Incorrect use of pronouns — 2
Arku Jasmine
Junior News
In the last lesson on pronouns, we saw that personal pronouns are categorised into two cases — the subject and the object cases.
From the lesson, we learnt that pronouns in the subject case are used as subjects of verbs, while those in the object case are used as objects of verbs.
What this means is that we cannot use pronouns in the subject case as objects of verbs, in the same way that we cannot use pronouns in the object case as subjects of verbs.
This may sound and look so easy to you, especially when you have only a pronoun to deal with as the subject of a verb.
For instance, not many people are likely to write or say: Me went to the party or Him came here.
But when a pronoun has to be used with a noun as a compound or double subject of a verb, a problem arises, as you may not know whether the pronoun should be in the subject or object case.
For instance, in the sentence: My brother and her/she did the work, many people will be confused by the double subject brother and her/she, for which reason choosing the correct pronoun becomes a headache.
The same problem arises when a pronoun and a noun are used as a compound or double object of a verb, as in the example:
The teacher caned Aba and he/him.
Mum sent Joojo and I/me to the market.
Now, when a pronoun and a noun are to be used as the subject of a verb, the pronoun should be in the subject case, since, as we have seen, it is part of the subject.
Eg. My brother and she did the work.
Kofi's friend and I waited for Kofi at the library.
The girl and they are not on good terms at all.
Our new teacher and we solved the equation together.
Chimpanzees and we have certain things in common.
Another way to go around this problem is to forget about the noun used with the pronoun and look at the pronoun as the only subject of the verb.
If that is done, you are likely to use the pronoun in the subject case, as you will know that you are using it as the subject.
Eg. My brother and she did the work (she did the work).
Kofi's friend and I waited for Kofi (I waited for Kofi, not Me waited for Kofi)
When a pronoun is used with a noun as the object of a verb, the pronoun must be in the object case.
Eg. The teacher caned Aba and him.
Mum sent Joojo and me.
In the same way, we can use only the pronoun, without the noun, and we will arrive at the pronoun in the object case.
For instance, If we are using only the pronoun in the first example above, we will say or write:
The teacher caned him (not The teacher caned he)
Mum sent me (not Mum sent I).
By Quame Asomaning/Junior Graphic/Ghana
From the lesson, we learnt that pronouns in the subject case are used as subjects of verbs, while those in the object case are used as objects of verbs.
What this means is that we cannot use pronouns in the subject case as objects of verbs, in the same way that we cannot use pronouns in the object case as subjects of verbs.
This may sound and look so easy to you, especially when you have only a pronoun to deal with as the subject of a verb.
For instance, not many people are likely to write or say: Me went to the party or Him came here.
But when a pronoun has to be used with a noun as a compound or double subject of a verb, a problem arises, as you may not know whether the pronoun should be in the subject or object case.
For instance, in the sentence: My brother and her/she did the work, many people will be confused by the double subject brother and her/she, for which reason choosing the correct pronoun becomes a headache.
The same problem arises when a pronoun and a noun are used as a compound or double object of a verb, as in the example:
The teacher caned Aba and he/him.
Mum sent Joojo and I/me to the market.
Now, when a pronoun and a noun are to be used as the subject of a verb, the pronoun should be in the subject case, since, as we have seen, it is part of the subject.
Eg. My brother and she did the work.
Kofi's friend and I waited for Kofi at the library.
The girl and they are not on good terms at all.
Our new teacher and we solved the equation together.
Chimpanzees and we have certain things in common.
Another way to go around this problem is to forget about the noun used with the pronoun and look at the pronoun as the only subject of the verb.
If that is done, you are likely to use the pronoun in the subject case, as you will know that you are using it as the subject.
Eg. My brother and she did the work (she did the work).
Kofi's friend and I waited for Kofi (I waited for Kofi, not Me waited for Kofi)
When a pronoun is used with a noun as the object of a verb, the pronoun must be in the object case.
Eg. The teacher caned Aba and him.
Mum sent Joojo and me.
In the same way, we can use only the pronoun, without the noun, and we will arrive at the pronoun in the object case.
For instance, If we are using only the pronoun in the first example above, we will say or write:
The teacher caned him (not The teacher caned he)
Mum sent me (not Mum sent I).
By Quame Asomaning/Junior Graphic/Ghana