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 Foreign Language
Success Strategies

First Edition, Volume I: August 2006  

Part II- English Language Grammar Primer & Exercises

NOUNS, PRONOUNS, AND NOUN EQUIVALENTS

PRONOUNS


 

Subject Form

Possessive Form

Objective Form

Singular

He = Who

His = Whose

Him = Whom

Plural

They = Who

Their = Whose

Them = Whom


Examples: Who do you think is responsible? (Do you think he is responsible?)
Whom shall we ask to the party? (Shall we ask him to the party?)
Give the box to whomever you please. (Give the box to him.)
Whoever shows up first will win the prize. (He shows up first.)

Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) substitute for things being pointed out. Examples: These are the pizzas you ordered. (demonstrative pronoun)
Those pizzas you ordered are very hot! (adjective)

Indefinite pronouns (each, either, neither, one, anyone, somebody, everything, all, few, many, etc.) substitute for unknown or unspecified things and frequently precede prepositions. Avoid mislabeling the object of the preposition, which modifies an indefinite pronoun, as the subject, direct/indirect object, or subjective/objective complement.

Examples: He gave some of the students extra credit. (pronoun as indirect object)
He gave me some money. (adjective)
Most in the courtroom agreed with the jury’s verdict. (pronoun as subject)
Most people don’t want to do jury duty. (adjective)
Grace became one of the best photographers in her class. (pronoun as subjective complement)
Grace is one class away from her photojournalism degree. (adjective)

Note: Relative, demonstrative, and indefinite pronouns are often difficult to distinguish from adjectives. If the word describes a noun, which it often precedes, it is an adjective. Otherwise, it is a pronoun.

Interrogative pronouns (who, whom, which, what) ask questions.
Examples: What do you want? (interrogative pronoun)
Which of the students wrote this paper? (interrogative pronoun)
Which student wrote this paper? (adjective)

LESSON #1 Activity
Adjectives

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