Idea
Who knows the story of Mulan, a
heroine of ancient China?
The heroine was who?PREDICATE PRONOUN
SUBJECT
Who
who?
Here’s the Idea
Whom is the objective form. In a question, whom is used as a direct or indirect object of a verb or as the object of a preposition.
Here’s the Idea
Whom did Mulan fool?
She told whom the secret of her identity?
INDIRECT OBJECT
DIRECT OBJECT
Whom
whom
Here’s the Idea
Who and whom are also used to introduce subordinate clauses. To choose the correct form, you must figure out how the pronoun is used in the clause.
Here’s the Idea
It’s the rebel chief who is threatening the borders.SUBJECT
Who should be used when the pronoun functions as the subject of a subordinate clause.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
who is threatening the borders.
Here’s the Idea
The chief whom we all fear most is a rebel.DIRECT OBJECT
Whom should be used when the pronoun functions as a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
whom we all fear most
Here’s the Idea
You will be expected to use who and whom correctly in formal writing, such as application letters, term papers, and reports. Don’t assume that whom is just a more formal version of who. Choose the form that fits the way the pronoun is used.
Why It Matters
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
The Ramayana was written by the poet Valmiki, (who, whom) lived in India during the 200s B.C.
1.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
The king, (who, whom) is Rama’s father, makes Rama leave the country.
2.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
Sita is the beautiful woman (who, whom) Rama marries.
3.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
The Ramayana is delightful for (whoever, whomever) hears it.
4.
Practice and Apply
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender, and person. An antecedent is the word—a noun or another pronoun—that a pronoun replaces or refers to.
Here’s the Idea
Most of the time, making a pronoun agree in number with its antecedent is easy: a plural antecedent takes a plural pronoun, and a singular antecedent takes a singular pronoun.
Here’s the Idea
The gender of a pronoun must be the same as the gender of its antecedent.
Hanuman, the monkey chief, brings his
troops to the battle.
Hanuman, his
Here’s the Idea
The person of a pronoun must match the person of its antecedent.
All you fans should buy your tickets for the
latest Rama movie.
youryou
Here’s the Idea
Using the correct pronoun when a collective noun is the antecedent will give your readers information about whether the group is behaving as one unit or as individuals.
The family gives its support to Rama.
family its
Why It Matters
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
Ellis Marsalis, a musician, shared a love of jazz with (his, their) children.
5.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
Like (his, their) father, Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis are jazz musicians.
6.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
These musicians understood that (they, you) had to work hard to succeed.
7.
Practice and Apply
Choose the correct pronoun from the pair in parentheses.
New Orleans, a city famous for (their, its) jazz, is the Marsalis’s hometown.
8.
Practice and Apply
If a pronoun’s antecedent is unclear, or if there is more than one antecedent, readers will be confused.
Here’s the Idea
Indefinite-reference problems occur when a pronoun’s antecedents are not expressed. Writers often make the mistake of using the pronouns it, they, and you without a clear reference.
Here’s the Idea
Indefinite Reference
Awkward
In the “Superheroes” article, it discussed only three women.
Revised
The “Superheroes” article discussed only three women.
Here’s the Idea
General-reference problems occur when the pronouns it, this, that, which, and such are used to refer to general ideas rather than to specific noun antecedents.
Here’s the Idea
General Reference
Awkward
The sidekick is weak and vulnerable, which makes the character appealing.
Revised
The sidekick’s weakness and vulnerability make the character appealing.
Here’s the Idea
Ambiguous means “having more than one possible meaning.” An ambiguous-reference problem occurs whenever more than one word might be a pronoun’s antecedent.
Here’s the Idea
Ambiguous Reference
Awkward
Princess Xena and Gabrielle were featured in a 1990s TV show. She inspired a series of books as well.
Revised
Princess Xena and Gabrielle were featured in a 1990s TV show. Xena inspired a series of books as well.
Here’s the Idea
Readers will be confused and frustrated by cases of general, indefinite, or ambiguous reference in your writing. Make your writing as clear as possible by eliminating these problems.
Why It Matters
Rewrite the sentence to correct indefinite, ambiguous, or general pronoun references.
In this article, it explains that Reggae Sunsplash is a music festival in Jamaica.
9.
Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to correct indefinite, ambiguous, or general pronoun references.
They say that the festival now tours Europe and the United States.
10.
Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to correct indefinite, ambiguous, or general pronoun references.
Music is important at the festival, but you also have Jamaican crafts and food.
11.
Practice and Apply