ELP 1 Topic 1

Unit 1:
Correct Usage and Correcting Sentence Errors
Introduction
With the advent of modern technology, various knowledge, commodities, or services become accessible
to all kinds of people in the world. However, this is true, only for those who possess good
communication skills in English.
In this era of globalization, various ideas or concepts emerge from all parts of the world. Through
English, the international language, a convergence of these ideas comes so easily. Hence, to unearth or
discover these various forms of knowledge, the participants in the global competition must be skilful in
listening, speaking, reading and writing, because knowledge absorption and construction logically result
from the competent use of these four communication skills.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
 Use English Language effectively and functionally by observing correct usage and by
correcting errors;
 Demonstrate understanding, outlining and note-taking skills of the essential ideas

contained in a lecture, talk, discussion and other oral presentation;
 Extract specific and complex information and ideas from TV/Film, announcements and
advertisements and follow technical operating instructions;
 Enhance reading skills through interpreting literary and non-literary writings by

demonstrating, understanding by picking up familiar and factual details, international
vocabulary and idioms, distinct style and implicit or explicit meaning;
 Obtain information and ideas, opinions and attitudes of writers of short or lengthy and
complex texts and use them to explain and to defend a stance or viewpoint or to offer a
conclusion or a solution to a problem;
 Write clear, logical and well-structured business correspondence, report and essay.
Topic 1: Pronouns and their Antecedents
Learning Objectives
At the end of this topic, students will be able to:

 Identify the different types of pronouns and their functions;
 Use correct pronoun agreement;
 Identify the term being referred to by each pronoun;
 Describe and specify nouns through correct pronoun usage;
 Write a coherent text using appropriate pronouns;
 Use appropriate pronouns in various communicative tasks.
Activating Prior Learning
In order to understand past, one has to look back and revisit it. In like manner, we are going to
take a look at our very rich history and study what are the major turns in the development of
Science and Technology that had led us to the innovation of cutting edge and sophisticated
Technology in the present.
Your task is to fill in the K-W-L chart below by jotting down what you have known and what are
the things that you would like to know about our historical antecedents in terms of Science and
Technology.
What I already Know What I Want to know What I have Learned
Presentation of Contents
Pronouns and their Antecedents
A Pronoun is a word used to take the place of a noun. Pronouns are important in daily
interaction. They shorten and make a sentence reader-friendly. Pronouns can be classified into
subject, object, possessive, reflexive, intensive, interrogative, relative, indefinite, reciprocal and
demonstrative.
A. Personal Pronouns
1. Subjective and Objective Pronouns
Subject Object
Singular Plural Singular Plural
First Person I We Me Us
Second Person You You You You
Third person He, She, It They Him, Her, It Them
Subjective Pronoun – indicates that the pronoun is acting as a subject.

a. I can spend more time with Dad.
b. We are usually enticed by a good-paying job.
c. You can make your own happiness.
d. He wants to become a teacher.
e. They are my loving parents.

f. The ship is very big. It’s very amazing.
Objective Pronoun – indicates that the pronoun is acting as direct object of a verb, object of a
compound verb, object of a preposition, or object of an infinitive.
a. After every long trip his wife and kids would meet him at the door with big smiles and much
excitement. (direct object)
b. I would like to be a seaman so that I could see you more often. (direct object)
c. Tim idolizes me. (direct object)
d. I borrowed the money from him. (object of a preposition)
e. Karl wants to see you. (object of the infinitive)
f. Kenny picked him up. (object of a compound verb)
2. Possessives – show that someone owns something. They can perform as possessive
adjectives o possessive pronouns.
Possessive Adjectives Possessive Pronouns

My Mine
Our Ours
Your Yours
Their Theirs
His His
Her Hers
Its
Possessive Adjectives (also possessive determiners) are used before a noun

Example: Is this your house?
Possessive Pronouns take the place of the possessive determiner and noun. Hence, a noun does
not follow possessive pronouns.
Example: Yes, this house is mine.
Note: The possessive adjective “its” has no possessive pronoun; for example, “The dog wags its
tail.” In this sentence you cannot say, “The dog wags its.”
3. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns – end in self/-selves.

Reflexive pronouns show that a pronoun refers back to the subject. They are used when the
subject and the object are the same entity. They can also be used with verbs like cut, talk, see,
enjoy, clean, and hurt.
Example: She picked up herself.
Intensive pronouns show emphasis. An intensive pronoun immediately follows a noun or a

personal pronoun (subject form only), or is placed at the end of the sentence.
Example: She picked up her youngest daughter herself.
Singular Pluraal
First Person Myself Ourselves
Second Person Yourself Yourselves
Third Person Himself, Herself, Themselves
Itself, Oneself
4. Reciprocal Pronouns – function similarly as reflexive pronouns. Reciprocal pronouns

generally refer back to the plural or conjoined subjects in the same sentence. Each other and one
another are the common examples of reciprocal pronouns. Each other is used for two
subjects/units and one another is used for more than two subjects/units.
Examples:
a. I want to be a sea man so that we can see each other more often.
b. They love one another.
5. Indefinite pronouns – do not refer to a specific noun (person, place, thing, or event).
Singular Plural Both Singular & Plural

Any Everyone Both None
Anybody No one Few All
Anything Nobody Many Some
Anyone Nothing Several
Each (One) Somebody
Everybody Something
Everything Someone
6. Interrogative Pronouns – are used in asking questions. They often begin an interrogative
sentence.
Interrogative Pronouns
Who How To whom
What Whom To what
Which When To which
Why Whose Where
7. Relative Pronouns – join or relate a clause to their antecedents. They are both pronoun and
connective for an adjective clause. These include: who, whom, whose, which, that, whoever,
whomever, and whichever. Make sure that the relative pronouns who, which, and that are
appropriate for their antecedent. Who refers to persons or animals with names;which usually
refers to things or nameless animals;that refers to things, animals, and collective or anonymous
persons.
B. DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
Near Far
Singular This That
Plural These Those
PRONOUNS AND THEIR ANTECEDENT
1. Avoid double antecedent.

Double antecedent means that there are two possible antecedents for a pronoun. This error
could be corrected (1) by repeating the antecedent, (2) by using a synonym for the antecedent, or
(3) by changing the sentence construction.
Vague : If the doll does not fit the box, adjust it. (Which should be adjusted, the doll or the
box?)
Clear : Adjust the doll if it does not fit the box.
Clear : A doll that does not fit the box must be adjusted.
Vague : Carlo told his father that he lost his tie. (Which of the two men lost
Whose tie?)
Clear : Carlo told his father that he, Carlo, had lost his father’s tie.
Clear : Carlo told his father, “I lost you tie.”
Clear : Carlo told his father, “I lost my tie.”
2. Avoid missing antecedent

Missing antecedent means that no antecedent is being referred to by the pronoun. This
could be corrected (1) by providing each noun a specific and clearly expressed antecedent or (2)
by replacing the pronoun with a noun.
Vague : I dance every morning because it is a good exercise. (The pronoun it does not refer to
any noun in the sentence.)
Clear : I dance every morning because dancing is a good exercise.
Vague : In his school, they do not have any swimming pool.
Clear : His school does not have any swimming pool.
3. Place the pronouns who, which, and that immediately after the noun they are referring to.
Vague : I found a candy in my bag which I ate. (Did I eat the bag or the chocolate?)
Vague : I found a candy which I ate in my bag. (still illogical)
Clear : I ate the candy which I found in my bag.
Clear : In my bag, I found a candy which I ate.
4. Avoid broad reference

Broad reference means that pronoun like it, this, and that refer to the whole sentence.
Vague : The government has constructed housing units for low-salaried employees.
This is, indeed, commendable.
Clear : The government has constructed housing units for low-salaried employees. This
project is, indeed, commendable.
Vague : Tony misplaced his important papers and that disappointed us greatly.
Clear : Tony misplaced his important papers and that misplacement disappointed us greatly.
Clear : We are greatly disappointed because Tony misplaced his important papers.
Vague : The board agreed to increase the salary, but it took time.
Clear : The board agreed to increase the salary, but arriving at the agreement took time.
5. Make the number of the pronoun agree with its antecedent particularly in formal context.
Wrong : Everybody wants to submit their proposal.
Right : Everybody wants to submit his/her proposal.
Note: When used in informal context, plural pronouns, such as they, them, and their can be used
with compound indefinite pronouns.

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Unit 1:

Correct Usage and Correcting Sentence Errors

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

 Demonstrate understanding, outlining and note-taking skills of the essential ideas

 Enhance reading skills through interpreting literary and non-literary writings by

At the end of this topic, students will be able to:

Activating Prior Learning

What I already Know What I Want to know What I have Learned

Pronouns and their Antecedents

Subjective Pronoun – indicates that the pronoun is acting as a subject.

e. They are my loving parents.

Possessive Adjectives Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Adjectives (also possessive determiners) are used before a noun

3. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns – end in self/-selves.

Intensive pronouns show emphasis. An intensive pronoun immediately follows a noun or a

4. Reciprocal Pronouns – function similarly as reflexive pronouns. Reciprocal pronouns

Singular Plural Both Singular & Plural

PRONOUNS AND THEIR ANTECEDENT

1. Avoid double antecedent.

2. Avoid missing antecedent

4. Avoid broad reference

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