Download English-awareness-chapter-2-Grammar-pronouns

BANK EXAM ONLINE COACHING
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
PRONOUN
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PRONOUN
Pronoun is a word used instead of a noun.
Ex. Amit is absent because he is ill.
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KINDS OF PRONOUN
PERSONAL PRONOUN:
Personal pronouns are those which stand for the three persons. You
may ask: which three? Well, here are the three persons grammar
knows:
(1) FIRST PERSON : the person speaking.
Pronouns used : I, we.
(2) SECOND PERSON : the person spoken to.
Pronoun used : you.
(3) THIRD PERSON :the persons other than the above two.
Pronouns used: He, she, it, they.
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When a pronoun refers to more than one noun or pronoun of
different persons, it must be of the first person plural in
preference to the second, and of the second person plural in
preference to the third.
Incorrect : You and I, husband and wife, have to look after your
home.
Correct : You and 1, husband and wife, have to look after our home.
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Rule :A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and
gender.
Incorrect: I am not one of those who believe everything I see.
Correct : I am not one of. those who believe everything they see.
Rule : When a pronoun stands ,for a collective noun, it must be in the
neuter gender and
(i) singular number, if the collective noun is viewed as a whole.
(ii) plural number, if the collective noun conveys the idea of separate
individuals.
Incorrect : The committee decided the matter without leaving its seats.
Correct : The committee decided the matter without leaving their
seats.
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Rule :When two or more singular nouns are joined by and and refer to
(i) separate persons, the pronoun used for them must be plural.
(ii) the same person, the pronoun used for them must be singular.
Incorrect Both Manas and Appu showed his fondness for his father.
Correct : Both Manas and Appu showed their fondness for their father.
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Rule : When two singular nouns joined by and are preceded
by each or every, the pronoun must be singular.
Incorrect : Every teacher and every student got their dress
ready.
Correct :. Every teacher and every student got his dress
ready.
Rule :When two or more singular nouns are joined by or,
either .... or or neither ... nor, the pronoun is generally
singular.
Incorrect : Neither Mani nor Guni has brought their identity
card.
Correct Neither Mani nor Guni has brought his identity card.
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Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns: When the action done by the subject reflects or
turns back upon the subject. In other words, the subject and the
object refer to the same person or thing.
FOR EXAMPLE:
He killed himself
Emphatic pronouns : For the sake of emphasis.
I myself went to finalize the deal.
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Rule :When the following verbs are used reflexively a
reflexive pronoun must be put after them:
absent, acquit, apply, avail, enjoy, exert, forget,
over-reach, pride, resign.
Incorrect : I absented from the class.
Correct : I absented myself from the class.
Rule : The following verbs are usually not followed by a
reflexive pronoun:
bathe, break, burst, feed, form, gather, hide, keep,
lengthen, make, move, open, qualify, rest, roll,
speed, steal, stop, turn.
Incorrect : I bathed myself in the river.
Correct : I bathed in the river.
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Rule : A reflexive pronoun cannot
be used as a substitute for the
subject.
Incorrect : Mohan and myself
decided to join politics.
Correct : Mohan and I decided to
join politics.
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DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS: The pronouns that are used to
point out the objects to which they refer are called demonstrative
pronouns.
FOR EXAMPLE:
this, these, that, those, such.
This is a book.
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Rule : When two things which have already been mentioned are
referred to, this refers to the thing last mentioned, that to the thing
mentioned
Incorrect : India and England shared a relationship of exploitation;
this was the slave and that the master.
Correct : India and England shared a relationship of exploitation;
this was the master and that the slave.
Rule : Pronoun it comes before the phrase or clause to which it
refers whereas
this follows the phrase or clause it refers to.
Incorrect : This is true that bell-bottoms were once in fashion.
Correct : It is true that bell-bottoms were once in fashion.
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INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS: When a pronoun refers to a person or
a thing in a general way, but not to any person or thing in
particular, it is called an indefinite pronoun.
FOR EXAMPLE:
one, none, all, some, somebody, nobody, few, many, any, other,
anybody, anyone, everyone.
In sentences like They say India will reach on top of the world one day. They is a
indefinite pronoun.
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Rule : In referring to anybody, everybody, everyone, anyone, each,
etc. the
pronoun he or she is used according to the context. But when we are
not talking categorically of the females, the pronoun of the
masculine gender is used.
Incorrect : Each can buy whatever she wants with her own money.
Correct : Each can buy whatever he wants with his own money.
Rule : The indefinite pronoun one should be used throughout, if
used at all.
Incorrect : One should take care of his house.
Correct : One should take care of one's house.
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Rule : None is used in the singular or plural as the sense may
require.
Incorrect : Each boy was accompanied by an adult but there were
none with the orphan.
Correct : Each boy was accompanied by an adult but there was none
with the orphan.
Rule : Anyone should be used when more than two persons or things
are spoken of
Incorrect : I could not meet either of my three brothers at home.
Correct : I could not meet anyone of my three brothers at home.
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DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS
Distributive pronouns: The pronouns that refer to persons or
things one at a time are called distributive pronouns.
For example, each, either, neither.
Each
Either
Neither
everyone of a number of person or things taken singly
the one or the other of two
not the one nor the other of two
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Rule : A distributive pronoun is used as a singular.
Incorrect : Either of the choices fit the answer.
Correct : Either of the choices fits the answer.
Rule : Each may come after the object of the verb
only if the object contains a number.
Incorrect : The boys narrated stories each.
Correct : Each of the boys narrated stories.
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RELATIVE PRONOUNS
RELATIVE PRONOUNS: A relative pronoun is a pronoun that
refers or relates to some noun going before, which is called its
antecedent. Besides, it is a pronoun that serves as a conjunction as
well because it connects two statements.
For example,
She worked in the kitchen which was like a bedroom.
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Rule : The relative pronoun that has no possessive case.
Incorrect : The medicine of that alcohol is a component is prohibited
for him.
Correct : The medicine of which alcohol is a component is
prohibited for him.
Rule : The relative pronoun that has the same form in the singular
and the plural.
Incorrect : They those worship money only are deprived of life's other
rewards
Correct : They that worship money only are deprived of life's other
rewards.
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Rule : That may be used as an adverbial accusative meaning on
which, in which or at which.
Incorrect : I remember the day which he came.
Correct : I remember the day which he came on or,
I remember the day that he came.
Rule : The relative pronoun that is preferred to who or which
(i) after adjectives in the superlative degree.
(ii) after all, same, any, none, nothing, only.
(iii) after the interrogative pronouns who, what.(iv) after the antecedents, one denoting a person and the other an
animal or a thing.
Incorrect : It was the best food which we ever tasted.
Correct : It was the best food that we ever tasted.
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Rule : The word but after a negative, often has the force of a relative
pronoun and is equivalent to who ... not, which ... not.
Incorrect : There is no city but does not have a huge population.
Correct : There is no city but has a huge population.
Rule : As the relative pronoun refers to a noun or pronoun, it must
be of the same number and person as its antecedent (that is, the
noun or pronoun referred to).
Incorrect : I, who is your captain, shall never desert you.
Correct : 1, who am your captain, shall never desert you.
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Rule : The case of the relative pronoun depends upon its relation to
the verb in the clause in which it occurs.
Incorrect : I was the boy whom they thought committed the theft.
Correct : I was the boy who they thought committed the theft.
Rule : If a relative pronoun is used in both subjective and objective
cases, we cannot put one pronoun in place of two
Incorrect : I have an uncle who I love and is a management guru.
Correct : I have an uncle whom I love and who is a management
guru.
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Rule : The relative pronoun should be placed as near as possible to
its antecedent.
Incorrect : The office was located in the heart of the town which had
state-of-the-art interior decoration.
Correct : The office, which had state-of-the-art interior
decoration, was located in the heart of the town.
Rule : No conjunction should be placed before the relative pronoun
except to join together two relative clauses referring to the same
antecedent.
Incorrect : He had a cow, and which gave him milk.
Correct : He had a cow, which gave him milk.
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Rule : A pronoun (or noun) in the possessive case should not be used
as the antecedent to a relative pronoun.
Incorrect : India became dependent on his batting who scored runs
with a passion.
Correct : India became dependent on the batting of him who scored
runs with a passion.
Rule : The relative pronoun is sometimes wrongly omitted when it is
the subject of a clause.
Incorrect : He has a resilience would see him through anything.
Correct : He has a resilience that would see him through anything.
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Rule : The relative pronoun what is used without an antecedent.
Incorrect : I mean that what I say.
Correct : I mean what I say.
Rule : When the antecedent is the same, the consequent should be as or
that; when the antecedent is such, the consequent should be as.
Incorrect : The book was such that he could read.
Correct : The book was such as he could read.
Rule : Pronoun of the third person plural should not be used as
antecedents to who and that.
Incorrect : They who are students of the school need not buy tickets.
Correct: Those who are students of the school need not buy tickets.
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INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS: The pronouns used for asking
questions are called interrogative pronouns.
Example:
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Rule : Which implies selection, that is it implies a
question concerning a limited number. It is used
of both persons and things.
Incorrect : What of the pictures do you like best?
Correct : Which of the pictures do you like best?
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