Pronouns in Detail

Brought to you by Star Trek

 Review
• A pronoun is a word that is used in
place of a noun or another pronoun.
 Too Many Nouns
• George loves to eat chocolate covered ants.
Chocolate covered ants are George’s favorite
food. Chocolate covered ants are smooth and
chocolatey on the outside, and crunchy on the
inside. Each bite tastes so good that George
wishes the bite would last forever.

• George loves to eat chocolate covered ants.

They are his favorite food. They are smooth and
chocolatey on the outside, and crunchy on the
inside. Each bite tastes so good that he wishes it
would last forever.
 Going Deeper
• Personal Pronouns:
– Pronouns such as we, I, she, them, and it.

• Personal pronouns have a variety of forms

to indicate number, person, and case.
 How Many?
• Singular: Only one
– I shivered.
– You slept.
– She saw a light.

• Plural: More than one

– We lit a fire.
– You fell asleep.
– They ran toward it.
 First Person:
• 1st person pronouns refer to
the person speaking.

• Examples:
• I pole vault.
• We collect old magazines.
• The teacher handed the
papers to us.
 1st Person Singular and
Plural
• Singular:
– I, me, my, mine

• Plural:
– We, us, our, ours
 Possessive
• My, mine, our, ours

• That book is mine!

• George is always welcome at our

house.

• Dr. McCoy is my favorite

character.
 1 Person
st

Singular Plural

I We
Me Us

My Our
Possessive Mine Ours
 Second Person
• 2nd person pronouns refer to the
person spoken to.

• Did you bring your calculator?

• You should go, too.

 Singular vs. Plural
• Singular:
– You, your, yours

• Plural:
– You, your, yours
 Possessive
• Your, yours

• Is this your pencil?

• I think this dog is yours.

 2 Person
nd

Singular Plural

you you

Possessive Your, yours Your, yours

 3 Person
rd

• 3rd person refers to the

person being spoken
about.

• She asked him a

question.

• They opened it
immediately.
 Singular vs. Plural
• Singular:
– He, she, it, him, her, his,
hers, its

• Plural:
– They, them, their, theirs
 Possessive
• His, her, hers, its, their,
theirs

• Dr. McCoy always treats

his patients well.

• He always has their best

interests in mind.
 3 Person
rd

Singular Plural

He, him They

She, her Them
it
His, Their
Possessive Her, hers Theirs
its
 Personal Pronouns—
The whole crew:
1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person

Singular I you He, him

me She, her
it
Plural We You They
Us Them

Possessive Me, mine Your, yours His, her,

Our, ours hers, its,
their, theirs
http://craphound.com/images
/il_fullxfull.70520407.jpg
 What Case?
Subject vs. Object
• Subject:
– Who or what the subject is about.

• Subject Pronoun:
– Is used as the subject of a sentence or as a
predicate pronoun after a linking verb.
 Pronouns As Subjects
• Subject Pronouns:
• Singular:
– I, you, he, she, it
• Plural:
– We, you, they

• I love Star Trek.

• It is the best.
• Some people don’t like Star Trek. They
are crazy.

• Captain Kirk was so handsome. He had a

girlfriend on every planet.
 Predicate Pronouns
• A predicate pronoun follows a linking verb
and identifies the subject. Use the subject
case for predicate pronouns.

• The greatest astronauts were they.

• The biggest Star Trek fans are she and I.

• 1. Spock and me started dating a long
time ago.
• 2. The most handsome Vulcan in the
universe is him.
• 3. You may like him, too.