GRAMMAR/USAGE
The Case Forms of Personal Pronouns
The person, number, and gender factors
The correct form for pronouns in each of the three cases ——nominative, objective, and possessive——depends on the number and gender of the antecedent.
NOMINATIVE CASE FORMS
They (third-person plural plural) call me Mr. Tibbs.
He (third-person singular) who laughs last laughs best.
- First person singular: I
- First person plural: we
- Second person singular and plural: you
- Third person singular masculine: he
- Third person singular feminine: she
- Third person singular gender neutral: it
- Third person plural: they
I (first person singular) can’t give you (second person singular) anything but love.
They (third-person plural plural) call me Mr. Tibbs.
He (third-person singular) who laughs last laughs best.
OBJECTIVE CASE
Case-based forms
- First person singular: me
- First person plural: we
- Second person singular and plural: you
- Third person singular masculine: he
- Third person singular feminine: she
- Third person singular gender neutral: it
- Third person plural: they
I (first person singular) can’t give you (second person singular) anything but love.
They (third-person plural) call me Mr. Tibbs.
He (third-person singular) who laughs last laughs best.
When it (third person gender neutral)) rains, it pours.
POSSESSIVE CASE
Function: The “owner” of another word/ or
Case related forms
- First person singular: my
- First person plural: our
- Second person singular: your
- Second person plural: your
- Third person singular feminine: her, her
- Third person singular masculine: him
- Third person singular gender neutral:its (with no apostrophe!)
- Third person plural gender neutral: their
My (first person singular) computer has been giving me problems.
I’d like to get your (second person singular) opinion on this subject.
A fool and his (third person singular masculine)) gold are soon parted.
Emily Dickinson published her third person feminine)) first book of poetry when she was 60 years old.
I enjoyed the book I just read, but I was disappointed in its (third person neutral),