Question

In English pronoun inflections, which of the following is an objective case form?

• A. A. I
• B. B. my
• C. C. him
• D. D. mine

Answer 1

Answer:

C. C. him

Understanding English Pronoun Inflections and Cases

• In English grammar, inflection refers to a change in the form of a word (typically the ending) to express a grammatical function or attribute such as tense, mood, person, number, case, and gender. For pronouns, inflection primarily indicates case.
• There are three main cases for pronouns in English:
  • Nominative Case (Subjective Case): Used when the pronoun is the subject of a verb. These pronouns perform the action. Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who.
  • Objective Case (Accusative Case): Used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or a preposition. These pronouns receive the action or are affected by the action. Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom.
  • Possessive Case: Used to show ownership or possession. Examples: my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours, their/theirs, whose.
• The question focuses on the objective case form. Among the options typically provided in such questions, 'him' is a classic example of an objective case pronoun. It is the objective form of the nominative pronoun 'he'.

• Key Objective Case Pronouns:

  • Singular: me, you, him, her, it
  • Plural: us, you, them
  • Interrogative/Relative: whom (object of verb or preposition), which, that (can function as objective but don't change form).

• Usage of Objective Case:

  • As the direct object of a verb: "The teacher praised him." (Who did the teacher praise? Him.)
  • As the indirect object of a verb: "She gave me a book." (To whom did she give a book? Me.)
  • As the object of a preposition: "The gift is for them." (For whom is the gift? Them.)

• Important Competitive Exam Tip:

  1. Many find it confusing to choose between 'who' and 'whom'. Remember, 'who' is nominative (subject) and 'whom' is objective (object). A simple trick: if you can replace it with 'he' or 'she', use 'who'. If you can replace it with 'him' or 'her', use 'whom'.
  2. Another common error is using nominative pronouns after prepositions, especially in phrases like "between you and I." The correct form is "between you and me," because 'me' is the object of the preposition 'between'.
• Understanding these distinctions is crucial for identifying grammatically correct sentences in competitive exams, particularly in error spotting and sentence correction sections.