Common Writing Problems Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns A

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun. An antecedent is the word that the pronoun refers to or replaces. Example: Gabe opened the letter and laid it on the desk. In the above sentence, letter is the antecedent, and it is the pronoun that takes its place. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 1

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Example: Shannon takes her laptop computer with her everywhere she goes. In this sentence, Shannon is the antecedent, and her, and she are the pronouns that take its place. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 2

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Incorrect number reference occurs when the pronoun and antecedent don’t match in number. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, plural pronouns with plural antecedents. La. Shira and Carmen walked her dogs in the park. The pronoun her is singular. The subject La. Shira and Carmen is plural. Correct the sentence by changing her to their. La. Shira and Carmen walked their dogs in the park. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 3

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Incorrect number reference occurs when the pronoun and antecedent don’t match in number. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, plural pronouns with plural antecedents. If a player wants to play fair, they must know the rules of the game. The pronoun they is plural. The subject player is singular. How can you correct the sentence? Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 4

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Incorrect number reference occurs when the pronoun and antecedent don’t match in number. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, plural pronouns with plural antecedents. If a player wants to play fair, he or she must know the rules of the game. The pronoun they is plural. The subject player is singular. How can you correct the sentence? Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 5

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Problems often occur with indefinite pronouns, words like “each, ” “few, ” and “any. ” Some indefinite pronouns are always singular, and some are always plural. Others are singular or plural, depending on their antecedents. Use the table of indefinite pronouns on the following screen as a guide. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 6

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Indefinite Pronouns Always Singular Always Plural Singular or Plural anybody anyone each either everybody everyone neither one somebody someone both few many several all any most more none some Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 7

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Example: Everyone should bring their lunch. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 8

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Example: Everyone should bring their lunch. Revision: Everyone should bring his or her lunch. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 9

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Example: Did either of the girls actually believe they would get away with cheating? Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 10

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Incorrect Number Reference Example: Did either of the girls actually believe they would get away with cheating? Revision: Did either of the girls actually believe she would get away with cheating? Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 11

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Ambiguous Reference Ambiguous reference occurs when there is not a clear antecedent for a pronoun. Look at the examples and revisions below. Example: The men removed all the furniture from the room to clean it. It is unclear in the above sentence whether it refers to the room or the furniture. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 12

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Ambiguous Reference Ambiguous reference occurs when there is not a clear antecedent for a pronoun. Look at the examples and revisions below. Example: The men removed all the furniture from the room to clean it. Revision: The men removed all the furniture from the room and then cleaned the room. OR After removing all the furniture, the men cleaned the room. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 13

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Ambiguous Reference Example: Luis should help John, but he should help himself first. Should Luis help himself, or should John help himself? Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 14

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Ambiguous Reference Example: Luis should help John, but he should help himself first. Should Luis help himself, or should John help himself? Revision: Luis should help John, but Luis should help himself first. OR Luis should help himself before he helps John. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 15

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Correct Pronoun Forms The pronouns I, he, she, we, and they should be used as subjects. The pronouns me, him, her, us, and them should be used as direct objects or objects of prepositions. Be particularly careful when you write sentences with compound objects. Example: Between you and I, Miguel is making a mistake. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 16

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Correct Pronoun Forms The pronouns I, he, she, we, and they should be used as subjects. The pronouns me, him, her, us, and them should be used as direct objects or objects of prepositions. Be particularly careful when you write sentences with compound objects. Example: Between you and I, Miguel is making a mistake. Revision: Between you and me, Miguel is making a mistake. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 17

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Correct Pronoun Forms The pronouns I, he, she, we, and they should be used as subjects. The pronouns me, him, her, us, and them should be used as direct objects or objects of prepositions. Be particularly careful when you write sentences with compound objects. Example: Give Tom and he the directions. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 18

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Correct Pronoun Forms The pronouns I, he, she, we, and they should be used as subjects. The pronouns me, him, her, us, and them should be used as direct objects or objects of prepositions. Be particularly careful when you write sentences with compound objects. Example: Give Tom and he the directions. Revision: Give Tom and him the directions. Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 19

Common Writing Problems: Pronouns Lesson 9 Pronouns Correct Pronoun Forms The following pronoun forms are often confused. Make sure to use the correct form in your writing. your—belonging to you’re—contraction for “you are” its—belonging to it it’s—contraction for “it is” their—belonging to them there—a location Grade 8 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning® • Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 20