Pronoun Use

And Verb Tense Review

Agreement: Noun-Pronoun

.

Subject

Form

Singular Plural

First I we

Second you you

Third he, she, or it

they

• Pronouns take the place of nouns and they must agree with nouns in person, gender, and number.

• Pronouns also must be used in the proper form for the sentence (subjective, objective, possessive).

Agreement: Noun-Pronoun

• John sings well, so he joined the choir.

“He” is singular third-person, masculine, and a subject of the sentence.

• John sings well, and his voice teacher is pleased with him.

“Him” is masculine third-person singular and in the objective case.

Agreement: Noun-Pronoun

• The sopranos sang well, and they won first prize.

The subject is third-person plural, and so is the pronoun “they,” which is the subject of the second independent clause.

• The sopranos sang well. So first prize was awarded to them.

“Them” is third-person plural and the object of a preposition.

Problem Pronouns

• Some words like “everybody,” “each”, “anyone,” and so on, should be matched with

singular forms of verbs and pronouns. These indefinite pronouns (or adjective-noun combinations) mean “each individual one.”

Correct but awkward:• Daily, everyone brings his or her book to class. • Each student does his or her lesson. • Is anyone riding to the park on his or her bike?

Pronoun Problems

• English lacks a gender neutral, singular pronoun. Thus, it is often better to use plurals.

• The student should study hard so he/she can succeed. (awkward)

• Students should study hard so they can succeed. They should always bring their books to class.

Questions about pronouns?

Review: Verb Tenses

• Present tense is used most often for habits, facts, and recurring events, but also sometimes for present events.

• The little boy likes ice cream, and he gets to eat it on Saturdays.

• Present progressive is used for events occurring right now.

• The little boy is eating his ice cream now.

Review: Verb Tenses

• Simple past tense is used often.

• Last Saturday, the little boy ate vanilla ice cream.

• Present perfect is used for events occurring in the past and continuing into the present.

• We have been here at the restaurant for over an hour. (We are still here).

Review: Verb Tenses

• Past perfect has particular uses, and we do not see it as often as the other tenses. It is used for a point in time earlier than another moment.

• We had been at the restaurant for over an hour when James finally arrived at 8:15.

(We were there at 7:00; James showed up at 8:15).

Review: Verb Tenses

• Past participles are used to form other tenses of regular verbs, such as present perfect and past perfect.

• She walked to the store yesterday.

• She has walked to the store many times (and presumably will again).

• She had walked all the way to the store before she remembered her wallet.

Review: Verb Tenses

• Future tense (and variations on that tense) also requires a helping verb.

• James will be here in an hour.

• They will take a cab to the train station later this evening.

Agreement: Subject-Verb

• Verbs have to agree with their subjects in number. For example,

• John sings well.

• The sopranos sing well.

John is singular and the verb needs an “–s” on the end. “Sopranos” is a plural noun and the verb agrees with the subject (no “–s” on the end).

No Questions?

Ready for a quiz? Fill in the blanks with the right verb forms (also pronouns).

Exercise

1) I (to teach)___________________English for many years.

2) I (to be)____________________ a C.I.A. agent for ten years, before I (to start) ____________teaching,

3) When I (to be)_______________a C.I.A. agent, I also (to spy) ______________ for the Soviet Union.

4) But the U.S.S.R. (to pay, negative)_________________me well.

Exercise

5) Now I (to teach)________________at Oakton.

6) My teacher (to teach) ____________________English for many years.

7) Before she (to start)________teaching,

she (to be)________________a C.I.A. agent for ten years.

Exercise

8) At the buffet, a customer can (to choose) ________________ whatever (pronoun) __________(to want)______________to eat.

9) Yesterday, James (to choose)__________________grilled fish because the restaurant no longer (to offer)________________________sushi.

Exercise

10) . The restaurant (use to serve/used to serve)______________________ sushi.

11) But it (to serve, negative)___________________sushi now.

12) The owner (to realize) ___________that it was too difficult and expensive to serve (pronoun) _______fresh.

13) (to like)___________you___________sushi?

Questions?