The Pronoun as Object

Mistakes with the single pronoun as object are somewhat rare, but when we combine two pronouns to make an object, or use a pronoun with a noun to form the object of a verb or of a preposition, people who are not careful sometimes use the wrong case form. For example, we should say, "I should be pleased to see John and him," because him is part of the object of the verb see; "She invited Helen and me to her party," not "Helen and I." "Did you see the picture of him and Fannie?" "Everyone laughed except him and me."

EXERCISE

Fill each of the following blanks with the correct form of the pronoun:

1. Everyone laughed at Douglas and

(First person, singular)

when we fell down.

2. I invited and Teddy to go driving with me. (Third

person, singular)

3. They elected

4. We called on plural)

5. I don't object to

6. I am taller than

7. Wayne and

8.

and Charles. (Third person, singular)

and their friends yesterday. (Third person,

going. (you, your)

(her, she)

will bring in the chairs. (I, me)

and Victor are the best in the class. (him, he)

9. Mrs. Cornwell called Fred and to get some cookies. (I, me)

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS

16. Do you object to 17. If it had been

they)

18. I know it was 19. You and

20. She said that

asking him? (me, my)

263

we should have heard of it sooner. (them,

because I heard them talking. (them, they) can easily do this by ourselves. (I, me) the robber attacked

same time. (her, she)

21. It is

and her mother at the

but don't tell anyone. (I, me)

22. Do you remember asking your opinion? 23. Everybody is out except the cook and

24. I knew it was

25. We did not know of

your)

26. Was it you or

27. I told Louise and

28. Maude and

(me, my) (I, me)

as soon as I saw him. (he, him) -being appointed until to-day. (you,

that spoke? (he, him)

that it would rain. (she, her)

planned to go to town this morning. (I, me) (her, she)

29. Do you think it was

-?

30. I cannot bear to think of
31. The captain told the sergeant and
32. It was either you or

going away. (you, your)

to keep guard. (I, me) I don't know which. (she, her)

Interrogative Pronouns. - Notice the italicized pronouns

in the sentences below:

Who is at the door?

What do you want?

To whom did you give the ticket?
Which is it, cheese or butter?

The italicized words in the sentences above are pronouns used in asking questions. We do not know the antecedents of these pronouns. We expect to have the antecedents named in the answer. For example, in the first sentence, the answer to "Who is at the door?" may be "Mother." Mother is then the antecedent of who. These pronouns used in asking questions are called interrogative pronouns. An interrogative pronoun may be used as the subject of a sentence, as the object of a transitive verb, as

the predicate after is in its various forms, or as the object

of a preposition.

An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun that is used in asking a question.

The interrogative pronouns are who, whom, what, and which. The only interrogative pronoun which changes its form to indicate case is who. The declension of who is as follows: SINGULAR AND PLURAL

Nominative who

Accusative
Dative

whom

Who is used in speaking of persons, and what is used in speaking of places and things.

Which is used when we ask for a selection of one of several objects or persons; as, "Which shall I take?" "Which is the stronger, John or Fred?"

Order of Words in an Interrogative Sentence.—The interrogative sentence sometimes reverses the usual order of words in the English sentence, which is subject substantive, predicate verb, object or predicate nominative. For example, in “What do you want?" what is the object, you is the subject substantive, and do want is the predicate verb. "Whom did you send?" is another illustration of placing the object first. Of course, the object of the verb should be in the accuisative case, but this reversal of the form of the interrogative sentence leads to frequent violation of this rule when who or whom is used. Some pupils make the mistake of saying, "Who did he ask?" instead of "Whom did he ask?"

EXERCISE

Fill each of the following blanks with who or whom:

Relative Pronouns. Notice the italicized words in the sentences below:

This is the hat that I bought yesterday.

The lady to whom you spoke is my aunt.

It was she who brought the flowers.

The picture which I liked best was painted by Van Dyck.

It is easy to see that the four words italicized are pronouns, because each one stands for some substantive. But besides standing for a substantive, each of these pronouns introduces a subordinate clause which modifies the substantive for which the pronoun stands. In the first sentence that stands for hat, which is called its antecedent, and it also introduces the subordinate clause, that I bought yesterday, which modifies hat. A pronoun that serves this double purpose is called a relative pronoun. Find the antecedent of each of the relative pronouns in the other three sentences above, and select the clause introduced by the relative.

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that connects a subordinate clause with the substantive to which the pronoun refers.

The substantive to which the relative pronoun refers is its antecedent.

The relative pronouns are who, which, what, that, as, and

the compounds whoever, whichever, whatever, whosoever, whichsoever, and whatsoever.

Who refers to persons, and which to things; that may refer to either persons or things. What means the thing that. In the older form of our language which referred to persons as well as to things. In the Bible we find this use of which; for example, in the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven." Present usage, however, restricts the use of which to objects not human.

Relative pronouns must agree with their antecedents in person and in number. Who is the only relative pronoun that changes its form to denote case. It is declined as follows:

Difference Between Interrogative and Relative Pronouns. -The antecedent of the interrogative pronoun is never expressed in the question; it is given, if at all, in the answer to the question. "Who is that with her?" "It is Mr. Thomas."

The antecedent of the relative pronoun, on the other hand, is always to be found in the sentence that includes the relative. The clause introduced by the relative modifies the antecedent. "That is Mr. Thomas who is with her."

EXERCISE I

tell

Select the relative pronouns in the following sentences, the antecedent of each, and give the number, person, and case of each relative pronoun:

1. The friend whom I am visiting is an old schoolmate.
2. The dress that I bought last week does not fit me.

3. The leaves which the wind scatters are dry and brown.