• My sisters and I saw Titanic six times.
• My sisters and me saw Titanic six times.

Once you have crossed out everything but the pronoun, you can see the correct choice is "I."

• I saw Titanic six times.
• My sisters and I saw Titanic six times.

Okay, now try this one:

• Ms. Clegg lent Carlos and I a copy of the book.
• Ms. Clegg lent Carlos and me a copy of the book.

Again, get rid of everything in the phrase except the pronoun, and the answer will be clear.

• Ms. Clegg lent me a copy of the book
• Ms. Clegg lent Carlos and me a copy of the book.

One special note to remember here: grammar is polite. Always let everyone go ahead of you. 

• NO: Me and my brother went to the movies last night
• YES: My brother and I went to the movies last night.

Who Does "You" Refer To?
"You" is a pronoun that gives writers special problems. When we speak, we often use "you" to mean people in general. However, in writing, "you" refers to the reader directly. If you use "you," you need to ask yourself, "Do I mean the reader? Or do I mean someone else. If the "you" means someone else, you have a problem called "person shift."

For Example:

• Speed skaters must train religiously. You cannot compete successfully if you skate only on weekends.

Here the "you" clearly does not refer to the reader. It refers to "speed skaters." Here is a corrected version:

• Speed skaters must train religiously. They cannot compete successfully if they skate only on weekends.

What Nouns do the Pronouns Refer to?
The concern about sexist language has driven many writers to problems with pronoun agreement. We don't want to use "him" or "her," so we substitute "they." We hear people speak this way all the time, so it sounds correct when we read it in our papers. However, writing is more formal than speech, so we have to sort out this problem. 

Pronouns have to agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace. 

• All students should bring their notebooks to the next class; if they forget them, class participation will prove difficult.

"their" refers to "students"
"they" refers to "students"
"them" refers to "notebooks"
In this case, the pronouns all agree with the nouns they replace. You should be able to draw an arrow back to the noun the pronoun is replacing. If you cannot, then you know you have a problem.

• A person who cares about the environment will recycle. They will also avoid using Styrofoam and plastic.

Now we have an agreement problem. "They" refers back to "a person." We have a problem with agreement. This problem can be eliminated two ways. Either make both plural or make both singular.

• Singular:  A person who cares about the environment will recycle. He or she will also avoid using Styrofoam and plastic.
• Plural:  People who care about the environment will recycle. They will also avoid using Styrofoam and plastic.

NOTE: It is important to continue to avoid sexist language, but you don't want to get caught up in too much "he and she" or "him and her." This can get very cumbersome and difficult to read. If you can make the statement plural, that will help you avoid the sexist language issue. If you can't make the statement plural, you will be better off using either male or female pronouns rather than both. Whichever you choose, be consistent. 

Cross Out Words That Rename the Pronoun
Sometimes for emphasis writers will follow a pronoun with a word that renames it. Words that rename are called "appositives."

• We speed skaters 
• Us students
• You Laker fans

If you feel confused about what pronoun to use with an appositive, you can cross out the appositive and the correct pronoun should be clear to you.

• We Laker fans jumped to our feet and cheered when the team came onto the court.
• Us Laker fans jumped to our feet and cheered when the team came onto the court.

When you cross out the appositive, the correct pronoun choice is clear.

• We jumped to our feet. . .
• We Laker fans jumped to our feet and cheered when the team came onto the court.

Here is another example:

• Loud rap music can be irritating to we older folks.
• Loud rap music can be irritating to us older folks.

Without the appositive, the correct choice is clear.

• Loud rap music can be irritating to us older folks.

Watch Indefinite Pronouns
There are nine indefinite pronouns

All of these words are singular; however, in speech we often use them with plural pronouns, again to avoid that sexist language.

• NO: Someone left their coat in the auditorium
• YES: Someone left his or her coat in the auditorium
• NO: Anybody who wants to bring their family may do so.
• YES: Anybody who wants to bring his or her family may do so.

Don't try to edit this mistake based on how it sounds. The mistake will sound right. Remember what the nine indefinite pronouns are, and check the pronouns used with them.

Watch Out For Pronouns That Can Refer to More Than One Noun
Sometimes it is not clear which noun a pronoun refers to. 

• Kate and Francie were in the office when she heard the phone ring.

In this sentence it isn't clear if Francie heard the phone ring or if Kate heard the phone ring. In this case, it is necessary to clearly state who heard the phone ring even though it might sound redundant.

• Kate and Francie were in the office when Kate heard the phone ring.

Whenever you have two or more same sex characters in an event, this is a pronoun problem you will need to watch out for.

Be Sure That the Pronoun Actually Refers to Something!
Another problem that is a carryover from speech is the unstated reference. This means that you have used a pronoun, but you can't draw an arrow back to the noun it replaces.

• Danielle is a very curious child. Because of it, she asks questions all the time.

What does "it" refer back to? ""it" cannot refer to "curious" because "curious" is not a noun. "It" actually refers to "curiosity," but that word has not been stated.

• Danielle is a very curious child. Because of her curiosity, she asks questions all the time.

Here is another example that will sound okay.

• When I went to the unemployment office, they told me that some construction jobs were available.

Who does "they" refer to? It can't refer to "unemployment office." That is a building, and buildings cannot speak to you.

• When I went to the unemployment office, the unemployment counselor told me that some construction jobs were available.

Reflexive Pronouns
For some reason, reflexive pronouns give people a lot of problems, but they are really very simple. The reflexive pronoun names the receiver of an action that is being done by the same person. Okay, that sounds confusing, but it really isn't. First let's look at what the reflexive pronouns are:

When you use a reflexive pronoun, the person doing and receiving the action must be the same person.

• I wash myself each morning
• Marie looks at herself in the mirror
• The newborn calf must stand up itself

The trouble comes when people use reflexive pronouns when they should use another form of pronoun. Most often this error involves "myself."

• NO: You can talk to either Monica or myself about the upcoming sales event.
• YES: You can talk to either Monica or me about the upcoming sales event.

More Resources
If you still have questions about pronouns and pronoun agreement, here are a few web sites that might answer your questions.

• The Grammar Outlaw: Unclear Pronouns
• Harper's Writing Center: Pronoun Agreement