Subjective or Objective Pronouns (Pronouns, Part 4 of 5)

Here's another confusing aspect when it comes to pronouns - determining whether or not an objective pronoun or a subjective pronoun should be used in certain sentences.

Incidentally, whenever this lesson pops up, I'm reminded of the character Grimlock, one of the Dinobots in the Transformers series.



Anyway, let's get back on track. Here are some sentences:

• Marwil baked cookies for Alma and I.
• Her and I went to Tagaytay.
• He is faster than me.
• Us first year students are studying physics.
• In our barangay, the the most active residents are Veronica and me.
• The runner-up of the spelling bee contest is him.

As you may have noticed, each of the red-colored pronouns is not correct.

There are 2 tips to remember so you'd know whether to use a subjective pronoun or an objective pronoun:

First, either add more words to the sentence, or delete some words, until you can choose the better sounding pronoun.

Examples of situations where you add words:

• Marwil baked cookies for Alma and (for) I. [Hmmm, this sounds wrong.]
• Marwil baked cookies for Alma and (for) me. [Sounds better, what do you think?]

• Thus, the correct sentence should be: "Marwil baked cookies for Alma and me."

• Her (went) and I went to Tagaytay. [Sounds wrong.]
• She (went) and I went to Tagaytay. [Sounds better.]

• Thus the correct sentence should be: "She and I went to Tagaytay."

• He is faster than me (am fast). [Sounds wrong.]
• He is faster than (I am fast). [Sounds better.]

• Thus the correct sentence should be: "He is faster than I."

An example of a situation where you delete words.

• Us (first year students) are studying physics. [Sounds wrong.]
• We (first year students) are studying physics. [Sounds better.]

• Thus, the correct sentence should be "We first year students are studying physics."

Or second, you could turn the sentence around and figure out what sounds right.

• Me am the most active resident in our barangay. [Sounds wrong.]
• I am the most active resident in our barangay. [Sounds better]

• Thus, the correct sentence should be "In our barangay, the most active residents are Veronica and I."

• Him is the runner-up. [Sounds wrong.]
• He is the runner-up. [Sounds better.]

• Thus, the correct sentence should be "The runner-up of the spelling bee contest is he."

Attribution to Rebecca Elliot and her book Painless Grammar (c) 2006, 1997

Other Pronoun tips:
Pronoun Basics (Pronouns, Part 1 of 5)
Weird Antecedents (Pronouns, Part 2 of 5)
The Confusing "Him" or "He" (Pronouns, Part 3 of 5)
Subjective or Objective Pronouns (Pronouns, Part 4 of 5)
You... Yes, You. (Pronouns, Part 5 of 5)