Maria English Society

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1 Maria English Society Essential English Grammar Teaching Notes - Unit 3 Table of Contents Pronouns - Pronoun and its antecedent - Gender of pronouns - Singular and plural - Personal pronouns - Reflexive pronouns - Possessive pronouns - Interrogative pronouns - Demonstrative pronouns - Very important tips about nouns and pronouns - Reciprocal pronouns - Indefinite pronouns - Using pronouns clearly - Non sexist use of pronouns Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 1

2 Pronouns Unit 3 Words that stand for nouns are called pronouns. Compare: John Brown said that John Brown was hungry. John Brown said that he was hungry. antecedent pronoun Mary Brown said that Mary Brown was hungry. Mary Brown said that she was hungry. antecedent pronoun Gender of nouns and pronouns In grammar we say that the forms he and she (or him and her) show a difference of gender. Examples Pronoun Masculine gender man, boy, son, king, prince he, him Feminine gender woman, girl, daughter, queen, princess she, her Neuter gender book, house, river, tree, city it Sometimes the pronouns used for animals are neuter gender. Where is the cat? It is on the mat. Where is the dog? It is in the garden. The pronouns I, me, you, we, us can be either masculine or feminine. The pronouns they and them may be masculine or feminine or neuter. The boys have just come home. Ask them if they want their dinner. (masculine) The girls have been to the cinema. Ask them if they enjoyed the picture. (feminine) The apple trees are covered with blossom. They will have plenty of apples on them in the autumn. (neuter) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 2

3 Exercise Match the masculine and feminine of the following nouns and pronouns. Example: grandfather (masculine) -- grandmother (feminine) 1. prince a. wife 2. husband b. aunt 3. hero c. niece 4. gentleman d. princess 5. son e. actress 6. brother f. lady 7. nephew g. policewoman 8. uncle h. daughter 9. actor i. heroine 10. policeman j. sister Singular and plural The pronouns I, me, he, him, she, her are used for only one person. So they are singular. The pronouns we, us, they, them are used for more than one person. They are plural. You is both singular and plural. You are a good boy (one boy, singular). You are good boys (more than one boy, plural) We call it a personal pronoun too, but we use it to mean an animal or a thing. The plural of it is they or them. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 3

4 Personal pronouns You have met the word persons, of course, meaning people. But in grammar, person (first person, second person, third person) has another meaning. The 1 st person is the person speaking. (I, me, we, us) The 2 nd person is the person spoken to. (you, you) The 3 rd person is the person spoken about. (he, him, she, her, they, them, it, it) Personal Pronouns Subjective Objective 1st Person Singular Plural I we me us 2 nd Person Singular Plural you you 3 rd Person Singular : Masculine he him Feminine she her Neuter it Plural they them you you it Personal pronouns: subject and object Subject Verb Object I The boy He The teacher She The teacher We The teacher They The teacher know knows knows knows knows knows know knows know knows the boy me the teacher him the teacher her the teacher us the teacher them Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 4

5 You and it are the same whether they are the subject or the object. Subject Verb Object You hit it It hit you Subject or object? Subject means that a noun or a pronoun comes BEFORE a verb to direct the action. Object means that a noun or a pronoun comes AFTER a verb to receive the action from the subject. Subject or object = noun. So, any word or words that appear BEFORE a verb or AFTER a transitive verb must be noun or should become noun. (The true meaning of this sentence is very important. Try to remember this sentence forever.) In other words, the position before a verb and the position after a transitive verb are reserved for noun or pronoun ONLY. Exercise Choose the correct personal pronoun in each sentence below. 1. You and are good friends. (I / me) 2. There is no secret between you and. (I / me.) 3. The manager is (she, her). 4. It is (I, me) who made the mistake. 5. (Who, Whom) are you looking for? Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 5

6 Exercise A. Choose the correct answer in each question below. 1. As are our existing customers, we always give them our priority. (A) there (B) their (C) they (D) them 2. If there are problems, we need to find ways to solve quickly. (A) them (B) they (C) their (D) there B. Identify one underlined word or phrase that should be corrected or rewritten. 1. New drugs need to go through clinical trials before them are massively produced. A B C D 2. National Autos owns the factory, and they can manufacture its own products. A B C D 3. Carol has been elected a senior partner in the law firm because he has worked at the A B C company for over 15 years. D Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 6

7 Pronouns: reflexive These pronouns always end in -self (or -selves for the plural): myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves. The -self pronouns usually stand for the same person or thing as the subject of the sentence. Let us see some of them at work. 1. Object of transitive verbs: S V O I saw myself in the mirror. Be careful or you will hurt yourself. Richard helped himself to the cakes. Mary dressed herself carefully. One must be allowed to please oneself. The kitten can now feed itself. We taught ourselves to swim. The boys hurt themselves getting over the wall. 2. Object of preposition: O I went there by myself. prep. This is an engine that goes by itself. George made that model aeroplane all by himself. She believes in herself. He doesn t look after himself. Can t you do anything for yourself? The reflexive pronoun can t be a Subject: Myself saw him do it. (Wrong should be I ) James and myself think so. (Wrong should be James and I.) There is, of course, a difference in meaning between these two sentences: Tom hit him. Tom hit himself. ( Him is another person.) ( Himself is Tom.) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 7

8 Emphasizing Pronouns But this is not the only work that the self pronouns do. Look at these sentences. We will see to it ourselves. She saw the King himself. They themselves admitted their fault. I was told so by the teacher himself. The town itself is not very large. In these sentences, the -self pronouns could be missed out and the sentences would still make sense. They are put there to make what is said stronger, to make it more emphatic. These are emphatic pronouns. Here are the self pronouns arranged in a table. Singular Plural 1 st person myself ourselves 2 nd person yourself yourselves 3 rd person himself herself itself oneself themselves Exercises A. Put reflexive pronouns into the blank spaces in these sentences. Example: John hurt when he fell. Answer: John hurt himself when he fell. 1. Father cut when he was shaving. 2. Mary saw in the mirror. 3. We saw in the mirror. 4. I taught to play the piano. 5. The kitten tried to bite me, and bit by mistake. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 8

9 B. Put reflexive pronouns in their emphatic use into the blank spaces. 1. You and Richard can do that job. 2. I saw the accident. 3. Mary sewed those dresses. 4. You children must tidy this room. I am not going to help you. Exercise Choose the correct answer in each sentence below. 1. When the temporary employees found out how hard the work would be, many asked why they had opted to work for such low pay. (A) they (B) their (C) them (D) themselves 2. The personnel director, Mr. Steich, should have better prepared for the detailed questions presented by the board of directors. (A) yourselves (B) ourselves (C) himself (D) itself 3. There is some question as to whether Mr. Brandt s research assistants can complete the required investigation. (A) its own (B) their own (C) himself (D) themselves 4. A career choice is something one has to make for.. (A) oneself (B) ourselves (C) yourself (D) itself 5. The new computer company has made a name for in a very short time. (A) its (B) his (C) himself (D) itself Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 9

10 Possessive pronouns You will remember that we had adjectives that showed possession: my book, your cat, his bicycle, her car, our house, their garden. But in the following sentences there are some other words that show possession. That seat isn t yours; it s mine. Lend me your bicycle; hers is no good. He s wearing a hat that isn t his. That cat is ours. We spent the day with the Browns. Theirs was the best party I have been to. The words yours, mine, ours, etc., don t qualify nouns. They show possession, and here they are standing instead of nouns: yours means, in that sentence, your seat, hers means her bicycle. They are possessive pronouns. You will quite often find the possessive pronouns used with of, like this: He is a friend of mine. Not a friend of me as you might expect. Here are some examples: That dog of yours has been fighting again. There s John and that friend of his, going to play tennis. Here is a table, so that you can compare the possessive pronouns and the possessive adjectives. Possessive adjectives This is my book. This is your book. This is his book. This is her book. This is our book. This is their book. Possessive pronouns This book is mine. This book is yours. This book is his. This book is hers. This book is ours. This book is theirs. Pronouns that show possession are possessive pronouns. Did you know? In traditional grammar, my is called possessive pronoun, the possessive case. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 10

11 Interrogative pronouns There are some pronouns that we use when we ask questions. For example, Interrogative pronoun C V S Who are you? What have you done today? Which of these books do you want? Answers S V C I am Sam. Swimming. The red book Pronouns that are used to ask questions are interrogative pronouns. Adjective or pronoun? A: adjectives B: pronouns Interrogative Adjective Which book do you want? What exercises have you done today? Interrogative pronoun Which of these books do you want? What have you done today? Demonstrative adjective This book is a good one. That star is called Mars. These books belong to the teacher. Those stars are millions of miles away. Demonstrative pronoun This is a good book. That is a very bright star. These are the teacher s books. Those are very distant stars. In column A, which, what, this, that, these, those are adjectives because they qualify nouns. In column B, they are pronouns because they stand instead of nouns. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 11

12 Demonstrative Pronouns Here are four pronouns whose work is to point out things. This is a book. That is a star. These are my books. Those are stars. Pronouns that point out are called demonstrative pronouns. Exercises A. Put possessive pronouns in the blank spaces. Example: We own that cat. That cat is. Answer: We own that cat. That cat is ours. 1. I own that cat. That cat is. 2. You own that cat. That cat is. 3. He owns that cat. That cat is. 4. She owns that cat. That cat is. 5. They own that cat. That cat is. B. In the following sentences use the verb be instead of the verb belong. Make any other necessary changes. Example: That house belongs to me. Answer: That house is mine. 1. Those books belong to her. 2. That new house belongs to him. 3. These gloves belong to you. 4. That picture belongs to me. 5. That cat belongs to us. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 12

13 C. Put in the missing possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. Example: John has done homework, and he s helping me with. Answer: John has done his homework, and he s helping me with mine. 1. I ve eaten all sandwiches. Can I have one of? 2. Tell Richard not to forget book. And you mustn t forget. 3. George has lost pen. Ask Mary if she will lend him. 4. We ve had dinner; have they had? 5. Richard has a dog and so have I. dog and had a fight. 6. Have you heard from that friend of who went to Hong Kong? 7. The teacher wants you to return that book of that he lent you. 8. Margaret wants to know if you ve seen a pair of gloves of. 9. Mr. and Mrs. Green and a friend of are coming to see us. 10. We are going to Kingston to stay with a Jamaican friend of. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 13

14 Exercise The following paragraph contains seven errors on pronoun or possessive adjective. Underline the errors and write a correction above each one. Irrigation management is an interesting field, especially in places where water supplies are low. Irrigation experts have various tasks such as taking soil samples, checking existing water tables, and projecting the amount of rain for the future. These people usually get his degrees from irrigation institutes. Them study many years in order to become familiar with the various tasks involved in her profession. For some of they, a job with local water authorities is a good place to begin his career. Others prefer to find jobs as contractors, working independently to aid farmers with our irrigation needs. Whatever the job, irrigation experts are becoming increasingly important. Water is a precious commodity, and they cannot be taken for granted. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 14

15 Reciprocal Pronouns There are two reciprocal pronouns - 'each other' and 'one another'. They enable you to simplify sentences where the same general idea is expressed two or more times. For example: On their wedding day George gave Jennifer a gold ring and Jennifer gave George a gold ring. Using the reciprocal pronoun, 'each other', this could be rewritten to read: On their wedding day Jennifer and George gave each other gold rings. If you need to refer to more than two people, say the students in a classroom, then we could use the reciprocal pronoun, 'one another'. For example: The students in this classroom cooperate with one another. The teachers gathered to congratulate one another on the year's conclusion. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 15

16 Indefinite Pronouns Indefinite pronouns are words which replace nouns without specifying which noun they replace. Singular: anybody, anyone, anything, everybody, everyone, everything, somebody, someone, something, nobody, no one, nothing, one, little, much, either, neither, another, other Plural: both, few, many, others, several Singular or Plural: all, any, more, most, none, some Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs or singular personal pronouns. Correct: Each of the members has one vote. (The subject, each, is singular. Use has.) Incorrect: One of the girls gave up their seat. Correct: One of the girls gave up her seat. (Her refers to one, which is singular.) Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs or plural personal pronouns. Correct: A few of the justices were voicing their opposition. (Few is plural, so are were and their.) For indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural, it depends on what the indefinite pronoun refers to. Correct: All of the people clapped their hands. (All refers to people, which is plural.) Correct: All of the newspaper was soaked. (Here all refers to newspaper, which is singular.) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 16

17 Exercise Fill in the gaps with somebody, anybody, nobody, something, anything, nothing. 1. I know about this issue that you may find interesting, but if I tell you, you must promise to keep it secret. 2. lives here. There is no water. 3. could have jumped over this wall. It's very low. 4. scares him. He's very brave. 5. Would you like to wash your hands?. 6. May I have for dessert, please? 7. Please don't leave behind at home. We'll be away for a fortnight. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 17

18 Exercise Decide whether a singular or a plural verb is needed to complete each of the following sentences. 1. Anyone in the senior class (is, are) eligible for a scholarship. 2. Several visitors from foreign countries (is, are) on campus. 3. If someone (need, needs) a ride to the meeting, please let me know. 4. Neither Jeanette nor Marcy (wants, want) to express an opinion. 5. Many of the people (was, were) ready to leave after the first act. 6. Any of the colors (is, are) acceptable to me. 7. Nothing you say (is, are) going to make me change my mind. 8. Most of the afternoon (was, were) spent reading the guidelines. 9. Neither of the brokers (was, were) willing to lower the commission rate. 10. (Is, are) somebody willing to serve as host at the opening session? Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 18

19 Using pronouns clearly Because a pronoun refers back to a noun or takes the place of that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to. Therefore, pronouns should: 1. Agree in number If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker. (NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.) REMEMBER: The words everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone, a person, etc. are singular and take singular pronouns. Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best) Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas) NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." 2. Agree in person If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the "second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third." When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready. (NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 19

20 3. Refer clearly to a specific noun. Don't be vague or ambiguous. NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?) NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?) NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?) NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work. (What word does "this" refer to?) NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 20

21 Exercise: Pronoun - Antecedent Agreement Choose the correct pronoun in each sentence below. 1. During early rehearsals, an actor may forget (his or her, their) lines. 2. The Washington team was opportunistic; (it, they) took advantage of every break. 3. A person needs to see (his or her, their) dentist twice a year. 4. The committee members put (its, their) signatures on the document. 5. If any one of the sisters needs a ride, (she, they) can call me. 6. When someone has been drinking, (he or she, they) may drive poorly. 7. If the board of directors controls the company, (it, they) may vote for a raise. 8. Neither the pilot nor the attendants gave (his or her, their) opinion about the mishap. 9. Each of these companies had (its, their) books audited. 10. Some of the china has lost (its, their) luster. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 21

22 Exercise: Pronoun-antecedent agreement Choose the correct possessive adjective and complete each of the following sentences. 1. Neither the manager nor the employee would take seat before the other one; so both stood for most of the meeting. (A) her (B) their 2. Every great idea has moment in the sun. (A) its (B) their 3. In acting, many understand potential, but few know what to do with it. (A) his or her (B) their 4. A good electrician will often have own toolbox. (A) his or her (B) their 5. This time the veterans group have voted with consciences. (A) his (B) their 6. Nina Simone and her special guest finished musical set with "One Single Woman." (A) her (B) their 7. Either the father or the son will start up with litany of complaints when the other enters the room. (A) his (B) their 8. The neighborhood committee has made up mind not to vote in favor of the new zoning laws. (A) its (B) their 9. The movie and the dinner had high points; however, in the end, we considered the evening a significant waste of time. (A) its (B) their 10. The person who picked the right Lotto numbers last night should be on way to Las Vegas right now. (A) his or her (B) their Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 22

23 Avoid sexist use of pronouns Because English has no generic singular (common-sex) pronoun, we have used HE, HIS, and HIM in such expressions as "the student needs HIS pencil." When we constantly personify "the judge," "the critic," "the executive," "the author," and so forth, as male by using the pronoun HE, we are subtly conditioning ourselves against the idea of a female judge, critic, executive, or author. There are several alternative approaches for ending the exclusion of women that results from the pervasive use of masculine pronouns. A. Recast into the plural. Example Give each student his paper as soon as he is finished. Alternative Give students their papers as soon as they are finished. B. Reword to eliminate gender problems. Example The average student is worried about his grade. Alternative The average student is worried about grades. C. Replace the masculine pronoun with ONE, YOU, or (sparingly) HE OR SHE, as appropriate. Example If the student was satisfied with his performance on the pretest, he took the post-test. Alternative A student who was satisfied with her or his performance on the pretest took the post-test. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 23

24 D. Alternate male and female examples and expressions. (Be careful not to confuse the reader.) Example Let each student participate. Has he had a chance to talk? Could he feel left out? Alternative Let each student participate. Has she had a chance to talk? Could he feel left out? E. Indefinite pronouns Using the masculine pronouns to refer to an indefinite pronoun (everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone) also has the effect of excluding women. In all but strictly formal uses, plural pronouns have become acceptable substitutes for the masculine singular. Example Anyone who wants to go to the game should bring his money tomorrow. Alternative Anyone who wants to go to the game should bring their money tomorrow (Used in informal English) Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 24

25 Exercise: Eliminating sexist pronouns Revise each of the following sentences to eliminate sexist pronouns, using a method OTHER THAN replacing a sexist pronoun with his or her. 1. When you choose a doctor, make sure he went to a good medical school. 2. A soldier must remember to fight bravely and to serve his country well. 3. A good massage therapist makes sure that her clients are comfortable at all times. 4. When I find out who did this, I will give him a piece of my mind! 5. Your baby will let you know she is hungry or wet by crying. 6. Call your lawyer and see if he can make this meeting. 7. We need a nurse to help out with my dad, and she must have experience. 8. Who is your babysitter, and how much does she charge? 9. Someone has left his jacket behind. 10. Each of the managers is responsible for keeping his group's project on schedule. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 25

26 Proofreading: Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Edit the following paragraph to eliminate problems with pronoun-antecedent agreement or sexist language. A common practice in businesses is to put each employee in their own cubicle. A typical cubicle resembles an office, but their walls don t reach the ceiling. Many office managers feel that a cubicle floor plan has its advantages. Cubicles make a large area feel spacious. In addition, they can be moved around so that each new employee can be accommodated in his own work area. Of course, the cubicle model also has problems. The typical employee is not as happy with a cubicle as they would be with a traditional office. Also, productivity can suffer. Neither a manager nor a frontline worker can ordinarily do their best work in a cubicle because of noise and lack of privacy. Each worker can hear his neighbors tapping on computer keyboards, making telephone calls, and muttering under their breath. Essential English Grammar Lesson 3 Page 26