2.5 Pronouns
Subject and Object Pronouns
Subject pronouns function as subjects in a sentence. Object pronouns function as the object of a verb or of a preposition.
| Singular Pronouns | Plural Pronouns | ||
| Subject | Object | Subject | Object |
| I | me | we | us |
| you | you | you | you |
| he, she, it | him, her, it | they | them |
The following sentences show pronouns as subjects:
- She loves the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall.
- Every summer, they picked up litter from national parks.
The following sentences show pronouns as objects:
- Marie leaned over and kissed him.
- Jane moved it to the corner.
TipNote that a pronoun can also be the object of a preposition. Near them, the children played. My mother stood between us. The pronouns us and them are objects of the prepositions near and between. They answer the questions near whom? And between whom? Compound subject pronouns are two or more pronouns joined by a conjunction or a preposition that function as the subject of the sentence. The following sentences show pronouns with compound subjects: Incorrect: Me and Harriet visited the Grand Canyon last summer. Correct: Harriet and I visited the Grand Canyon last summer. Correct: Jenna accompanied Harriet and me on our trip. |
TipNote that object pronouns are never used in the subject position. One way to remember this rule is to remove the other subject in a compound subject, leave only the pronoun, and see whether the sentence makes sense. For example, Me visited the Grand Canyon last summer sounds immediately incorrect. Compound object pronouns are two or more pronouns joined by a conjunction or a preposition that function as the object of the sentence. Incorrect: I have a good feeling about Janice and I. Correct: I have a good feeling about Janice and me. |
TipIt is correct to write Janice and me, as opposed to me and Janice. Just remember it is more polite to refer to yourself last. |
