Writers use different forms of pronouns depending on how the pronouns function in a sentence.
CAPULET:
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
—from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare
The sentence uses nominative, objective, and possessive forms of pronouns.
Case is the form of a noun or pronoun that indicates its use in a sentence. The three cases are nominative, objective, and possessive.
Use the nominative case for the subject of a verb or a predicate nominative. The nominative pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.
Use the objective case for a direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, or the object in most verbal phrases. The objective pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.
Use the possessive case before nouns to show ownership. The possessive pronouns are my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, and theirs.
Who and whoever are nominative case pronouns and should be used for the subject or predicate nominative in a clause. Whom and whomever are objective case pronouns and should be used for a direct object or object of a preposition.
Jed asked who the leader was. (used as predicate nominative)
Whom shall we choose? (used as direct object)
Whom have you written to? (used as object of a preposition)
In elliptical clauses beginning with than or as, use the form of the pronoun that you would use if the clause were fully stated.
Elliptical – Ellie studies harder than (I or me).
Completed – Ellie studies harder than I [do].
Elliptical – The teacher gave Jon a higher mark than (I or me).
Completed – The teacher gave Jon a higher mark than [she gave] me.
