Common Errors: PRONOUNS

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Common Errors PRONOUNS
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• SUBJECTIVE
• OBJECTIVE
• Vs.
• POSSESSIVE
• PRONOUNS
• WHICH ONE DO I USE WHEN?

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Pronoun Case

• There are three cases
• 1. Subjective case
• pronouns used as subject.2. Objective case
• pronouns used as objects of verbs or
  prepositions.3. Possessive case
• pronouns which express ownership.

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SUBJECTS, OBJECTS,POSSESSIVE

• Pronouns as SUBJECTS
• I, you, she, he, it, we you, they, who
• Pronouns as OBJECTS
• Me, you, him, her. it, us, you, them, whom
• Pronouns that show POSSESSION
• My, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, it, its,
  our, ours, their, theirs, whose

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RULE

• Correct pronoun case requires
• different forms of personal pronouns for
• different jobs in sentences.

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Some problems of case

• 1. In compound structures, where there are two
  pronouns or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other
  noun for a moment.
• Then you can see which case you want.
• INCORRECT Bob and me travel a good deal.(Would
  you say, "me travel"?)
• CORRECT
• Bob and I travel a good deal.(Also, note the use
  third person plural pronoun and verb (travel)
• In other words
• They travel a good deal.

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Comparisons

• Comparisons usually follow than or as
• He is taller than I (not me) (He is taller than I
  am tall).
• This helps you as much as me.
• (This helps you as much as it helps me.)
• She is as noisy as I (She is as noisy as I am).
• Comparisons are really shorthand
• they omit implied words, usually verbs.

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In formal and semiformal writing

• Use the subjective form after a form of the verb
  to be.FORMAL It is I.
• INFORMAL It is me.
• Use whom in the objective case.FORMAL To whom
  am I talking?
• INFORMAL Who am I talking to?

Use FORMAL language in ACADEMIC writing!
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Faulty Pronoun Reference

• Do not fall into the trap of using
• objective case pronouns
• when
• subject pronouns are needed.
• Examples
•        

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PERSONAL PRONOUNS WITH NOUN SUBJECTS

• You must also remember to use
• subjective case pronouns
• when a pronoun is used along with a noun subject.
• Example (CORRECT)

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Personal Pronouns as Subjective Complements

• Finally, you must use a subjective case pronoun
  when the pronoun functions as a subjective
  complement.
• What is a subjective complement?
• A subjective complement answers the question who
  or what after a form of the verb to be. 
• A subjective complement completes the subject.
• Or, in other words, a subjective complement
• means the same as the subject but follows the
  verb.
• Example

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In a subject (noun) complement

• Use a subjective case pronoun.
• EXAMPLE
•                                

(CORRECT)
Do NOT say
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Pronouns with verbals

• A verbal is a verb form doing the job of a noun
  or adjective.
• Two kinds of verbals used with pronouns
• gerunds and participles.
• 1 GERUND Gerunds end in ing and act like
  nouns.

NOTE OBJECTS are nouns or subjective case
pronouns.
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Gerundsand POSSESSIVE CASE PRONOUNS

• When nouns or pronouns precede gerunds in
  sentences,
• USE THE POSSESSIVE CASE!

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Sometimes

• Sentences
• can
• be
• more
• complicated

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• For more study with self-check exercises
• http//www.towson.edu/ows/ModuleCASE.htm

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TWENTY MOST COMMON WRITING ERRORS

• At the link below, you'll see a list. To the
  left of each item is a number. Click on the
  number to see explanations. http//www.bedfordstma
  rtins.com/nsmhandbook/errors.html

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DEADLY SINS IN WRITING

• PowerPoints Self-check exercises
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/sins.htm

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REMINDER

• Document all studies
• in your
• STUDY JOURNAL!

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