English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010

Lesson 41: The functions of pronouns
Unit 13: Subjects and objects
Part II: Kinds of phrases

Now that we’ve talked about subjects and objects in some detail, it’s a good idea for us to reexamine subject and object pronouns, which we first discussed in Lesson 21.

Take a look at the noun phrase the teacher in each of the sentences below.

1. The teacher went home early today.

(The teacher is the subject.)

2. The students liked the teacher very much.

(The teacher is the direct object.)

3. The parents gave the questionnaire to the teacher.

(The teacher is the indirect object.)

Notice that the teacher has the same form whether it’s functioning as the subject, the direct object, or the indirect object in a sentence. This is true for all nouns in English: they don’t change form when they change function.

In contrast, there are subject pronouns and object pronouns (see Lesson 21). Subject pronouns are used when a pronoun is functioning as the subject of a sentence (see Lesson 38). The subject pronoun is underlined in the following sentences:

4. I read the newspaper every day.

5. She is happy.

6. We love potato chips.

Object pronouns are used in all other contexts. The three major uses for object pronouns are: direct object (Lesson 39), indirect object (Lesson 40), and object of a preposition (Lesson 29). The object pronouns are underlined in the following sentences:

7. My sister congratulated me on my birthday. (direct object)

8. The director sent her a message. (indirect object)

9. Mrs. Raffsky spoke to us on the phone. (object of a preposition)

Quick tip 41.1

A subject pronoun is used when it is functioning as the subject of the sentence. An object pronoun is used when it is functioning as: (a) the direct object of the sentence; (b) the indirect object of the sentence; (c) the object of a preposition.

Test yourself 41.1

For each underlined pronoun below, indicate whether it is a subject or object pronoun. For you and it, you will need to look at how the pronoun is being used in the sentence.

Getting started (answers on p.191)

1. She laughed at the movie.

2. Don’t bother me now.

3. I don’t feel guilty.

4. He has asked her to dance.

5. Chris had been living near you.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. It is not a very interesting movie.

7. This does not concern us.

8. He disappointed his friends.

9. The critics were raving about it.

10. It doesn’t matter to them at all.

Test yourself 41.2

Each of the sentences below contains an object pronoun, which is underlined. Indicate whether it’s being used as a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.

Sample: Audra lives very far from him. object of a preposition

Getting started (answers on p. 192)

1. My dear friend sent me a postcard from Italy.

2. A teenager sat next to me in the theater.

3. Irma has bought you the cookware.

4. The dog approached them.

5. That family is always blaming us for their problems.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. They gave us their promise.

7. He is renting an apartment close to me.

8. I never saw it.

9. He gave her an ultimatum.

10. Brandon will even buy it from you.

To enhance your understanding

In the past, who and whom worked the same way as subject and object pronouns. In particular, who was used when functioning as a subject and whom was used when functioning as an object:

10. Who is running away? (subject: Who is doing the action.)

11. Whom does Katie like? (direct object: Whom is receiving the action.)

However, like all languages, English changes over time, and today, for all but the strictest traditional grammarians, who is used in all contexts, except when it directly follows a preposition (see below). So today a sentence like the following is perfectly grammatical:

12. Who does Katie like? (direct object)

While most of us prefer to use who in sentence 12, it’s still okay to use whom in these contexts. It’s just not necessary to do so, and it tends to sound very formal.

Note that whom must be used when it follows a preposition. In the following examples, whom and the preposition before it are underlined.

13. With whom would you like to speak?

14. To whom may I direct your question?

Lesson 42: Implied subjects: commands

1. Open that book right now!

2. Don’t even think about crossing the street here!

3. Please be careful.

We all recognize a command when we hear one. We have seen that all sentences have a subject, but where is the subject of these commands? Speakers of English readily agree that these sentences do, in fact, have a subject. The subject, though not stated, is understood or implied to be you. Thus, when someone says ’’Wash the dishes!’’ you know they’re talking to you. Commands are also called imperative sentences. In writing, command sentences often end with an exclamation point (!).

Quick tip 42.1

The subject of commands is an understood or implied you.

Test yourself 42.1

Indicate the subject of each sentence below. If it’s a command, specify you as the subject. (We won’t be using exclamation points in this exercise.)

Getting started (answers on p. 192)

1. These illnesses are treatable.

2. The judge had made a terrible mistake.

3. Be supportive.

4. Joan’s father is an architect.

5. Stand up for your rights.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. Give me a break.

7. I can’t give it to you.

8. Don’t raise your voice to me.

9. Help me out with this.

10. She will be planting roses in that garden.

To enhance your understanding

There are a number of ways to prove what you, as a speaker of English, intuitively know: that you is the implicit subject of command sentences. We present one of these arguments here.

Take a look at the following sentences:

4. I held my breath.

5. You held your breath.

6. He held his breath.

7. She held her breath.

While these sentences are grammatical, the following sentences are not:

8a. *I held your breath.

8b. *I held his breath.

8c. *I held their breath.

9a. *You held my breath.

9b. *You held his breath.

9c. *You held their breath.

Can you explain why these sentences are ungrammatical? Clearly, a person cannot hold someone else’s breath. Thus the two underlined pronouns must refer to the same person. If they don’t, the sentence is not grammatical, as in 8 and 9 above.

Now what about commands which contain this same expression? Look at the following grammatical and ungrammatical commands:

10. Hold your breath!

11. *Hold my breath!

12. *Hold his breath!

13. *Hold their breath!

In fact, the only pronoun allowed in the command context Hold ... breath! is your.

Since we know that your must refer to the same person as the subject, it follows that the subject in the command must be you. That is, even though the you is not actually stated, we treat a command as though the subject were you.

Test yourself 42.2

For each sentence below, indicate its subject (stated or understood), direct object, if there is one, and indirect object, if there is one.

Getting started (answers on p.192)

1. You can see marks in the dirt.

2. That film sounds interesting.

3. The congregants built the temple.

4. Give it to me!

5. We need this computer.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. Don’t worry about it!

7. They have been rearranging the display.

8. They sent Bill the bill.

9. Watch me!

10. Mary fell to the floor.