ENGLISH

HU-100
 PRONOUN
• A pronoun is a word used in place of one or
more nouns.
• Refer to a noun (called its antecedent) that
usually comes before the pronoun
In the sentence, “Roberto feels that he can win
the race,” he is the pronoun, and Roberto is the
antecedent.
In the sentence, “Terry and Jim know that they
are best friends,” they is the pronoun, and Terry
and Jim are the noun antecedents.

 Pronouns are very important in written and

verbal communication because they avoid
repetitiveness and ensure a good flow of words
 Personal Pronouns
• Refer to people and things.
• They are divided into three categories called
first person (referring to the person who is
speaking: I went to the mall), second person
(referring to the person spoken to: Joey, can
you see the bus?), and third person (referring
to anyone or anything else: She saw us.
• Examples: I, you, it, he, she, mine, his, her, we,
they, theirs, and ours.
Personal pronouns can serve as the subject, objects
of the verb , and can also show possession.

IN each pair, the first sentence shows a subject pronoun, the

second an object pronoun):
I like coffee. / John helped me.
Do you like coffee? / John likes you.
He runs fast. / Did Ram beat him?
She is clever. / Does Mary know her?
It doesn't work. / Can this man fix it?
Possessive Pronouns and
Adjectives
 Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• A possessive pronoun is used instead of a noun.

• A possessive adjective is usually used to describe a noun, and it comes before it, like
other adjectives:

• Possessive Adjectives

Possessive Adjective + Noun

Examples: Her cat is brown. The dog buried its bone.

The girls missed their bus.

Possessive Pronouns

Noun + Possessive Pronoun

Examples: The chair next to the window is his. The brown cat is hers.

•
Possessive adjectives go before the noun and possessive
pronouns go after the noun. Here are some examples:

This is my car. The car is mine.

Remember: There are no apostrophes in
possessive pronouns and adjectives.
The dog wagged its tail.
“It's” is not a possessive pronoun or adjective
— it means “it is”:
It's not my dog.
Personal Pronoun Exercise:
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1.__________ often reads until late at night.
1. He
2. Alan
3. Mary
4. They
2.__________ is running up and down the stairs.
1. The cat
2. She
3. My brother
4. You
3.__________ is from Ireland.
1. Rory
2. My friend
3. He
4. This souvenir
[Link] __________ got a dog, Mary?
1. Anyone
2. They
3. Someone
4. It
 Intensive Pronouns
• These pronouns are used to emphasize a noun or
pronoun.

• These are: myself, himself, herself, themselves, itself,

yourself, yourselves, and ourselves.

Examples:
• He himself is his worst critic.
• The president himself said that it was a terrorist attack.
• I myself knew that it was a mistake.
 Reflexive pronouns

• This kind of pronoun is used to refer back to the subject.

Some of the reflexive pronouns are: yourself, myself,
ourselves, himself, herself, themselves, and itself.
• is formed by adding - self or - selves to certain personal
pronouns.

• Hisself and theirselves are NOT real words.

• Example:

• Sandra never forgets to send a copy of the email to herself.

• The pronoun “herself” refers back to the subject of the
sentence, which is Sandra.
 Relative pronouns
• We use who and whom for people, and which for things.
Or we can use that for people or things.
• We use relative pronouns:
• after a noun, to make it clear which person or thing we are
talking about:
• the house that Jack built
• the woman who discovered radium
• an eight-year-old boy who attempted to rob a sweet shop

• to tell us more about a person or thing:

• My mother, who was born overseas, has always been a great
traveller.
Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired.
• We use whose as the possessive form of who:
This is George, whose brother went to school with
me.

• We sometimes use whom as the object of a verb

This is George, whom you met at our house last year.

• But nowadays we normally use who:

This is George, who you met at our house last year.
 Subject Object Possessive

who who(m) whose

which which whose

that that
 Demonstrative pronoun

• is used to point out a specific person or thing. These

pronouns include this, that, these, and those.
• In the sentence, “Theresa, is this yours?” this is the
demonstrative pronoun, and yours is the personal pronoun.

That looks like the car I used to drive.

These are nice shoes, but they look uncomfortable.

• Normally we use demonstrative pronouns for things only. But

we can use them for people when the person is identified.

• Look at these examples:

• This is Joseph speaking. Is that Mary?
• That sounds like John.
Note: Do not confuse demonstrative
adjectives with demonstrative pronouns.
The words are identical, but demonstrative
adjectives qualify nouns, whereas
demonstrative pronouns stand alone.

That smells. (demonstrative pronoun)

That book is good. (demonstrative adjective +
noun)
 Indefinite pronouns

• Do not point to any particular nouns, but refer to things

or people in general/ unspecified things
• Some examples are: any, all, another, each, anyone,
anything, anybody, nobody, everyone, everybody,
someone, somebody, few, and many.
• Examples:
 Many were called for the interview but only 3 were
hired.
 He’s ready to give up everything for his family’s safety.
 .“ Everybody will select another to help with
everything,” the three italicized words are all indefinite
pronouns since they take the place of a noun and do
not refer to a specific or definite person or thing.
These are all indefinite pronouns:

all each more one

another either most other

any everybody much several

anybody everyone neither some

anyone everything nobody somebody

anything few none someone

both many no one

 Interrogative pronouns

• The function of this kind of pronoun is to ask questions.

Examples of interrogative pronouns are: who, what, which,
whom, whoever, whatever, whichever, and whomever.
• Examples:
• Who wrote the book 1984?
• What did the doctors say?
When is a word a pronoun? When is a word an
adjective?
• These demonstrative pronouns can be used as
adjectives: that, these, this, and those.
• These indefinite pronouns can be used as adjectives:
all, another, any, both, each, either, few, many, more,
most, neither, other, several, and some.
• This problem is difficult. ( This is an adjective since it
answers the question, Which problem?)
• This is difficult. ( This is a pronoun since it takes the place
of a noun and does not modify a noun or a pronoun.)
• Some people are very funny. ( Some is an adjective since
it answers the question, Which people?)
• Some are funny. ( Some is a pronoun since it takes the
place of a noun and does not modify a noun or a
pronoun.)
 ADVERBS

An adverb is a word that modifies (qualifies or limits)

a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
• Many adverbs end in - ly.
• Adverbs answer any of these four questions:
Where? When? How? To what extent?
• Here are some adverbs that do not end in -ly:
again almost alone already also
always away even ever here
Just later never not now
nowhere often perhaps quite rather
seldom so sometimes somewhat somewhere
soon then there today too
very yesterday
• When an adverb is used in a sentence, it will
answer one of the following questions:
• How?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• In what way?
• How often?
• How much?
• To what degree?
Adverbs modify verbs:
• John ate quickly. ( How did he eat?)
• I walk there. ( Where did I walk?)
• Ashleigh will eat soon. ( When will Ashleigh eat?)
Adverbs modify adjectives:
• Rex is very happy. (Very modifies the adjective
happy and answers the question, To what extent?)
• The program was too unrealistic. ( Too modifies the
adjective unrealistic and answers the question, To
what extent?)
Adverbs modify other adverbs:
• Warren walks too quickly. ( Too modifies the adverb
quickly and answers the question, How quickly?)
 Examples:

• John reads quite clearly.

• Alia runs quickly.

• This is a very sweet mango.

 Types of Adverbs

ADVERBS OF MANNER

• this refers to how something happens or how an

action is done.

• Answer the question how or in what manner?

• This adverb usually comes after the direct object
or if there is no direct object, after the verb:
She speaks Italian beautifully.
You must drive your car carefully.
Eat quietly.
Note: this class includes nearly all those adverbs
which are derived from adjectives and end in –ly.
 ADVERBS OF PLACE
Tells about “where” something happens or ”where” something is
done.
• Answer the question where?
• This adverb usually comes after the object, otherwise after the
verb:
Examples:
Have you seen my glasses anywhere?
Walk backward.
We saw you there.
We were sitting here.
We looked everywhere.
I'm sure I left them somewhere.
 ADVERBS OF TIME

States “when” something happens or “when” it is done.

• These answer the question when?
• This adverb usually comes either at the very beginning of the
sentence or at the end.
• Adverbs of time describing for how long an action occurred
usually work best at the end of a sentence.
• For example: She stayed at her grandmother’s house all day.
• Adverbs of time that express an exact number of times the
action happens usually work best at the end of a sentence. For
example:
• The newspaper arrives daily.
• They go out to dinner weekly.
Examples:

• Afterwards we decided to go by car. I've done that

journey before.
• I have spoken to him already.
He still wears old-fashioned clothes.
I hurt my knee yesterday.
 ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

• These answer the question how often?

Note: This adverb comes after the verb 'to be':

• They sometimes spend the whole of Saturday
fishing.
• Note: with 'used to' and 'have' the frequency
adverb is usually placed in front:
• We always used to look forward to the school
holidays.
He never had any trouble with his old car.
 ADVERBS OF DEGREE or QUANTITY

• these answer the question to what extent, how much, or in

what degree
• This adverb can modify an adverb or an adjective and comes
before the word it modifies:
• The bottle is almost full, nearly empty.
They should be able to pass their exams quite easily.
• You are partly right. She sings pretty well.
• I can't find them anywhere.
• He works well.
• I am so happy.
• He comes here daily.
• He often makes mistakes.
When is a word an adjective, and when is it an
adverb?
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. Adverbs do not.
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Adjectives do not.

• Helen has a yearly membership at the local health club.

• Helen contributes yearly.
• Mike arrived late.
• The late delivery cut down on sales in the supermarket.
• Helen has a yearly membership at the local health
club. (Yearly is an adjective since it modifies the
noun membership and tells which membership.)
• Helen contributes yearly. (Yearly is an adverb since
it modifies the verb contributes and answers the
question, When does Helen contribute ?)
• Mike arrived late. (Late is an adverb since it tells
when Mike arrived.)
• The late delivery cut down on sales in the
supermarket. (Late is an adjective because it tells
which delivery.)
 Point out the adverbs

1. He comes here daily.

2. I have heard this before.
3. Ali always tries to do his best.
4. The little lamb followed Jane everywhere.
5. The child slept soundly.
6. You are quite wrong.
7. The grapes were very sour.
8. Mary danced gracefully.
9. The child is very talented.
Put the adverbs in the correct place:
• 1. She comes late (always)
• 2. They walk home (usually)
• 3. He has been to England (never)
• 4. Do they go to the cinema (often)?
• 5. He stays at home in the evenings (sometimes)
• 6. He can speak French (hardly)
• 7. They visit the museums (frequently)
• 8. Jane arrives late for school (seldom)
• 9. People buy beef nowadays (rarely)
• 10. Have you been to Japan? (ever)
 Choose the right part of speech

• I am extremely excited for our trip to Canada.

• Ashleigh will eat soon.
• I hurt myself.
• This is my book.
• The diagram was fairly complicated.
• The French army was defeated at Waterloo.
• This is a very pretty necklace.
• They will do most of the moving themselves.
• Helen cautiously approached the dog.
• Diplomacy is the best tactic.
• Directions: On the line to the left of the
sentence, write the word that is the part
of speech indicated in parenthesis
• . ____________________(noun) The lock was stuck.
• ____________________(noun) She purchased the
ice cream with him.
• ____________________(adjective) Kind people are
often rewarded.
• ____________________(adverb) The officer ran
fast.
• ____________________(adverb) My sister
answered the questions intelligently.
 a/an and one

• If a noun starts with a vowel letter but begins with a consonant sound, we also use
a:
e.g. A European a university

• We use an before words that begin with a vowel sound:

e.g. an Italian an orange

• These include words that begin with a silent letter “h”

e.g an hour an honest child

• And abbreviations said as individual letters that begin with A,E,F,M,H,I,L,N,O,R,S or

X:
An FBI agent an IOU

• But compare abbreviations said as words:

A NATO general a FIFA official

• We use a/an (not one) to talk about a particular but unspecified person, thing or
event.
I really need a cup of coffee.
You never see a police officer in this part of the town, do you?
• We also use a/an, not one, in number and quantity
expressions such as:
Three times a year half an hour a quarter of an hour
A week or two a few a huge number of

• We use a rather than one in the pattern a… of…. with

possessives, as in:
She’s a colleague of mine.
That’s a friend of Bill’s.

• Before a singular countable noun one and a/an both refer

to one thing:
We’ll be in Canada for one year (or….. a year)
Wait here for one minute and I’ll be with you( or …..a
minute….)
• Using one in sentences like these gives a little more
emphasis to the length of time, quantity, amount, weight
etc:
He weighs one hundred and twenty kilos! Would you believe it!
( using one emphasises the weight more than using a)

• We use one rather than a/an if we want to emphasise that

we are talking about only one thing or person rather than
two or more:
Do you want one sandwich or two?
Are you staying only one night?
• We also use one in phrases such as one day, one evening,
one spring etc. to mean a particular, but unspecified day,
evening, spring,
Hope to see you again one day.
One evening, while he was working late at the office…
 Write a or an in the spaces.

1. ______ one parent family

2. _______ MP
3. _________ honorary degree
4. _________ OPEC meeting
5. ________ unpaid bill
6. ________ MiG fighter plane
7. ________ Euro
8. ___________ MA in Russian
9. __________ F grade
10. __________ NASA space launch
11. __________ U-turn
12. __________ heirloom
13. ________ SOS meeting