The grammatical rules for subjective and objective pronouns, and possessive adjectives are based on their function within a sentence.
1. Subjective Pronouns (Nominative Case)
Subjective pronouns act as the subject of a verb or a subject complement (following a linking verb like is, are, was, were, seem, become).
| Singular | Plural |
| I | We |
| You | You |
| He, She, It | They |
Key Rules:
- As the Subject: The pronoun performs the action.
- Example: She read the entire book.
- As a Subject Complement: The pronoun renames or refers back to the subject after a linking verb.
- Example: The winner was he. (This is more formal; in casual speech, “It was him” is common, but grammatically “It was I/he/she/they” is correct).
- In Compounds: When the subject is a compound (e.g., noun and pronoun), use the subjective form. A good test is to remove the other part of the subject.
- Example: My friend and I went to the store. (Test: “I went to the store” is correct, not “Me went to the store”).
2. Objective Pronouns (Accusative Case)
Objective pronouns act as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
| Singular | Plural |
| Me | Us |
| You | You |
| Him, Her, It | Them |
Key Rules:
- As the Direct or Indirect Object of a Verb: The pronoun receives the action.
- Example (Direct Object): The dog followed him.
- Example (Indirect Object): She handed me the keys.
- As the Object of a Preposition: The pronoun follows a preposition (to, for, with, between, like, except, but (when used as a preposition), etc.).
- Example: The gift is for her.
- Example: Between you and me, the project is failing. (Not “you and I”).
- In Compounds: When the object is a compound, use the objective form.
- Example: The manager thanked Sarah and them. (Test: “The manager thanked them” is correct, not “The manager thanked they”).
3. Possessive Adjectives (Possessive Determiners)
Possessive adjectives function as adjectives by modifying a noun to show ownership or possession. They always come before a noun.
| Singular | Plural |
| My | Our |
| Your | Your |
| His, Her, Its | Their |
Key Rules:
- Always Modify a Noun: They must be followed by a noun.
- Example: This is my car.
- Example: Their house is on the corner.
- Distinction from Possessive Pronouns: Possessive adjectives (like my) are different from possessive pronouns (like mine), which stand alone and replace a noun phrase.
- Possessive Adjective: This is her desk.
- Possessive Pronoun: The desk is hers.
- Its vs. It’s: The possessive adjective is its (no apostrophe). It’s is a contraction for it is or it has.
- Example: The cat chased its tail.
- Example: It’s a beautiful day.
