3. Don’t use more with an -er word (more wiser) or most with an -est word
(most prettiest).
Our cat is more smarter than our cocker spaniel.
Lesson 24 Problems with
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Subjects and Objects
A handful of pronouns cause more trouble than all the rest put together. These per-
sonal pronouns, as you may recall from Part One, Lesson 9, have different forms whenthey are used as subjects and as objects. There is plenty of room for confusion. Because
these pronouns can be so tricky, this lesson reviews some basic guidelines for getting them
right.
Here are the troublemakers:
Singular Plural
As subjects: I he she we they
As objects: me him her us them
Notice that these pronouns are paired. Your choice in a sentence would be between I and
me, for example. I is the form used for the subject and me for the object.
I watched the Bears game Monday night.
(I is the subject of the verb watched.)
Steve told me about the surprise party for Luis.
(Me is the object of the verb told.)
Most pronoun difficulties occur when two pronouns are joined by and. When in doubt,
say what you would say if each pronoun stood alone.
Laura and she (not her) competed in the debate.
Say:
Laura competed.
She competed.
Laura and she (not her) competed. Laura and she form a compound
SUBJECT.
Mr. Foster gave Mollie and me (not I ) a chance to play in the mixed-
doubles tournament. (Note: It is courteous to mention the other person first:
“Mollie and me,” NOT “me and Mollie.”)
P R O B L E M S W I T H P R O N O U N S 193Mr. Foster gave Mollie.
Mr. Foster gave me.
Mr. Foster gave Mollie and me (not I ). Mollie and me form a
compound indirect OBJECT.
Go with Maura and him (not he) to the flea market.
Go with Maura.
Go with him.
Go with Maura and him (not he). Maura and him form a compound
OBJECT of the preposition with.
Note the following correct form:
The apples were divided between Tom and me.
In this case, Tom and me are OBJECTS of the preposition between.
In the following examples of pronoun difficulties, don’t be fooled by the words swim-
mers and students. They do not affect which pronouns to use.
We (not Us) swimmers are competing in the county championships.
Mr. Gonzales took us (not we) students on a tour of the new regional high
school.
In the first sentence, we is a SUBJECT of the verb are competing. In the second sentence,
us is an OBJECT of the verb took.
Watch out for sentences that leave out a verb because it is understood.
Dita is already as tall as he (not him).
He is the SUBJECT of the understood verb is. Think of the sentence as reading, “Dita is
already as tall as he is tall.”
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