Nouns & PronounsBeginner
Pronouns: Kinds and the Correct Case
#cssnexusPersonal, reflexive, relative and other pronouns, and how to choose between I/me, who/whom and its/it’s — the pronoun errors most often tested in exams.
A pronoun replaces a noun. Most exam mistakes with pronouns are about choosing the right case — the subject form or the object form.
Personal pronouns and their case
- Subject (does the action): I, we, you, he, she, it, they.
- Object (receives the action, or comes after a preposition): me, us, you, him, her, it, them.
- Possessive: my/mine, our/ours, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, their/theirs.
The comparison trick
After than and as, finish the sentence in your head to find the right case.
Reflexive pronouns
Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves are used when the subject and object are the same person, or for emphasis.
Do not use them in place of I/me: "Ali and I will attend", not "Ali and myself".
Relative pronouns
Who (subject) and whom (object) for people; which for things; that for people or things; whose for possession.
Other kinds
- Demonstrative: this, that, these, those.
- Interrogative: who, whom, whose, which, what.
- Indefinite: someone, anybody, everyone, nothing, each — these take a singular verb.
Its or it's?
Its is possessive; it's means "it is" or "it has".