Before the verb → Subjective. After the verb → Objective.

Multiple pronouns, no fault admitted → order 2-3-1

When different persons appear together and nothing bad is being confessed, arrange them 2nd person, then 3rd, then 1st.

Admitting a fault → order 1-2-3

When the sentence confesses a mistake or says something unflattering, the order flips to 1st person, then 2nd, then 3rd.

Plural pronoun subjects → order 1-2-3

Verbs like "let," and words like/between/but/except/prepositions → Objective case

Comparing two subjects with as/than → Nominative case

But when two OBJECTS are being compared, the objective case follows as/than instead.

"It is / It was" + pronoun who/that → Nominative case

Don't repeat the object with a redundant pronoun after an infinitive

If the object of the main verb is already named, the following to-infinitive shouldn't repeat it as a pronoun — it sounds complete in speech but is grammatically redundant.

Animals, inanimate things, countries, babies

Its plural is "they."

"Empty It" — for time, weather, temperature, distance

Used as an introductory subject with no real meaning of its own.

Standing in for an Infinitive, Gerund, or Clause

Emphasising a noun/pronoun as subject (cleft sentence)

Introducing a phrase or clause

A possessive pronoun never sits directly before a noun

That's the job of the possessive adjective instead. And if the noun has already been mentioned, don't repeat it — switch to the possessive pronoun.

Can act as the subject of a verb

Can act as the object of a verb

Can act as the object of a preposition

Never use the possessive case with: separation, leave, excuse, mention, report, pardon, sight, favour

Use "of/from + objective pronoun" instead.

Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe

Before a Gerund → possessive adjective

Mandatory after these verbs (in their idiomatic sense)

Never used with: keep, stop, turn, qualify, bathe, move, rest, hide

Needs an antecedent already stated in the sentence

A reflexive pronoun can't be used as subject or object unless the noun/pronoun it refers back to has already appeared.

"Either" = any ONE of exactly two

For "any one out of more than two," use "any" or "one" instead.

"Neither" = NONE of exactly two

For "none out of more than two," use "none" instead.

Every / Each / Either / Neither as subject → singular his/her, never "their"

These words refer to members of a group one at a time, so the logical subject stays singular — this is one of the most repeated SSC traps.

"Each of / Either of / Neither of" must be followed by "the" + a PLURAL noun

The noun right after "of" names the whole group being drawn from, so it has to be plural — even though everything downstream of "of" (the pronoun/verb) then switches back to singular.

"Each" as subject sits AFTER the subject, before the auxiliary verb

When "each" re-emphasises a plural subject already stated, it is placed right after that subject and before the helping verb — not tacked on before the subject.

"Each and every one" — still singular

This emphatic phrase highlights every single individual, so it takes a singular possessive even though it sounds like a large group.

"Both" — no negative sentences

Reciprocal: "Each other" (two) vs. "One another" (more than two)

This/These = near · That/Those = far — and number must match the noun

"That of" / "Those of" — avoid repeating a noun already stated

Use "that of" to stand in for a singular noun, "those of" for a plural noun.

"One" / "Ones" — avoid repeating a countable noun (never "one's" for this)

Subject of the subordinate clause → who / which / that

Object of the clause's verb → whom / which / that

Person + animal/thing joined by "and" → that

After a superlative → that

"All" (for a person) → who / that

"All" (for a thing, or + uncountable noun) → that only

After everything / nothing / the only / any / everyone / none / no / nobody / much / little / the same / the few / the little → that

"The same + Noun" (with the verb clearly implied) → that

Non-living things and animals → which / of which, never who / whom

English sorts relative pronouns by person vs. non-person — using "who/whom" for an object or institution is a categorical error.

"Whose" also works as a relative pronoun — showing possession

Not just interrogative — "whose" links a noun back to its owner inside a relative clause too. (It still can't be used for a non-living antecedent — see Interrogative Rule 4 below.)

Non-restrictive clause (set off by commas) → which, never that

"Which" introduces extra, non-essential information; "that" is reserved for essential/identifying clauses and cannot follow a comma.

No double subject: don't add "he/she/it" right after who

"Who" already functions as the clause's subject — a verb only needs one.

Who → subject · Whom → object · Whose → owner

Preposition + whom (never preposition + who)

But putting the preposition at the end of the sentence and using "who" is common and acceptable.

Choosing one out of a known/limited set → which

"Whose" is never used for non-living things

"One" as subject → stays "one" for the possessive, "oneself" for the reflexive

Never switch to "his" or "her" partway through — "one" is a gender-neutral indefinite subject with its own dedicated forms.

Never stack two negatives — use "anyone," not "no one," after a negative verb

Two negatives cancel each other out logically; formal English allows only one negative marker per clause.