Demonstrative pronouns

Study the following sentences.

This is a gift from my brother.
Both watches are good; but this is better than that.
My views are in accordance with those of the Chairman.
These are mere excuses.
That is the Red Fort.
Mumbai mangoes are better than those of Bangalore.

You will have noticed that the pronouns in bold text are used to point out the objects to which they refer. They are, therefore, calleddemonstrative pronouns. There are four demonstrative pronouns in English: this, that, these and those.

Note that this and that are used with singular nouns. These andthose are used with plural nouns.

This and these refer to object/objects close at hand. That and thoserefer to what is ‘over there’.

This is better than that.

Demonstrative adjectives

This, that, these and those are demonstrative adjectives when they are used with nouns.

That book is mine.
What is that noise?
These flowers are very beautiful.
Those days were the best.
This horse is faster than that horse.

Special uses

That and those are often used to avoid the repetition of a preceding noun.

The streets of Mumbai are busier than those of Paris. (= The streets of Mumbai are busier than the streets of Paris.)

Here the demonstrative those is used to avoid the repetition of ‘the streets’.

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Demonstrative pronouns

Study the following sentences.

This is a gift from my brother.
Both watches are good; but this is better than that.
My views are in accordance with those of the Chairman.
These are mere excuses.
That is the Red Fort.
Mumbai mangoes are better than those of Bangalore.

Note that this and that are used with singular nouns. These andthose are used with plural nouns.

This and these refer to object/objects close at hand. That and thoserefer to what is ‘over there’.

This is better than that.

Demonstrative adjectives

This, that, these and those are demonstrative adjectives when they are used with nouns.

That book is mine.
What is that noise?
These flowers are very beautiful.
Those days were the best.
This horse is faster than that horse.

Special uses

That and those are often used to avoid the repetition of a preceding noun.

The streets of Mumbai are busier than those of Paris. (= The streets of Mumbai are busier than the streets of Paris.)

Here the demonstrative those is used to avoid the repetition of ‘the streets’.

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Use of the words he/she, him/her and his/hers etc.

Read the following sentences.

He has a camera. The camera belongs to him. It is his camera. The camera is his.
She has a diamond ring. The diamond ring belongs to her. It isher diamond ring. The diamond ring is hers.
They have a tea garden. The tea garden belongs to them. It istheir tea garden. The tea garden is theirs.

The sentences given in each set express the same idea using different forms of the personal pronouns he, she and they.

The main difference between nouns and pronouns is that nouns do not change their form except when forming the possessive case.

Pronouns, on the other hand, have different forms.

The forms he, she and they are used when a pronoun is the subject of a sentence.

The forms him, her and them are used when a pronoun is the object of a sentence.

The forms his, her, hers, their and theirs are possessive in nature.

Possessives are of two kinds: possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives.

Possessive adjectives go before nouns. Possessive pronouns are used alone.

Note that the possessive pronoun and possessive adjective form ofhe is the same: his

Study the following sentences.

This is his cap. This cap is his.
This is her ring. This ring is hers. (NOT His ring is her.)
This is their car. This car is theirs. (NOT This car is their.)

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Possessive pronouns and adjectives

Read the following sentences.

This necklace belongs to her. They do not belong to you.

We can combine these sentences using possessive pronouns.

This necklace is hers, not yours.
This car belongs to him. It does not belong to me.
This car is his, not mine.

Exercise

Combine the following pairs of sentences using possessive pronouns or adjectives.

1. It is your problem. It is not my problem.

2. It is his responsibility. It is not my responsibility.

3. The property belongs to us. It does not belong to them.

4. He writes the lyrics. She composes the tunes.

5. One of these cars belongs to me and the others belong to him.

6. We make the investment. They take the profit.

7. The apartment belongs to me but the furniture belongs to my father.

8. The children are mine. They are not his.

Answers

1. The problem is yours, not mine.

2. The responsibility is his, not mine.

3. The property is ours, not theirs.

4. The lyrics are his and the tunes are hers.

5. One of these cars is mine and the others are his.

6. The investment is ours, but the profit is theirs.

7. The apartment is mine, but the furniture is my father’s.

8. They are my children, not his.

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Relative clauses and relative pronouns

Clauses beginning with question words (e.g. who, which, where) are often used to identify people and things. Clauses used like this are called relative clauses. They can also be called adjective clauses.

Examples are given below.

James, who is my neighbor, is a well-known painter. (Here the relative clause ‘who is my neighbor’ gives more information about the noun James.)
This is the house that my grandfather built. (Here the relative clause ‘that my grandfather built’ gives more information about the noun house.)
I have never met the people who live next door. (Here the relative clause ‘who live next door’ identify the noun people.)
I know a girl who works in a pub.
I have found the keys that you were looking for.

Relative pronouns

When words like who, which and that are used to introduce relative clauses, they are often called relative pronouns. Relative pronouns can be the subjects of verbs in relative clauses. Note thatwho is used to refer to people and which is used to refer to things.That can be used to refer to both people and things.

Who is that fat woman who sits next to James? (NOT Who is that fat woman which sits next to James?)
The people that live next door aren’t very sociable. OR The people who live next door aren’t very sociable. (That can refer to both people and things.)
What happened to those hundred pounds which I lent you?OR What happened to those hundred pounds that I lent you?(Both which and that can refer to things.)

Relative pronouns can also be the objects of verbs in relative clauses. Note that in a formal style, who is not normally used as an object. Instead, we use whom.

She married someone whom I really admire. (Formal)
She married someone who I really admire. (Informal)

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Personal pronouns exercise

Fill in the blanks with suitable pronouns.

1. John and Peter are brothers. I know ………………………. very well and my father likes ………………….. very much.

2. This book has many interesting pictures and stories. I like ………………………… very much.

3. The woman gave sweets to the children, but ……………………………. did not thank ……………………

4. The teacher said, ‘John, you’re a naughty boy. ……………………. don’t obey …………………………’

5. The boys were late so the teacher scolded …………………………..

6. We have a good teacher. ………………………… advised ……………………….. to work harder.

7. My father told my mother, ‘I want ……………………….. to take these jewels and put …………………….. in a box. When …………………………. have done that come and see ………………………… and ……………………….. will tell ………………………………….. why ………………………. don’t want ………………………….. to keep …………………….. in that box.

Answers

1. John and Peter are brothers. I know them very well and my father likes them very much.

2. This book has many interesting pictures and stories. I like it very much.

3. The woman gave sweets to the children, but they did not thankher.

4. The teacher said, ‘John, you’re a naughty boy. You don’t obey me.’

5. The boys were late so the teacher scolded them.

6. We have a good teacher. He / she advised us to work harder.

7. My father told my mother, ‘I want you to take these jewels and put them in a box. When you have done that come and see me and Iwill tell you why I don’t want you to keep them in that box.

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Using the demonstrative pronouns

There are only five demonstrative pronouns in English: this, that, these, those and such. Demonstrative pronouns can behave either as pronouns or as adjectives.

When used as pronouns, these words identify or point to nouns.

That was an incredible experience. (Here the demonstrative pronoun that refers to something the speaker just talked about.)
I don’t believe this. (Here the demonstrative pronoun this refers to something mentioned in a previous sentence.)
Such was his command over the language. (Here the demonstrative pronoun such refers to an explanation just made.)

As adjectives, the demonstratives modify a noun that follows. We can convey a sense of distance in time and space through the choice of demonstratives.

This and these are used to denote things and situations closer in space and time.

Get this bird off my shoulder. (Here the reference is to a bird sitting on the speaker’s shoulder. It is very close to him in space.)
Get that cat off the piano. (Here the reference is to a cat sitting on a piano away from the speaker.)

These and those are the plural forms of this and that.

Listen to this. (Here we are referring to a situation which is just about to start.)

That and those can be used to talk about experiences which have just finished.

That was an unforgettable experience. (Here we are talking about something happened in the past.)

Acceptance and rejection

This and these are used to show acceptance or interest. That andthose can show rejection or dislike.

That boy of yours has stained my walls. (dislike)
Tell me about this new project of yours. (interest)

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Pronoun-antecedent agreement

A pronoun is a word used to refer to a noun mentioned earlier in the text. This noun is called the antecedent of the pronoun.

Susmita is a pretty girl. She also sings well. (Pronoun – she; antecedent – Susmita)

Note that the pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and person. That means if the antecedent is a singular noun, then the pronoun used to refer to it, too, should be singular in number.

Problem points

The indefinite pronouns anybody, everyone, anyone, someone, somebody, no one, and nobody are always singular.

The pronouns either and neither are also singular.

The need for pronoun-antecedent agreement doesn’t create any problems when the gender is clearly specified.

John works hard. He will pass.

But when the sex of the person is not mentioned, finding a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent can be difficult.

The following sentence, for example, shows gender bias.

A student must hand in his assignment before the end of this month.

Here the noun student can refer to both boys and girls and hence there is no justification for using pronoun his.

One solution is to pluralize.

Students must hand in their assignments before the end of this month.

Or you can say:

A student must hand in his or her assignment before the end of the month.

However, if you use the expression ‘his or her’ too many times, the effect can be ridiculous.

Instead, many writers now prefer using the pronoun they/their.

Somebody has left their umbrella behind.

More natural than ‘Somebody has left his or her umbrella behind.’

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Common mistakes in the use of pronouns

In this article we will take a look at some common mistakes in the use of pronouns.

Incorrect: Each of these boys play cricket well.

Correct: Each of these boys plays cricket well.

Incorrect: Each of these three roads lead to the railway station.

Correct: Each of these three roads leads to the railway station.

After each of we use a plural noun or pronoun and a singular verb.

Incorrect: Both didn’t go.

Correct: Neither went.

In negative sentences we do not normally use both. Instead, we useneither.

Incorrect: We all did not go.

Correct: None of us went.

In negative sentences we do not normally use all. Instead, we usenone.

Incorrect: Each boy and each girl were given a book.

Correct: Each boy and each girl was given a book.

Incorrect: Have you got a pen? I haven’t got.

Correct: Have you got a pen? I haven’t got one.

The verb get needs to be followed by an object.

Incorrect: My all books are lost.

Correct: All of my books are lost.

Incorrect: Let I go.

Correct: Let me go.

Incorrect: Let we move.

Correct: Let us move.

Let is a verb. It should be followed by a pronoun in object form.

Incorrect: Your problem is bigger than me.

Correct: Your problem is bigger than mine.

Correct: Your problem is bigger than my problem.

Incorrect: Whoever does best he will get a prize.

Correct: Whoever does best will get a prize.

Incorrect: I and he are brothers.

Correct: He and I are brothers.

Incorrect: I and Mark are friends.

Correct: Mark and I are friends.

Pronouns should go in the proper order – the person spoken to, first; the person spoken of, second and the speaker, third.

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Combine using relative pronouns

Relative pronouns are words used to combine two clauses into one. Besides combining the two clauses, the relative pronoun acts as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause.

An example is given below.

The boy solved the puzzle. He was praised by the teacher.

We can combine these two clauses using a relative pronoun.

The boy who solved the puzzle was praised by the teacher.

Combine the following pairs of sentences using a relative pronoun.

1. The parcel reached me this morning. My brother sent it.

2. This is the house. Jack built it.

3. The boy didn’t do his homework. The teacher punished him.

4. He tells lies. He deserves to be punished.

5. I know a man. He wears a prosthetic leg.

6. Bring me the file. The file is on the table.

7. We met a girl. The girl had lost her way.

8. I saw a soldier. He had lost an arm.

9. Once upon a time there lived a giant. The giant was very powerful and cruel.

10. The dog bit the burglar. He was trying to break into the house.

Answers

1. The parcel which my brother sent reached me this morning.

2. This is the house that Jack built.

3. The teacher punished the boy who didn’t do his homework.

4. He who tells lies deserves to be punished.

5. I know a man who wears a prosthetic leg.

6. Bring me the file which is on the table.

7. We met a girl who had lost her way.

8. I saw a soldier who had lost an arm.

9. Once upon a time there lived a giant who was very powerful and cruel.

10. The dog bit the burglar who was trying to break into the house.

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Comma with conjunctions

Conjunctions do not normally cause major grammatical errors. However, students sometimes incorrectly use two conjunctions to connect two clauses. In English, we need just one conjunction to connect two clauses. If there are four clauses in the sentence, we need just three conjunctions to connect them.

Another common problem is the confusion about the placement of comma. Sometimes we use a comma before a conjunction. Sometimes we do not use a comma.

When subordinate clauses begin a sentence, we usually separate them from the rest of the sentence with a comma. When the subordinate clause goes after the main clause, the comma can be left out.

While there are no simple rules regarding the placement of comma with conjunctions, the following guidelines should help.

Comma before the final item in a list

We use commas to separate items in a series or list. The last two items in a list are usually connected by and. In British English, it is quite unusual to use a comma with and.

I visited France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Spain. (GB)

I visited France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and Spain. (US)

Notes

When there are just two items in a list, a comma is not necessary before and.

I met John and Mary. (NOT I met John, and Mary.)

When there are more than two items, some people prefer to use a comma before and. Some people do not use a comma. There is no right or wrong answer here. Pick a convention and then stick with it. That’s all.

The comma that goes before the conjunction is called the Oxford Comma. Interestingly, although it is called Oxford Comma, it is mainly used by writers in the US.

I bought some milk, eggs, and butter. (List with Oxford Comma)

I bought some milk, eggs and butter. (List without Oxford Comma)

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Comma with conjunctions

Another common problem is the confusion about the placement of comma. Sometimes we use a comma before a conjunction. Sometimes we do not use a comma.

When subordinate clauses begin a sentence, we usually separate them from the rest of the sentence with a comma. When the subordinate clause goes after the main clause, the comma can be left out.

While there are no simple rules regarding the placement of comma with conjunctions, the following guidelines should help.

Comma before the final item in a list

We use commas to separate items in a series or list. The last two items in a list are usually connected by and. In British English, it is quite unusual to use a comma with and.

I visited France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Spain. (GB)

I visited France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and Spain. (US)

Notes

When there are just two items in a list, a comma is not necessary before and.

I met John and Mary. (NOT I met John, and Mary.)

The comma that goes before the conjunction is called the Oxford Comma. Interestingly, although it is called Oxford Comma, it is mainly used by writers in the US.

I bought some milk, eggs, and butter. (List with Oxford Comma)

I bought some milk, eggs and butter. (List without Oxford Comma)

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Comma before and after conjunctions

Comma after so

When so is used to mean therefore, it is a transitional adverb. So, it should be followed by a comma.

I was not feeling well. So, I decided to consult a doctor.

Semicolon before And

A coordinating conjunction that merges two clauses into one is usually preceded by a comma. However, the comma can be left out when the clauses connected by the conjunction are very short.

The boys sang, and the girls danced.

The comma is not exactly necessary in the example given above because the clauses are short. However, it is possible.

If one or both of the clauses connected by a conjunction contains a comma, we sometimes use a semicolon instead of a comma. Note that although a semicolon is possible here, it may look dated.

Alan, Sophie and Mira absolutely love the steak pie; but Maria, a staunch vegetarian, detests it.

Here the two clauses are connected by the coordinating conjunction but. However, we separate them using a semicolon because the second clause contains two commas.

Note that a semicolon is not exactly necessary here. A comma will work just fine. In fact, a comma tends to be more common than a semicolon.

Alan, Sophie and Mira absolutely love the steak pie, but Maria, a staunch vegetarian, detests it.

That-clauses

Commas are not used before that-clauses.

She said that she would come. (NOT She said, that she would come.)

Notes

A that-clause is essentially a noun clause that serves as the subject or object of the verb in the main clause.

Comma before subordinate clauses

When subordinate clauses come at the beginning of sentences we usually separate them with a comma. The comma can be left out when the subordinate clause goes after the main clause.

Because he had been reading my letters without my knowledge, I was quite angry with him.

I was quite angry with him because he had been reading my letters without my knowledge.

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Verb patterns with to-infinitives

To-infinitives are used in several structures. Here is a quick overview of them.

To-infinitives can be used after adjectives expressing ideas such as desire or emotion.

We were happy to see him.
She is afraid to talk.
He is eager to join the army.
I will be happy to accept your invitation.
He was anxious to meet you.
They are impatient to leave.

It + be + adjective + of + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

The adjectives that are commonly used in this pattern are: good, kind, generous, stupid, unwise, wrong, brave, politely, silly, wicked, cruel, foolish, wise, nice, careless etc.

It is kind of you to help us.
It was foolish of me to lend him money.

It was clever of you to solve this puzzle.
It is wicked of her to do such things.
It was careless of you to make that mistake.
It is unwise of him to drink too much.

To-infinitives are words like difficult, easy, hard, impossible etc.

This book is easy to understand.
This carpet is difficult to wash.
Your actions are impossible to justify.
This food is difficult to swallow.
This medicine is pleasant to taste.
His speech was difficult to understand.

It + be + adjective + to-infinitive

It is easy to learn English.
It is difficult to get a job.
It is cruel to treat animals in that way.
It was impossible to win.
It is hard to get noticed.

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Expressing wishes in English

The phrase I wish I had… is the most common structure used to talk about our wishes. Here are some common wishes people have.

I wish I had more money.
I wish I had more friends.
I wish I had a bigger house.
I wish I was taller.
I wish I was more beautiful.
I wish I had curly hair.
I wish I had blue eyes.
I wish I had a caring husband.
I wish I had a cute daughter.
I wish I had a better memory.

Note the use of past tense verbs in this structure.

In the phrase I wish I had… ‘had’ is the simple past form of the verb ‘have’. Instead of had, you can use the simple past form of other verbs as well.

I wish I spoke French.
I wish I knew Italian.
I wish I looked smarter.
I wish I drove a Ferrari.
I wish I lived in Shanghai.
I wish I had a golden voice.
I wish I knew more people.
I wish I played the piano.

Although we use past tense forms in this structure, we are not referring to the past in these sentences. Instead, we are merely expressing our wishes in the present.

To talk about past wishes, we can use the structure I wish I had had… Note that the second had in this structure is the past participle form of have. Past participle forms of other verbs are also possible in this case.

I wish I had had more money.
I wish I had worked harder. (= I didn’t work harder, but now I regret it.)
I wish I had had more time on my business trip last week.
I wish I hadn’t trusted him.
I wish I had listened to his advice.

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Personal pronouns overview

Personal pronouns are words like I, me, your, he, him and they.They belong to three classes: first person, second person and third person.

First person

The pronouns I, me, mine, we, us and ours are said to be in the first person because they stand for the person speaking.

I am a teacher.
John called me.
I have a daughter.
We have a house.
That car is ours.
This house is mine.

Second person

The pronouns you and yours are said to be in the second person because they stand for the person or persons spoken to.

You are a good girl.
Is this bag yours?

Third Person

The pronouns he, him, she, her, hers, they, theirs, them and it are said to be in the third person.

That phone is his.
They have visited our home several times, but I have never been to theirs.

Grammar notes:

The possessive has two forms – my, mine; our, ours; your, yours; her, hers; their, theirs. The forms my, our, your, her and their are not pronouns. They are adjectives used before a noun. The formsmine, ours, yours, hers and theirs are pronouns and can be used alone.

This is my car.
This car is mine.
That is her house.
That house is hers.
It is their fault.
The fault is theirs.

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Make questions and negatives

Change the following affirmative sentences into negative and interrogative sentences.

1. Mary earns a six figure salary.

2. She conducted herself well.

3. I made a cake yesterday.

4. She spent her childhood in Malaysia.

5. John took some books from the library.

6. Rahul reads a lot.

7. She recognized him at once.

8. She told a story.

9. I want to become a millionaire.

10. She lives with her grandparents.

Answers

1. Mary does not earn a six figure salary. / Does Mary earn a six figure salary?

2. She did not conduct herself well. / Did she conduct herself well?

3. I did not make a cake yesterday. / Did I make a cake yesterday?

4. She did not spend her childhood in Malaysia. / Did she spend her childhood in Malaysia?
5. John did not take any books from the library. / Did John take any books from the library? (Some is used in affirmative sentences; any is used in questions and negatives)

6. Rahul does not read much. / Does Rahul read a lot?

7. She did not recognize him at once. / Did she recognize him at once?

8. She did not tell a story. / Did she tell a story?

9. I do not want to become a millionaire. / Do I want to become a millionaire?

10. She does not live with her grandparents. / Does she live with her grandparents?

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Relative pronouns

Problem points

Answers

Comma before the final item in a list

Comma before the final item in a list

Comma after so

Semicolon before And

That-clauses

Notes

Comma before subordinate clauses

It + be + adjective + of + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

To-infinitives are words like difficult, easy, hard, impossible etc.

It + be + adjective + to-infinitive

First person

Second person

Third Person

Answers

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