4. Pronouns Flashcards
What is a pronoun?
A word that take the place of a noun, so that we do not have to repeat that noun, or antecedent, elsewhere in the sentence
How should you approach pronoun problems?
(1) Find the antecedent (it must exist in the sentence as a NOUN!)
(2) Check whether the antecedent and pronoun agree logically (by replacing the pronoun with the noun)
(3) Check whether the antecedent and pronoun agree in number
What are the eight types of pronouns?
(1) Demonstrative
(2) Relative
(3) Indefinite
(4) Interrogative
(5) Possessive
(6) Reflexive
(7) Intensive
(8) Personal
What are demonstrative pronouns?
- They demonstrate (or indicate)
- You may use any of these pronouns as adjectives in front of nouns
This, that, these, those
*IMPORTANT
What are relative pronouns?
They introduce a dependent (subordinate) clause, which gives more information
Who, whom, which, that
What are indefinite pronouns?
They are used for non-specific items and people
Anyone, someone, all, both, few, each, everything, everyone, etc.
What are interrogative pronouns?
These begin questions
Who, what, which, what, where, how
What are possessive pronouns?
These are used to show ownership
My, your, his, hers
What are reflexive pronouns?
They refer to another noun in the sentence and end in –self or –selves
Himself, herself, yourself
What are intensive pronouns?
They are used to add more emphasis to a subject and end in –self or –selves
Myself, himself, herself
What are personal pronouns?
They are used as substitutes for a noun or pronoun in a sentence
He, she, I, me, we, it, etc.
Third Person Personal Pronouns – it, its, they, them, their (*IMPORTANT)
What are the three cases, or grammatical roles or functions for nouns and pronouns?
(1) Subject pronouns – can be the subjects of sentences (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who)
e. g. They arrived late.
(2) Object pronouns – can be the objects of verbs or prepositions (me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom)
e. g. No one saw them or talked to them
(3) Possessive pronouns – indicate ownership ship or a similar relation (my/min, your/yours, his, her/hers, its)
e. g. Their presence went unnoticed
What are the deadly five pronouns?
The most common pronoun mistakes involves third person personal pronouns
(1) IT
(2) ITS
(3) THEY
(4) THEM
(5) THEIR *be careful with “their”, which is often used in everyday speech to refer to singular subjects
WRONG: Whenever a student calls, take down their information.
CORRECT: Whenever A STUDENT calls, take down HIS OR HER information.
CORRECT: Whenever STUDENTS calls, take down THEIR information
WRONG: Her products are unusual; many consider these unique.
CORRECT: HER PRODUCTS are unusual; many consider THEM unique.
How do you handle pronoun ambiguity on the GMAT?
(1) You CANNOT switch references with two antecedents and two pronouns
WRONG: Researchers claim to have developed new “nano-papers” incorporating tiny cellulose fibers, which THEY claim give THEM the strength of cast iron.
CORRECT: Researchers claim to have developed new “nano-papers” incorporating tiny cellulose fibers, which give THESE MATERIALS the strength of cast iron, according to the researchers.
(2) If the intended antecedent of a single pronoun is clear (e.g. by virtue of parallelism and meaning), and if there is no other reasonable antecedent, then DO NOT worry if there is an unreasonable antecedent somewhere else in the sentence
CORRECT: SUPERNOVAS destroy their immediate environments in vast explosions, but by synthesizing heavy chemical elements, THEY provide the universe with the possibility of biochemistry-based life as we know it
