PRONOUNS

Definition - A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Pronouns can be in
one of three cases: Subject, Object, or Possessive.

Rule 1

Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. You can
remember subject pronouns easily by filling in the blank subject space for a simple

sentence.

Example

______ did the job.

I, you, he, she, it, we, and they all fit into the blank and are, therefore, subject pronouns.

Rule 2
Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They follow "to be" verbs such as
is, are, was, were, am, and will be.

Examples

It is he.
This is she speaking.
It is we who are responsible for the decision to downsize.

Note

In spoken English, most people tend to follow "to be" verbs with object pronouns. Many
English teachers support (or at least have given in to) this distinction between written and
spoken English.
Example It could have been them.
Better It could have been they.
Example It is just me at the door.
Better It is just I at the door.

Rule 3
Object pronouns are used everywhere else (direct object, indirect object, object of the
preposition). Object pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.
Examples

Jean talked to him.

Are you talking to me?

Rule 4
To be able to choose pronouns correctly, you must learn to identify clauses. A clause is a
group of words containing a verb and subject. A strong clause can stand on its own.

Examples

She is hungry.
I am feeling well today.

Rule 4a
A weak clause begins with words such as although, since, if, when, and because. Weak
clauses cannot stand on their own.

Examples

Although she is hungry...

If she is hungry...
Since I am feeling well...

Rule 4b
If a sentence contains more than one clause, isolate the clauses so that you can decide if the
pronoun is a subject or an object.

Example

WEAK STRONG
[Although she is hungry,] [she will give him some of her food.]
[Although this gift is for him,] [I would like you to have it too.]

Rule 5
To decide whether to use the Subject or Object pronoun after the words than or as, mentally
complete the sentence.

Examples

Tom is as smart as she/her.

If we mentally complete the sentence, we would say, "Tom is as smart as she is." Therefore,
she is the correct answer.
Zoe is taller than I/me.
Mentally completing the sentence, we have, "Zoe is taller than I am."
Daniel would rather talk to her than I/me.
We can mentally complete this sentence in two ways: Daniel would rather talk to her than to
me. OR Daniel would rather talk to her than I would. As you can see, the meaning will change
depending on the pronoun you choose.

Rule 6
Possessive Pronouns show ownership and never need apostrophes.
Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs

Note

The only time it's has an apostrophe is when it is a contraction for it is.

Examples

It's a cold morning.

The thermometer reached its highest reading.

Rule 7
The following examples demonstrate pitfalls to avoid when using possessive pronouns.

Correct

Not one of the neighbours offered his/her support.

None of the neighbours offered their support.
Remember that none is a portion word and becomes singular or plural depending on the noun
after of (the object of the preposition). None is plural here because of neighbours.

Incorrect

Not one of the neighbours offered their support.

Rule 8
Reflexive pronouns - myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself,
yourselves- should be used only when they refer back to another word in the sentence.

Correct

I did it myself.

Incorrect
My brother and myself did it.
The word myself does not refer back to another word.

Correct

My brother and I did it.

Incorrect

Please give it to John or myself.

Correct

Please give it to John or me.

Adjectives and Adverbs

Definition - Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before
the word they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe
(That puppy is cute.).

Adverbs are words that modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify adjectives,
verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it answers how, when, or where.

The only adverbs that cause grammatical problems are those that answer the question how, so
we will focus on these.

Examples

He speaks slowly.
Answers the question how.
He speaks very slowly.
Answers the question how slowly.

Rule 1
Generally, if a word answers the question how, it is an adverb. If it can have an ly added to it,
place it there.

Examples

She thinks slow/slowly.

She thinks how? slowly.
She is a slow/slowly thinker.
Slow does not answer how so no ly is attached. Slow is an adjective here.
She thinks fast/fastly.
Fast answers the question how, so it is an adverb. But fast never has an ly attached to it.
We performed bad/badly.
Badly describes how we performed.

Rule 2
A special ly rule applies when four of the senses - taste, smell, look, feel - are the verbs. Do
not ask if these senses answer the question how to determine if ly should be attached. Instead,
ask if the sense verb is being used actively. If so, use the ly.

Examples

Roses smell sweet/sweetly.

Do the roses actively smell with noses? No, so no ly.
The woman looked angry/angrily.
Did the woman actively look with eyes or are we describing her appearance?
We are only describing appearance, so no ly.
The woman looked angry/angrily at the paint splotches.
Here the woman did actively look with eyes so the ly is added.

She feels bad/badly about the news.

She is not feeling with fingers, so no ly.

Rule 3
The word good is an adjective while well is an adverb answering the question how.

Examples

You did a good job.

Good describes the job.

You did the job well.

Well answers how.

You smell good today.
Describes your odour, not how you smell with your nose, so follow with the adjective.
You smell well for someone with a cold.
You are actively smelling with a nose here so follow with the adverb.

Rule 4
When referring to health, always use well.
Examples I do not feel well.

You do not look well today.

Note:

You may use good with feel when you are not referring to health.

Example

I feel good about my decision to learn Spanish.

Rule 5
A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form for
comparison. For instance, to describe one thing we would say poor, as in, "She is poor." To
compare two things, we should say poorer, as in, "She is the poorer of the two women." To
compare more than two things, we should say poorest, as in, "She is the poorest of them all."

Examples

One

 Sweet
 Bad
 Efficient*

Two

 Sweeter
 Worse
 More efficient*

Three or More

 Sweetest
 Worst
 Most efficient *

*Usually with words of three or more syllables, don't add -er or -est. Use more or most in
front of the words.

Rule 6
Never drop the ly from an adverb when using the comparison form.

Correct

She spoke quickly.

She spoke more quickly than he did.

Incorrect
She spoke quicker than he did.

Correct

Talk quietly.
Talk more quietly.

Incorrect

Talk quieter.

Rule 7
When this, that, these, and those are followed by nouns, they are adjectives. When they
appear without a noun following them, they are pronouns.

Examples

This house is for sale.

This is an adjective here.
This is for sale.
This is a pronoun here.

Rule 8
This and that are singular, whether they are being used as adjectives or as pronouns. This
points to something nearby while that points to something "over there."

Examples

This dog is mine.

That dog is hers.
This is mine.
That is hers.

Rule 9
These and those are plural, whether they are being used as adjectives or as pronouns. These
points to something nearby while those points to something "over there."

Examples

These babies have been smiling for a long time.

These are mine.
Those babies have been crying for hours.
Those are yours.
Rule 10
Use than to show comparison. Use then to answer the question when.

Examples

I would rather go skiing than rock climbing.

First we went skiing; then we went rock climbing

VERB

Definition

A Verb is a word that shows action (runs, hits, slides) or state of being (is, are, was, were, am,
etc.).

Examples He ran around the block.

You are my friend.

Rule 1

If a verb follows to, it is called an infinitive phrase and is not the main verb. You will find the
main verb either before or after the infinitive phrase.

Examples I like to walk.

The efforts to get her elected succeeded.

Definition

A Subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the verb.

Example The woman hurried. Woman is the subject.

Rule 2

A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of.

Example A bouquet of yellow roses will lend color and fragrance to the room.

Rule 3

To find the subject and verb, always find the verb first. Then ask who or what performed the
verb.

Examples

The jet engine passed inspection. Passed is the verb. Who or what passed?
The engine, so engine is the subject.
If you included the word jet as the subject, lightning will not strike you.
Technically, jet is an adjective here and is part of what is known as the complete subject.
From the ceiling hung the chandelier.
The verb is hung. Now, if you think ceiling is the subject, slow down.
Ask who or what hung. The answer is chandelier, not ceiling.
Therefore, chandelier is the subject.

Rule 4

Any request or command such as "Stop!" or "Walk quickly." has the understood subject you
because if we ask who is to stop or walk quickly, the answer must be you.

Example (You) Please bring me some coffee.

Bring is the verb. Who is to do the bringing? You understood.

Rule 5

Sentences often have more than one subject, more than one verb, or pairs of subjects and
verbs.

Example I like cake and he likes ice cream.

Two pairs of subjects and verbs
He and I like cake.
Two subjects and one verb
She lifts weights and jogs daily.
One subject and two verbs