Pronoun Usage - Lab Lesson

8/13/2019 Pronoun Usage - Lab Lesson

1/12

Pronoun Use


2/12

Using Pronouns: Make sure they

refer to something

Artificialized managementhas, in effect,

bought fishing at the expense of another

and perhaps higher recreation; ithas paid

dividends to one citizen out of capital stock

belonging to all.

Jeffloves the chiliin the Tigers Den even

if itmakes himfeel sick.


3/12

Antecedents

A pronoun needs a noun (or another

pronoun) to refer to (this noun is the

antecedent of the pronoun).

A pronoun needs to refer unambiguously

to its antecedent:

If that makes living a morally decent life

extremely arduous, well, then that is the waythings are. If we dont do it, then we should at

least know that we are failing to live a morally

decent life. (What does it refer to?)


4/12

A pronouns use is ambiguous or

unclear when: The pronoun could refer to more than one word:

Although the core membership of the party wasstable, there were at least a hundred moresupporters who had to be prevented fromdefecting. The loyal members used lavishentertainments and theirown popularity to enticethemback to meetings at Devonshire House.

their and them refer to different groups

(use a term like waverers or defectors insteadof them)


5/12


unclear when:

The intended antecedent is a modifier, not

a noun:

In Beth Johnsonsessay The Professor Is a

Dropout, shetells the story of Guadelupe

Quintanilla.

Correct: In the essay The Professor Is a

Dropout, Beth Johnson tells the story ofQuadelupe Quintanilla.


6/12


unclear when:

The pronoun has no antecedent:

Jeff reminded his class that he would teach

them thisagain later in the semester.

What does this refer to?

Jeff reminded his class that he would teach

them the difference between ambiguous and

unambiguous pronoun use again later in thesemester.


7/12

And, Finally: Pronouns have to agree

with their antecedents in number

Plural nouns (students) need pluralpronouns (they, them, their)

Singular nouns (student) needs singular

pronouns (she, her, hers) Ex: After I collect your papers, you will not

have to worry about itfor a week.

Correct: After I collect your papers, youwill not have to worry about themfor aweek.


8/12

Identify the pronouns and

antecedents in this paragraph: One out of every seven Democratic party voters was not

registered as a Democrat at the beginning of the year,and 60 percent of them cast their ballot for Obama,according to the exit polls. Clinton fared better withvoters who made up their mind in the last week, the exit

polls showed. Fifty-eight percent of those voters saidthey chose the New York senator. That includes voterswho made up their mind in the aftermath of last week'sheated Democratic debate. Clinton also got the supportof older voters, with 61 percent of those age 65 or older

backing her, according to the polls.


9/12

One out of every seven Democratic party voters was

not registered as a Democrat at the beginning of the

year, and 60 percent of themcast their ballot for

Obama, according to the exit polls. Clinton fared

better with voters who made up theirminds in thelast week, the exit polls showed. Fifty-eight percent

of those voters said theychose the New York

senator. That includes voters who made up their

mind in the aftermath of last week's heatedDemocratic debate. Clinton also got the support of

older voters, with 61 percent of those age 65 or older

backing her, according to the polls.


10/12

One that watches The History Channel

can learn information about important

events such as the strategies and

weapons of warfare they used duringWorld War I or World War II. (rewrite this

sentence to avoid the ambiguous use of

pronouns.)


11/12

Possible revision

Viewers of The History Channel can learn

about strategies and weapons used by

both the Allied and Central Powers in WWI

and the Allied and Axis Powers in WWII.


12/12

Workshop

In your groups or pairs: Read a paragraph from one of your papers, one

sentence at a time;

Circle pronouns and identify their specific antecedentsby drawing an arrow to them.

1) If you do not find a specific antecedent for a pronoun,work with the writer to rewrite the sentence.

2) If there is a specific antecedent, be sure it is a noun, nota modifier.

3) Finally, also assuming there is a specific antecedent, besure it agrees with the noun (antecedent) it refers to

4) Make a plan to do this on your own for your whole paperlater at home

Pronoun Usage - Lab Lesson

Documents

Transcript of Pronoun Usage - Lab Lesson