CASE IS THE FORM OF A NOUN

OR A PRONOUN THAT SHOWS ITS

USE IN A SENTENCE.
THERE ARE THREE CASES:
 nominative (aka subjective)
 objective
 possessive
PRONOUNS
You’ll need to work a little harder to
determine pronoun case forms.

It’s time to refer to your pronoun case

charts in your grammar packets!
NOMINATIVE CASE
A subject of a sentence is in the
nominative case.

I like classical music.

He and she sold tickets.
They traveled around the world.
NOMINATIVE CASE
To help you choose the correct pronoun in a
compound subject, take out the other
person and try each form of the pronoun
separately.

Amy and (me , I) like to dance.

Me like to dance.
I like to dance.
Amy and I like to dance.
PREDICATE NOMINATIVES
A predicate nominative
follows a linking verb and
defines or renames the
subject.
 PN PRACTICE
S LV PN
Monarch butterflies are insects. (insects defines butterflies)
S LV PN
Cocoons become butterfly nurseries. (nurseries renames cocoons)

1. After many years of schooling, he became a doctor.

2. She remained a strong advocate for children.
3. Lassie has been a celebrity for decades.
4. Our family’s pie maker is Uncle Oscar.
5. It is the prizewinner.
NOMINATIVE CASE
A predicate nominative is in the nominative case.

The last one to leave was he.

Do you think it may have been they?
The fastest runners are she and I.
To help you choose the correct form
of a pronoun used as a predicate
nominative, remember that the
pronoun could just as well be used
as the subject in the sentence.
OBJECTIVE CASE
A direct object, an indirect object, and an object of
a preposition are in the objective case.
The green words are examples of…

Evan surprised them.

Uncle Raymond took me to the rodeo.
The ranger guided us to the camp.
DIRECT OBJECTS
A direct object is a noun or
pronoun that receives the
action of the action verb. A
direct object answers the
question what or whom.
 DO Practice
S AV DO
Movie producers often borrow real homes. (borrow what?)
S AV DO
The right house can charm viewers. (can charm whom?)

1. Alex threw the ball.

2. Sally bought a red sweater.
3. Oscar wrote a letter.
4. Brenda made a sandwich.
5. Julian told a funny story.
 To help you choose the correct
pronoun in a compound direct object,
take out the other person and try each
form of the pronoun separately in the
sentence.
We met Tara and (she , her) at the video arcade.
We met she at the video arcade.
We met her at the video arcade.
We met Tara and her at the video arcade.
INDIRECT OBJECT
An indirect object is a noun or
pronoun that comes between
the verb and the direct object.
It tells to whom or to what, or
for whom or for what the
action of the verb is done.
Formula: S AV IO DO
IO PRACTICE
S AV IO DO
We lent the producer our house. (to whom?)
S AV IO DO
She offered us free movie passes. (to whom?)

1. Alex threw Patti the ball.

2. Sally bought Ginny a red sweater.
3. Oscar wrote Sadie a letter.
4. Brenda made herself a sandwich.
5. Julian told us a funny story.
OBJECTIVE CASE
An indirect object is in the objective case.

Coach Mendez gave them a pep talk.

His mother built him a footlocker.
Mr. Botti gave us posters of the solar system.
 To help you choose the correct pronoun in a compound indirect object, take out the other person
and try each form of the pronoun separately in the sentence.

Our neighbor gave Diana and (I , me) a job for the summer.
Our neighbor gave I a job for the summer.
Our neighbor gave me a job for the summer.
Our neighbor gave Diana and me a job for the summer.
OBJECTIVE CASE
An object of a preposition
is in the objective case.

When did you mail the package to them?

Are you still planning to go to the movies with us?
The reward money was divided equally between
him and her.
SPECIAL
PRONOUN
PROBLEMS
PRONOUNS WITH APPOSITIVES
Sometimes a pronoun is followed
directly by a noun that identifies the
pronoun. Such a noun is called an
appositive. To help you choose
which pronoun to use before an
appositive, omit the appositive and
try each form of the pronoun
separately.
(We, Us) cheerleaders practice after school.
We practice after school.
Us practice after school.
We cheerleaders practice after school.

The coach threw a party for (us, we)

players.
The coach threw a party for we.
The coach threw a party for us.
The coach threw a party for us players.
ELLIPTICAL CLAUSES
I am taller than (he, him).
Sentences like these have something
missing. You must complete them
before you decide which pronoun is
correct.
The missing part is a
verb or verb phrase
I am taller than (he, him) _____.

Bill is happier than (I, me) _____.

He is as smart as (her, she) _____.

1. You are just as good at golfing as (her, she).
2. He is a better guitarist than (me, I).
3. Jeff and Marky can’t sing as loudly as (they, them).
4. My brother is a faster runner than (him, he).
5. Harold is just as excited about seeing the movie as (I, me).
6. Vinz does Math problems more quickly than (him, he).
7. Kristine dances almost as well as (them, they).
8. No one works harder than (she, her).
9. Cindy doesn’t practice playing piano as much as (me, I).
10. Alex swims more quickly than (they, them).
11. I can’t cook as well as (he, him).
12. Lesley’s sisters are older than (her, she).
13. We haven’t traveled as extensively as (they, them)
GERUNDS

When a noun or a pronoun

comes immediately before a
gerund (-ing verb), use the
possessive case.
Let’s discuss your being hired for the
position with our company.

My arriving late for class should not be

a problem.

His complaining about the homework

will not help.
• 1. You asked both the other team and ( we, us, ourselves ) the
wrong question.
• 2. ( Who, Whom ) is the best person for the job?
• 3. Do not rub any oil on ( he, him, himself ) and ( I, me, myself ).
• 4. Just between you and ( I, me, myself ), Greg will lose a lot of
cash in that investment.
• 5. Choose ( who, whom ) you want for the position.
• 6. The best woman for the job is ( she, her, herself ).
• 7. You gave ( we, us ,ourselves ) students a real surprise with that
test.
• 8. Sarah makes more money than ( he, him, himself ).
• 9. (I, me, myself ) will try to install the new memory chip.
• 10. I care for Charles, but I like you as much as ( he, him ).