Lesson 1: Personal Pronouns: Nominative and Possessive Case

Definition

6a. The subject of a verb should be in the nominative case.

6b. A predicate nominative should be in the nominative case.

Explanation

Think of the nominative case as the 'star of the show' pronoun! Use nominative pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) when they are the subject doing the verb's action. Also use them as a predicate nominative to rename the subject after a linking verb like is, are, was, or were. It’s like saying the subject is he or the winners were we.

Examples

• They watched the new movie. [They is the subject of the verb watched.]
• The fastest runners are she and I. [She and I form the compound predicate nominative that identifies the subject runners.]
• Will he and she come to the party? [He and she form the compound subject of the verb phrase Will come.]

Definition

Possessive pronouns show ownership.

Explanation

Possessive pronouns show who owns something! Some stand alone as a subject or predicate nominative (like mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs). Others act like adjectives to describe a noun (my, your, his, her, its, our, their). Remember, always use a possessive pronoun before a gerund, which is a verb ending in -ing that acts as a noun. For example, you should say 'your singing' not 'you singing'.

Examples

• The green bicycle parked on the corner is mine. [Mine is a predicate nominative that identifies the subject bicycle.]
• I was impressed by his managing of the team. [The possessive pronoun his describes the gerund managing.]
• Is theirs the house with the big oak tree in the front yard? [Theirs is the subject of the verb is.]