Download Indefinite Pronouns

English I
Grammar
Name ____________________
Date _____________ Period __
The Eight Parts of Speech
1. What is a NOUN?
A noun is any word which names a person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or activity.
Examples:
person - Jennifer
place - downtown
thing - table
idea - equality
animal - gopher
quality - height
activity - navigation
Types of Nouns:
Proper nouns are the names of specific things, people, or places, such as Chicoutimi and Christine.
They usually begin with a capital letter.
Common nouns are general names such as person, mansion, and book. They can be either concrete or
abstract.
Concrete nouns refer to things which you can sense such as clock and telephone.
Abstract nouns refer to ideas or qualities such as liberty and truth.
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2. What is a PRONOUN?
A pronoun is a word which takes the place of a noun or stands in for an unknown noun. The noun
which the pronoun replaces is called its antecedent.
Examples: Mary wondered whether she should go to the party.
"Mary" is the antecedent of the pronoun "she".
The test was difficult for Dave, who had not studied.
"Dave" is the antecedent of the pronoun "who".
Rule for Pronouns and Antecedents:
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent. Therefore, if the antecedent is plural, use a plural
pronoun; if the antecedent is feminine, use a feminine pronoun, and so on.
Example:
Incorrect:
When the officer stopped my car, they got out their gun.
Correct: When the officer stopped my car, she got out her gun.
When the officer stopped my car, he got out his gun.
Personal Pronouns
Singular
Plural
Subject
I
you
he, she, it
we
you
they
Object
me
you
him, her, it
us
you
them
Possessive
my, mine
your yours
his, her, hers, its
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
Interrogative Pronouns

Introduce a question
Interrogative
Who, whom
What
Which
Whose
Use
Refers to people
Refers to things
Refers to people or things
Indicates ownership or relationship
Demonstrative Pronouns

Points out a person , place, thing or idea – used alone in a sentence
Singular
This
That
Plural
These
Those
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Indefinite Pronouns

Does not refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea – often no antecedent or the indefinite
pronoun could be the antecedent for another pronoun
Singular
another
anyone
each
everybody
everything
nobody
no one
someone
anybody
anything
either
everyone
neither
nothing
somebody
something
Plural
Either
both
few
many
several
all
any
most
none
some
Things to remember when using pronouns
1.
2.
3.
Never use too many
Example: That happened when he and she went there for it. HUH?
Make sure the pronouns matches its antecedent in quantity
Examples:
Everyone found THEIR friend at the party. – Incorrect
Everyone found his or her friends at the party – Correct
To avoid confusion, a pronoun usually refers to the noun it is closest to in the sentence
Example: Mr. Greenholt took George’s book to his office.
Who’s office? Mr. Greenholt or George’s?
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3. What is a VERB?
The verb is a part of speech, a word or compound of words, that performs one of three kinds of tasks:
it expresses action; it expresses a state of being; or it expresses the relationship between two things.
In its most powerful and normal position, it follows a noun (the agent of the verb).
The forms and functions of verbs
The verb is also the most complicated part of speech in that its forms and functions are several;
verbs in special forms take on the properties of other parts of speech: we call these forms verbals, and
they can become nouns (subjects and/or objects), adjectives, and adverbs. They lose their function as
pure verbs--but they still insinuate actions, states of being, and relationships, and they can enliven one's
writing considerably.
Kinds of Verbs - The writer needs to understand four kinds of verbs: transitive verbs, intransitive
verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.
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What are transitive verbs?
Transitive verbs take objects. That is, these verbs carry the action of a subject and apply it to an
object. They tells us what the subject (agent) does to something else (object).
Examples: He bought a shirt.
(agent) (did something) (object- answers the question "what?")
She brushes her hair every hour.
Marina will lose the race.
Note that the transitive verb can take any tense.
What are intransitive verbs?
Intransitive verbs do not take an object; they express actions that do not require the agent's (subject’s)
doing something to something else.
Examples: Tom danced.
The intransitive verb "danced" is a complete action by itself and does not require a direct object
to receive the action.
They ran down the road.
They ran, but they do not run "something" in this sentence. The sentence contains no object.
Jack fell on the rocks in the alley.
Tip: Some verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive verbs.
Example:
intransitive: She dances.
transitive: She dances the rhumba.
What are Linking Verbs?
Linking verbs do not show action but they link (connect) the subject to a word in the predicate. They
explain the connection between the subject and its complement or that which completes the subject's
description.
The most common linking (helping) verb is "to be."
am
is
are
was
were
be
being
been
become
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Some other linking verbs are:
appear
become
continue
feel
grow
look
remain
seem
smell
sound
stay
taste
Examples: Opera seems overly dramatic to the music novice.
"overly dramatic" describes the agent or subject "opera" but
it does not express an action that "opera" performs.
He appeared jubilant at the news of the inheritance.
I am pathetically inept in such situations.
He is a doctor of bioethics.
Remember, however, if what follows the verb can provide an answer to the question "what,"
then the verb is not a linking verb.
Compare:
He tastes the soup as he cooks it. (tastes=action verb)
"tastes" is transitive: he tastes "what?"
The fruit tastes rotten. (tastes=linking verb)
"rotten" describes or complements the state of the fruit and therefore tastes links the
agent (fruit) and its condition (rotten).
What are Helping Verbs?
Helping verbs help the main verb express action or make a statement; they help tell when the main
verb is taking place
Common Helping Verbs
Be
Have
Do
Others
am, is , are, was, were, be being ,been
has, have, had
do, does, did
may, might, must , can, could , shall, will, would
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4. What are ADJECTIVES?
Adjectives are words used to describe a noun or pronoun or to give a noun or pronoun a more
specific meaning.
Adjectives answer the questions:
What Kind?
Red boat, sick passenger, silver jewelry, cool water
Which One?
Third chance, this train, any piece, those apples
How Many?
Six cars, both answers, several reasons, few letters
How Much?
Enough space, no rain, more energy, little effort
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5. What are ADVERBS?
Adverbs are words that modifies (change slightly) a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
Adverbs answer the questions:
Where?
Fell below, went there, move aside, climbs down
When?
Arrived today, should have spoken before, left early, begins then
In what way?
Happily ran, danced awkwardly, will end abruptly,
had been sung loudly
To what extent?
Partly understands, have not completed, wash completely
hardly would have known
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Common Adverbs
Again
Already
Also
Always
Certainly
Early
Everywhere
Far
Fast
Frequently
Here
Late
Later
Likely
Maybe
Much
Near
Neatly
Never
Not
Now
Nowhere
Often
Only
Possibly
Quite
Rarely
Seldom
Sometimes
Soon
Still
There
Today
Tomorrow
Too
Unlikely
Usually
Very
Well
Yesterday
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6. What is a PREPOSITION?
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun (the object of the
preposition) with some other word or expression in the sentence.
Example:
The cow jumped over the moon.
The preposition "over" links its object, "the moon," to the verb "jump."
The river below the bridge is rising.
The object of the preposition, "the bridge," is linked to the noun "river" through the
preposition "below."
Some common prepositions are:
about
below
above
beneath
across
beside
after
between
against
by
among
down
around
during
at
except
before
for
behind
from
in
inside
into
near
of
off
on
onto
out
outside
over
past
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without
Prepositions can be more than one word. Some examples are:
according to
as well as
in addition to
across from
because of
with regard to
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7. What are CONJUNCTIONS?
Conjunctions join sentence elements such as words, phrases, or clauses.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions join sentence parts of equal grammatical status. They are:
and
for
or
yet
but
nor
so
Nor, for, and so can only join independent clauses.
Example:
Do you want to study math or English?
The coordinating conjunction "or" is linking two nouns.
Coordinating words that work in pairs are called correlative conjunctions. They join words,
phrases, and clauses, as well as whole sentences. The most common correlative conjunctions
are:
both ... and
neither ... nor
either ... or
not only ... but also
Examples:
We can study either math or English.
I not only lost his phone number, but also forgot where he lived.
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8. What are INTERJECTIONS?
Interjections are exclamatory words with no grammar relationship to the rest of the sentences
and usually express an intense emotion or feeling.
Some examples are:
eh, okay, say, oh, no, ouch, yuck
Examples:
It's great to be a Canadian, eh?
Yuck! That tastes disgusting.
Say, let's go hiking.
Okay, maybe it's not so bad.
Most interjections use an exclamation point immediately following the word or words. Some
interjections that are not as strong maybe followed by a comma instead of an exclamation point.
Examples:
Oh, I forgot to eat breakfast.
Alas, poor man, I knew him well.
Notes adapted from: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech.htm
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