This book, Syntax Error, will give you a glimpse into parts of grammar, emphasize different language skills that will not only meet the needs in listening, writing, and speaking but will also provide a foundation for more advanced language which lie...
A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun.
Since it would be awkward and cumbersome to repeat the name of a person or thing every time we wish to refer to it, we use other words in place of names. These words are pronouns. They may be used in a sentence in any way that noun is used.
The noun for which the pronoun stands and to which it refers is its antecedent.
Geneilyn had forgotten her bag. The name, Geneilyn is antecedent of the pronoun, her.
1. Personal Pronoun – this indicates the speaker, the person spoken to, and the person spoke about.
a. First-person – the person speaking. I, my, mine, me, we, our, ours, us.
"I have not yet begun to fight!"
b. Second Person – the person spoken to. You, your, yours.
"You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
c. Third-person - the person or thing was spoken about. He, his, him, she, her, hers, it, its, they, their, theirs, them.
"These are the times that try men's souls."
The pronouns he, she, it, and they are always third person.
Personal pronouns change their form or spelling for different uses in sentences. This change of form is called the case of pronouns. These are three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive.
Personal pronouns also change their form to show the difference between singular (one) and plural (more than one). This change of form is called the number of pronouns.
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Third-person pronouns that refer to male persons are in the masculine gender. Those that refer to female persons are of the feminine gender. Pronouns that refer to things are in the neuter gender.
The pronoun it is called a personal pronoun even though it refers to things more often than to persons.
Both it and you are the same in nominative and objective case forms.
Countries, ships, airplanes are sometimes referred to by the feminine pronouns: she, her, hers. Animals may refer to by it and its or by he, her, hers as the sex of the animal may require.
The words mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs are always used as modifiers before nouns. They are sometimes called possessive adjectives or possessive pronouns. His may be used either as a pronoun or as a modifier.
Examples: This book is mine. (pronoun) Here is my mother. (modifier)
1. Relative Pronoun – This is used as a pronoun that refers back to its antecedent (a previously mentioned noun). It is also used to introduce a subordinate clause, of which it is a part. The relative pronouns are that, who, which, what, whoever, whom, whomever.
The pronouns who, whose, whom, which and that are sometimes used to introduce an adjective clause. They relate the clause to some other word in the sentence. When used in this way they are called relative pronouns. It also has used within the relative clause.
Since they point to what is meant, they are called demonstrative pronouns. They always refer to a definite person or thing, but the words they refer to may come later.
This is the book my friend wrote. (the book is the word referred to by this.)
Inside the store, we saw a pile of boxes. These contained imported toys. (boxes is the word referred to by These.)
Note: The words this, that, these, and those may also be used as adjectives: this pencil, those houses, that car.
3. Interrogative Pronoun – which asks a question: who, whose, whom, which, what.
Who wrote this book?
Whom did you ask for?
Which do you prefer?
Whose are these?
What is your explanation of the Vice-President's popularity?
4. Indefinite Pronoun – Some pronouns do not refer to a definite person or thing. They are called indefinite pronouns.
These include all, any, anybody, anyone, each, either, every one, one, neither, other, some, someone, several, such.
Normally, indefinite pronouns do not have antecedents, but some of them may occasionally be used to refer to the preceding noun or pronoun.
No one in the audience could understand the speaker.
