Can you use personal pronount when comparing

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A personal pronoun is a pronoun that is associated primarily with a particular person, in the grammatical sense.

When discussing “person” in terms of the grammatical, the following rules apply:

• First person, as in “I”
• Second person, as in “you”
• Third person, as in “It, he, she”

Personal pronouns may take on various forms depending on number (singular or plural for the most part). They may also take different forms depending on case, gender, or formality. It is important to note that personal pronouns may refer to objects, animals, or people.

Personal pronouns provide us with the following information:

• The person – Who is speaking?
• The number – Is the pronoun plural or singular?
• The gender – Is the pronoun feminine, masculine, or neuter?

Examples of Personal Pronouns

The word “he” is an example of a personal pronoun. He is third person (because he is the person being spoken about), singular, and masculine. The word “we” is another example of a personal pronoun. We is first person (because we are speaking as a group), plural, and neuter.

In the following examples, personal pronouns are italicized.

1. You need to stop lying to me.
2. We would love for you to join us.
3. Come look at my cat! He has climbed to the top of that tree.

Personal Pronouns as Subject Pronouns

When a personal pronoun takes the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence, it is both a personal pronoun and a subject pronoun. What is a subject pronoun? In essence, it’s any pronoun that is used to replace a common or proper noun as a sentence’s subject.

If you are using a personal pronoun to talk about a person, animal, place, or thing that also happens to be the subject of a sentence, then it is classified as both a personal pronoun and a subject pronoun.

Personal Pronouns as Object Pronouns

When a personal pronoun is the direct or indirect object of a verb, or when it is used as the object of a preposition, it is called an object pronoun. What is an object pronoun? It’s any pronoun that is affected by the action the subject of the sentence takes.

The personal pronouns that are used as object pronouns are different than the personal pronouns that are used as subject pronouns, but they are just as important. There are seven object pronouns that also happen to be personal pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.

How Are Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns Related to Personal Pronouns?

Like all personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns are used to eliminate repetition within sentences. Additionally, they are always associated with a specific person, group, animal, or inanimate object.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between subject and object pronouns. It can be helpful to remember that a subject is what a sentence is about, while an object is affected by the action of the subject.

Just like other personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns can take on different forms depending on number, i.e. whether they are singular or plural. Additionally, they can be used with any of the three grammatical persons, i.e. first-person, second-person, or third-person.

Finally, subject pronouns and object pronouns are related to one another and all other personal pronouns in that the words used may differ depending on the natural or grammatical gender of the words they refer to.

Examples of Sentences Containing Both Subject Pronouns & Object Pronouns

1. I want you to read this book.
2. You are the fastest runner on the team, and we’re depending on you.
3. They talked to me about acting in the play.
4. We enjoyed hearing her sing.

Comparing Subject and Object Pronouns

Use the following table to compare subject and object pronouns. Notice that some subject pronouns are identical to certain object pronouns.

Personal Pronoun Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how personal pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. __________ often reads until late at night.
2. __________ is running up and down the stairs.
   1. The cat
   2. She
   3. My brother
   4. You
3. __________ is from Ireland.
   1. Rory
   2. My friend
   3. He
   4. This souvenir
4. Have __________ got a dog, Mary?
5. We enjoy the roses so much. __________ really liven up the garden.
6. Melissa isn’t an architect; __________ is an engineer.
7. Are __________ friends or not?
8. My doctor was born in Germany. __________ teaches language lessons in his spare time.
9. All of my teachers are Americans. __________ come from all over the country.
10. Our friends are athletes. All of __________ are either strong, fast, or both.

Answers:

1. A – He often reads until late at night.
2. B – She is running up and down the stairs.
3. C – He is from Ireland.
4. B – Have they got a dog, Mary?
5. A – We enjoy the roses so much. They really liven up the garden.
6. D – Melissa isn’t an architect; she is an engineer.
7. C – Are we friends or not?
8. D – My doctor was born in Germany. He teaches language lessons in his spare time.
9. C – All of my teachers are Americans. They come from all over the country.
10. C – Our friends are athletes. All of them are either strong, fast, or both.

by Jennie Ruby

Comparisons involving pronouns are a trouble spot in English. The trouble arises from the fact that when speaking, we hear the comparison words than, as, and like as being prepositions. After a preposition, you use the object form of a pronoun, like this:

*She is taller than me.

*My nephew sneezes just like him.

*Jason is as tall as him.

I've marked these with asterisks because these sentences would generally be considered wrong in print. During the 18th century, when scholars in Europe were codifying the rules of English grammar, a decision was made to treat these comparison words as conjunctions rather than prepositions. In that situation, you don't necessarily use the object form of the pronoun. Instead, you see the conjunction as joining two statements, and the second statement should logically have the same complete grammar as the first one, whether you actually state the additional words or not:

• She is taller than I [am].
• My nephew sneezes just like he [sneezes or does].
• Jason is as tall as he [is].
• The joke offended him more than [it offended] me.

This means that sometimes you get the subject form of the pronoun, as in the first three examples, and sometimes you get the object form, as in the last example. One of my favorite grammar books advises always including the words that complete the comparison, so that your reader understands why you have chosen that particular pronoun.

According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, surveys have shown that in print, the majority of people will see the objective pronouns in the first set of sentences as incorrect. I'm guessing that those very same people use the other method in speech!

The upshot of all this is that in speaking, most of us use the first set of examples, treating comparison words as prepositions, but in writing, it is better to be safe and use the "complete the comparison" method. That way, we can be sure that readers will think we got it right.

Beyond that, misunderstanding about the pronoun can even create ambiguity:

• My boyfriend loves soccer more than me.

Which meaning do you think this sentence has:

1. My boyfriend loves soccer more than I do.
2. My boyfriend loves soccer more than he loves me.

What do you think? Go ahead and post your comments!

***

About the Author: Jennie Ruby is a veteran IconLogic trainer and author with titles such as "Editing with Word 2003 and Acrobat 7" and "Editing with MS Word 2007" to her credit. She is a publishing professional with more than 20 years of experience in writing, editing and desktop publishing.

Pronoun Usage 4

Pronouns in comparisons Sometimes a comparison is made by using a clause that begins with than or as. Examples Fred is better at chess than George is. You have as many A’s as he has. Marie likes me more than she likes you.

Comparisons Sometimes the final clause in the comparison is left incomplete making the pronoun choice more difficult. Fred is better at chess than George (is). You have as many A’s as he (has).

To decide which pronoun form to use in an incomplete comparison – you need to complete the comparison. Hannah plays the trumpet better than (I, me). Max wrote a better composition than (I, me). We can sing as well as (they, them).

Pronoun with infinitives The objective form of the pronoun is used when you have an infinitive phrase (remember what infinitives are?? - to run, to jump, to throw)

The officer told me to stop. ( me is the subject of to stop). The official asked them to observe the rules. (them is the subject of to observe. They took him to be me. (him is the subject of to be and me is the predicate pronoun following to be. Reporters were at the airport to question her. (her is the object of to question).

Possessive case with gerunds The possessive form of the pronoun is used when the pronoun immediately precedes a gerund. His running has improved since the last track meet. We dislike their playing the radio at midnight.

Pronoun as an appositive The form of a pronoun used as an appositive is determined by the use of the noun to which it is apposition. The delegates, Tony and I, want your support. – Tony and I are the apposition for delegates, which is the subject. Therefore you use the nominative form.

For the producers, Margo and him, the show was a hit. – Margo and him are the appositive for producers, which is in a prepositional phrase. That makes it the objective form.

Pronoun & antecedent

Indefinite pronouns all, some, any, and none can be either singular or plural depending upon meaning in the sentence Example – All of the furniture was in its original condition. All of the students were taking their last test.