A review of nouns and pronouns Grammar Lessons – Week 1 A review of nouns and pronouns

Day 1 - Nouns A noun is a person, place, thing, or concept: Mr. Valentine Florida Coffee Cheese Truth Justice Love

Day 1 - Nouns Nouns can also function like adjectives when placed beside other nouns: High School vs. High School Student Star vs. Star Light Computer vs. Computer Program

Day 1 - Proper vs. Common Proper nouns are the names of specific persons, places, or things (including ethnic / nation words). They are usually capitalized: The Lord of the Rings Father (used as a name) Lake Superior Algebra 1 English class Common nouns are all other nouns (not names of specific persons, places, or things): a book my father the lake math science class

Day 2 - Pronouns A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Usually the pronoun substitutes for a specific noun, known as its antecedent: When the wheel squeaks, it is greased. Joe-Bob went to the store. He bought some bread. I love Italian and Mexican dishes. They are my favorite foods.

Day 2 – Antecedents Practice What are the antecedents in the following sentences? Cheeseburgers are tasty. They are one of my favorite foods. Cheddars in Greenville used to serve chicken and waffles. Now, it does not. Mr. Valentine was very happy about La Rancherita opening in Wilson. He really wants to go back and have some more flan.

Day 2 - Pronouns Personal Pronouns – Refer to specific persons or things. They function as noun equivalents: Singular – I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it. Ex: My father’s name is also Lenny Valentine. He is a great dad. Plural – we, us, you, they, them. Ex: Dad used to play video games with me all the time, growing up We would play on the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Commodore 64. Possessive Pronouns – Indicate ownership. Singular – My, mine, your, yours, her, hers, its Ex: My favorite video game, as far as story goes, is Planescape: Torment for the PC. Plural – Our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs Ex: Our family watched a lot of 80s and 90s sci-fi movies, when I was growing up.

Day 3 – Pronouns and Antecedents Pronouns replace nouns. The specific noun that a pronoun replaces, or refers back to, is an antecedent. Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number: Both must be singular, or Both must be plural. Indefinite Pronouns are always singular: Anybody Each Everyone Nobody Somebody Anyone Either Everything No one Someone Anything Everybody Neither Nothing Something

Day 3 – Pronoun / Antecedent Agreement WRONG: Joe-Bob went to the store. They bought some bread. RIGHT: Joe-Bob went to the store. He bought some bread. WRONG: When someone has been drinking, they are likely to speed. RIGHT: When drivers have been drinking, they are likely to speed. RIGHT: When someone has been drinking, he or she is likely to speed.

Day 3 - Practice Correct the problem, or say it’s correct, as is. Cheese is good. They go on everything. Bubba is happy. They just won a car. Someone threw trash all over the floor. They should come clean it up. Everyone performs at his or her own fitness level. TIP: It’s never in the prep phrase. One of these men wants pie. They should have some.

Day 4 – Tricky Antecedents Sometimes you’re not sure whether to use the singular or plural pronouns – especially with tricky antecedents: Either Gilbert or Bubba should get a prize for his project. Neither Joe-Bob nor his friends found the right cheese, so they went to another store. When there are two antecedents, and one of them is plural (like the last example), always put the plural one last in the sentence to avoid confusion and awkwardness. AVOID: Neither the friends nor Joe-Bob found the cheese they were looking for. USE: Neither Joe-Bob nor his friends found the cheese they were looking for.