CHAPTER1 NOUNS AND PRONOUNS > Nouns function as antecedents in sentences. Sentences with antecedents always have pronouns in them. > An antecedent is the noun or word for which a pronoun stands. The pronoun should always agree with its antecedent in gender, number, case, and person. > In order to understand the agreement fully, this chapter will discuss the nouns and pronouns first before explaining the agreement. HM Nouns Anoun names the folowing «persons, places, gr things (woman, city, tree) © concepts or ideas (love, truth, communism) © quality, property, or condition (strength, blackness, apathy) 1.1. Classification of Nouns a. Acommon noun is the general term for anything. It begins with a small letter. Examples: + province, boy, car, team b. A proper noun is the distinctive name of anything, It begins with a capital letter. Examples: * Cagayan de Oro, Honda, Jaimie, Chicago Bulls 1.2. Special Classes of Nouns a. Aconcrete noun names something that can be perceived with the five senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste). Examples: * flower, air, water, food b. An abstract noun names something that cannot be readily perceived with the five senses. : Examples: * sympathy, smoothness, belief, senilityc. Acollective noun names a collection or a group of similar things. Examples: © flock, community, League of Filipino Students, United Nations 4. Amass noun is very rarely plural, and is never used with a or an. Examples: . © advice, equipment, fruit, information, weather eS may be used ifa “quantity” word is added. - a glass of milk, an ounce of honey, a bar of soap e. Acompound noun is made up of two or more words forming a unit idea Examples: « ‘skyscraper, rabout, commander-in-chief 1.3. Properties of Nouns following properties are also the roperties of pronouns. | proper pro | a. Person (Refer to the Part B Pronouns for the discussion of person as a property) b. Number refers to how many a noun (ora pronoun) is. > Singular in number indicates one object only. Examples: © bus, girl, town, stone > Plural in number indicates two or more objects. Most nouns form their plural by adding -s of -es. Examples: © box-boxes flower - flowers genius - geniuses ¢. Gender determines the sex of a noun (ora pronoun). > Masculine gender indicates the male sex. Examples: brother, gander, nephew, Ferdinand> Feminine gender indicates the female sex. Examples: * aunt, doe, niece, Corazon > Common gender indicates uncertainty of sex, either male or female. Examples: * teacher, horse, parent, child > Neuter gender indicates that an object is without sex. Examples: © rock, leaf, ocean, mountain |. Case shows the relation of a noun (or a pronoun) to other words in the sentence. > The nontinative case indicates that a noun is doing or being something. A noun in the nominative case is used as a subject or predicate noun ina sentence. Examples: * The President spoke with conviction. (subject) Judy is a teacher. (predicate noun) > The objective case indicates that a person or thing is being acted upon. A noun in the objective case is used as an object of the verb or of the preposition. Examples: * Janus hit a homerun. (object of the verb hit) + Barbie, I found your missing silver shoe under the bed. (object of the preposition under) > The possessive case indicates that a person or a thing owns something. The possessive form of a noun is usually formed by adding an apostrophe (") or an ‘s. Examples: Jessa’s car was never found. (The car belongs to Jessa.) «The girls’ toys were kept in the attic. (The toys belong to the girls.) Uses of Nouns . Subject refers to the word about whick something is said in a sentence. Example: © The millennium bug failed to wreak havoc on businesses.. Predicate nominative or predicate noun renames, identifies, or explains the subject in a sentence. It is normally placed after a linking verb. Example: © The emperor became a tyrant. Direct object refers to the receiver of the action in a sentence. It answers the question What? or Whom? Examples: + The people paid tribute to the princess. (paid what? - tribute) ‘+ Many women idolized the late Princess Diana (idolized whom? Princess Diana) | Indirect qbject tells to whom, to what, for whom, or for what a thing is done. Example:! + The family of the rebel leader who was captured wrote the President a letter for clemency. (To whom did the family of the rebel leader write a letter? - the President) - Object of the preposition answers the question What? or Whom? after the preposition. (Refer to Chapter 5 for the list of prepositions.) Example: © The tired mountain-trekkers took a rest under the trees. (under what? - trees) ‘An appositive refers to a noun that identifies or provides further information about another word. > Essential appositive makes the meaning of a sentence clear. Example: * Robert Browning married the English poet Elizabeth Barrett. (Elizabeth Barrett identifies the English poet) > Nonessential appositive may be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence Example: * Adolf Hitler, a tyrant, masterminded the massacre of thousands of Jews during World War II.g. An objective complement adds ta the meaning of or renames the direct object. It appears only with these verbs: appoint, call, consider, declare, elect, judge, label, make, name, select, or think. Example: * ESPN names Michael Jordan the Millennium Athlete. . h. A nominative absolute is a noun followed by a participle or participial phrase that is grammatically separate from the rest of the sentence. Example: * The clock having struck twelve midnight, the fireworks display began. i, Direct address is the name or word by which a person is addressed. It is set off by a comma. Examples: / © Zachary, it is time to take your medicine. «The lawn, Mang Berto, has to be mowed. 1.5. _ Endings of Common Nouns ‘Endings showing a doer ee - trustee, payee, interviewee dst - dentist, scientist, physicist er-~ speaker, player, voter or - actor, supervisor, creditor Endings describing a condition, state, or action ness ~ blackness, sweetness, happiness ship - friendship, membership ity- purity, clarity, simplicity ment - movement, government dom - kingdom, boredom hood - childhood, fatherhood ance ~ elegance, accordance ence ~ absence, coherence i Pronouns > A pronoun stands for a noun or for a word that takes the place of a noun (or noun equivalent). Example: * Allan and Pat are working out their abs. They go to the gym every morning.> The words Allan and Pat are called antecedents. Antecedents are nouns or noun equivalents for which pronouns stand. 1.6. Kinds of Pronouns a. Personal Pronouns Person Nominative Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case 1* Person singular i me my, mine plural we us our, ours 24 Person singular you you your, yours plural you you your, yours 3 Pergon singular he, she, it him, her, it his, hers, its plural they them theirs ee Note: The possessive forms my, your, his, her, its, our, and their function as adjectives when they modify.a noun. © The first person pronoun refers to the person who is speaking or doing the action. © The second person pronoun refers to the person spoken to by the speaker. The third person pronoun refers to the person or thing being spoken about. > Cases of Personal Pronouns « Nominative Case - The pronoun is used as a subject or predicate nominative /subjective complement. Examples: ‘+ Lam beautiful. (subject) The winner is she. (predicate nominative/subjective complement) * Objective Case - The pronoun is used as a direct object, indirect object, or object of the prepositionExamples: © Wemet themin Baguio, (direct object) You have to award him the medal. (indirect object) © Are you finally going out with her? (object of the preposition) + Possessive Case - The pronoun is used to show ownership or possession. Examples: © That folder is mine. These paintings are theirs. b. Compound Personal Pronouns > Compound personal pronouns are formed by adding -self or ~selves to some personal pronouns. : > Areflexiye pronoun may be used asa direct or indirect object. It usually comes after the verb. : Examples: © He cut himself when he was shaving. © The cat scratched itself with its paws. >. An intensive pronoun is used to emphasize that the action is done by the antecedent. Examples: * Mother herself baked the cake. «The lifeguard himself administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. List of Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns ____Person [ Singular Tt | ___First Person _ myself | “ourselves Second Person yourself yourselves Third Person himself, herself, itself | themselves | ¢. Relative Pronouns > Relative pronouns like that, which, who, whom, and whose are used to introduce most adjective clauses and to connect them to the main clause. ‘© That refers to either to a person, animal, or thing. Examples: * The door that led to the basement is open.© [left the bag that my best friend gave me. * Which refers to animals or things. Example: © The antique jar, which I wanted to buy, was not for sale. * Who refers to persons. It is usually used when the noun it refers to is the doer of the action, or when the noun it refers to is the subject within the clause, Examples: © The girl who won was very happy. +. He is my classmate who helps me learn my math. © Whom refers to persons. It is usually used when the noun it refers to is the receiver of the action, or when the pronoun is used as the object within the clause. Example: © 1am going out with the Belgian whom I met yesterday. © Whose refers to persons, animals, or things. Itis used to denote possession. Example: «The child whose parents are outside is crying. |. Demonstrative Pronouns > Demonstrative pronouns like this, that, these, and those are used to point out specific persons or things. Examples: * That is the road less traveled. «Are these the breeches you've been bragging about? Interrogative Pronouns > Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. They are who, whom, whose, which, and what. Examples: Whats nanotechnology? © Who painted the “Starry, Starry Night”? Indefinite Pronouns > Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to a particular person or group of persons.Singuiar Indefinite Pronouns ‘another either neither other each anybody everybody nobody somebody much anyone éveryone noone someone one ° anything everything nothing something | Plural Indefinite Pronouns both few many several Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns all enough most plenty any more none some T WB The Agreement ' . > Asbeen stated earlier, the agreement states that the pronoun should always agree with its antecedent in gender, number, case, and person. Examples: + Evéryone submitted his report on time, © Employees should submit daily progress reports to their supervisors. 3.1. Use the singular possessive pronouns his, her, and its or the singular reflexive pronouns himself, herself and itselfif the antecedents a singular indefinite pronoun. Example: * Each of the schools has its representative. (Each is the antecedent of its.) 3.2. Use the plural pronouns their and themselves with plural indefinite pronouns. Examples: + Mostof the students attended their class night. + Allofthe suspects surrendered themselves. 3.3: The number based on the meaning of the sentence determines an indefinite pronoun that may be either singular or plural. Examples: ‘+ Most of the pizza has chili saitce in it. * Most of the pizzas have chili sauce in them.3.4, A phrase that appears between an indefinite pronoun and a possessive pronoun does not affect the agreement. Incorrect One of the birds broke their wings. (The possessive pronoun should "agree with one, not with birds} Correct One of the birds broke its wings. 3.5. Use a singular pronoun when two or more singular antecedents are joined by or or nor. Example: * Neither Jenny nor Rose submitted her term paper. 3.6. Use a plural pronoun when two or more plural antecedents are joined by or or nor. Example: + Neither the teachers nor the other government employees got their amelioration pay. . 3.7. Follow the number of the noun nearer the verb when one singular antecedent and one plural antecedent are joined by or or nor. Example: *, Neither Elaine nor the other girls sent their photograph entries. 3.8. Revise the sentence in case of ambiguous antecedents. Incorrect _Lilta told her mother that she needed to see her doctor. Correct Lilia's mother told her to go see a doctor. 3.9, Provide antecedents for pronouns which don't have them. Incorrect Dave gave her his new jacket Correct Dave gave Lily his new jacket. 3.10. When the gender of the antecedent is difficult to determine or unspecified, use the masculine pronoun. Example: © Every doctor must make sure that his patient is well. 3.11. The pronoun you is best used in speech. It is best to avoid it in writing. Substandard You must do your duty to the country. Better ‘We must do our duty to the country.