Pronouns are words that stand in for nouns—he, she, they, him, her, them, etc.  Depending on whether the pronoun is acting as a subject (performing the action in the sentence) or an object (the action is being performed to it) the pronoun will either take the subjective or objective case.

For example, in the sentence “Rick gave the book to Maria,” Rick is the subject because he performs the action of giving the book, whereas Maria is the object because she receives the action by being given the book. If we were to replace Rick and Maria with masculine and feminine pronouns, we would use the subjective “HE” to replace Rick and the objective “HER” to replace Maria.  The sentence would then be “He gave the book to her.”

Here is a chart to help you remember pronoun case of some common pronouns.

This rule helps to explain the trick we taught you yesterday (about selecting the proper pronoun in compound noun forms).  If you are a native English speaker, your ear recognizes the correct pronoun by sound, whereas if you are a non-native English speaker, you will need to memorize this chart to learn the appropriate case.

When I was younger, if I ever announced that “Me and Chrissy went to school,” my parents would immediately correct me: “Chrissy and I went to school.”  It can be hard to remember which pronoun is correct in these compound structures.  Here’s a tip for choosing the proper one.

Use your ear. Read the sentence without the noun and see which pronoun fits.

Let’s do a test using our previous example.  Me and Chrissy went to school.   Does “Me went to school” sound right?  Wouldn’t we say, “I went to school”?  Therefore, it should be “Chrissy and I went to school.”

Here are a few more examples.

Leigh and me will make the reservations. Incorrect.

Leigh and I will make the reservations. Correct!

Ali threw a party for Stephanie and I. Incorrect.

Ali threw a party for Stephanie and me. Correct.

Brian met David and I at the restaurant. Incorrect.

Brian met David and me at the restaurant. Correct.

If you are a native English speaker, your ear can be an excellent tool for distinguishing the proper pronoun case.  Just remove the compound structure to avoid being confused.

In our next post, we’ll go over the reason this trick works.

In yesterday’s New York Times, Lawrence M. Krauss’ opinion piece explores the idea of sending a manned mission to Mars, then leaving the astronauts behind.  Read the article, then identify the author’s thesis, as well as the examples and evidence he uses to support his opinion.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?

Here is some advice from College Board on avoiding scholarship scams.

• “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”
  No one can guarantee that they’ll get your child a grant or a scholarship. Refund guarantees often have conditions or strings attached. Get refund policies in writing—before you or your child pays.
• “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”
  There are many free lists of scholarships available. You and your child should start researching scholarships at the high school or library before you decide to pay someone to do the work for you.
• “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship.”
  You or your child shouldn’t give out credit card or bank account number on the phone without getting information in writing first. It may be the set-up for an unauthorized withdrawal from your account.
• “We’ll do all the work.”
  Don’t be fooled. There’s no way around it. Your child must apply for scholarships or grants himself.
• “The scholarship will cost money.”
  Don’t pay anyone who claims to be “holding” a scholarship or grant for your child. Free money shouldn’t cost a thing.
• “You’ve been selected by a national foundation” to receive a scholarship or “You’re a finalist” in a contest you never entered.
  Before you or your child sends money to apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make sure the foundation or program is legitimate.

For reputable scholarships, try searching free sites like FastWeb or Sallie Mae.

Here’s an essay on boredom, excerpted from a commencement speech delivered by Joseph Brodsky to graduates of Dartmouth. Pay careful attention to the complex vocabulary words. After attempting to define the words in context, look them up in the dictionary and add them to your pile of flash cards.  Write a summary of the article: What is the author’s thesis?  What evidence does he use to support it?

It’s a great essay to read to improve reading comprehension—not to mention stave off boredom.

The growing competition for internships—even unpaid ones—has led to the rise of several middlemen companies that will land students extremely desirable internships…for a fee.  These companies charge up to $8000 to revise student resumes and liason between potential interns and the companies that seek them.  The companies see themselves as providing a valuable service, but of course, there are detractors.  A recent New York Times article presents both sides of the issue.

Employers say the middlemen save them time and hassle. “They make the search process a lot easier,” said Sarah Cirkiel, the chief executive of Pitch Control Public Relations, a small New York firm that started four years ago and has taken in 20 summer interns all from the University of Dreams. “I feel like they hand-select their interns for the specific agencies to make sure it’s the right fit. They just show up at our doorstep, ready to go.”

But many educators and students argue that while the programs bridge one gulf — between those who have degrees from prestigious colleges or family connections and those who do not — only to create a new one, between the students who have parents willing and able to buy their children better job prospects and those who do not.

The article goes on to present another criticism: hunting for an internship has the potential to teach college students valuable job-searching skills that will be needed in the future.  By hiring others to find them an internship, students will not learn how to find jobs on their own.

What do you think?  Would you hire a consultant to find you an internship?

A few quick capitalization rules:

Do not capitalize seasons.

“I’ll begin college in the fall.”

Only capitalize a profession if it is part of a title.

“I love my professor.”

“I love Professor Campbell.”

Only capitalize a subject if you are referring to a specific class OR the subject is a language:

“I studied German last year but this year I will study biology.”

“I already registered for History 204.”

Capitalize cardinal directions only if you are referring to a specific region:

“I grew up in the South.”

“My house is south of the highway.”

Capitalize family member’s names only when they are not used with a possessive:

“My mother and father were born in New Jersey.”

“Mom and Dad were born in New Jersey.”

With so many colleges and universities to choose from, even beginning to narrow down the options can seem a daunting chore.  Here are some factors to keep in mind as you begin the college application process.

Size: Do you prefer a large university, a small liberal arts college, or something in between?  Do you learn better in large lecture-style classes or small discussion-based seminars?

Location: How far from home is too far?  Do you prefer an urban, rural, or suburban environment?  Do you need a school in an area with accessible public transportation?

Academics: What major do you want to study?  Do you seek particular honors programs?  Do you want to attend a school where the emphasis is on teaching or research? Must all classes be taught by full professors with PhDs, or is it okay if some classes are taught by PhD students or adjunct faculty?

Student Population: Is ethnic and geographic diversity important to you?  Do you prefer an all-male or all-female school, or do you seek a co-educational college or university?

Campus Life: What sports, clubs or activities do you hope to participate in?  Do you want to go to a school with active fraternities and sororities?  One where students are politically active?  One with a particularly religious student body? Or do you need a campus full of artists? Do you want to attend a college where activity is mainly centered on-campus?  Or a school where many or most students are commuters, and activity takes place off-campus?

Cost: Consider not just the major costs like tuition, room, and board, but also factor in transportation, books, and personal expenses.  What types of financial aid are available?  What percentage of students receive financial aid at the schools you are considering?

Once you know what you’re looking for in a college, consult College Board or Princeton Review to see how each school measures up to your list of criteria.

Many of you will exit college with significant debt in the form of student loans.  Here’s an interesting article from the Atlantic about a new program offering variable interest rates based on income and family size.   Read it, looking for the main idea, as well as the author’s opinion: does he think the new program is a good idea or a bad one?  How can you tell?  What evidence does he use to bolster his argument?

When one should begin to prepare for the SAT varies from student to student.  First, it’s important to know the typical standardized test timeline.  Most students will take the PSAT, which is very similar in format and content to the SAT, during the fall of sophomore and junior year.  This test is a good indicator of how well you would do on the SAT if you were to take it without further study.  The PSAT utilizes a slightly different scoring system: each section is out of 80, rather than 800; just add a 0 for an estimate of how you would have scored on the SAT.  A high score on the PSAT can also qualify you for a National Merit Scholarship, so some students begin to prepare for this exam even before sophomore year in the hopes of improving their chances at this award.

Every high school student should plan to take the SAT at least twice: once in the spring of junior year (typically March, May, or June) and again in the fall of senior year (October or November).  Depending on how close your PSAT score is to your target score, you may just need to brush up on one subject in particular, or you may need to do more in-depth preparation, such as taking practice exams at home, signing up for a review class, or hiring a private tutor.  Once you decide to start preparing for the exam in earnest, you should plan to spend at least 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, studying vocabulary and attempting practice problems.  Pick a few weekend days on which you can lock yourself into your room for four hours and take the exam under test conditions: with a pencil, at a desk, and in complete silence. Set an egg timer so that you know when time for each section expires.  Do not allow yourself extra time, even if you haven’t finished the section.

Sophomore or junior year is typically the best time to start rigorously preparing for the test, but that doesn’t mean you can’t begin even earlier by continously working to improve your vocabulary, writing skills, and reading comprehension.  Try to learn a new vocabulary word every day.  Use the Wednesday writing prompts to improve your grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation.  Read the articles we link to and try to summarize the main idea and author’s argument.  Most importantly, be sure to always engage fully in your school work.  This means paying attention during class, asking questions when you don’t completely understand a concept, completing all homework assignments, and taking orderly notes.  Look at test prepration not as a chore but as an opportunity—to expand your knowledge and perfect your academic skills before you get to college.