Pronoun

 

          A pronoun is a word which is used instead of a noun in order to avoid its repetition.

e.g.,   Ali is studying because he loves studying history.

          Whose book is it?

There are mainly seven kinds of pronouns:

·        Personal Pronouns……………………………..…I, me, You, He, she, they…

·        Relative Pronouns…………………………………that, which, who, where…

·        Interrogative Pronouns…………………………who, whom, whose, what…        

·        Distributive         Pronouns…………………………each, either, neither.

·        Demonstrative Pronouns………………………this, that, these, those.

·        Reflexive Pronouns………………………………myself, yourself, himself…

·        Indefinite Pronouns……………………………..someone, anyone, anything, anyplace…

 

Personal Pronoun:

          The pronouns, which are used to denote person or persons, are called personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns can be used in:

–    Subjective or Nominative case = I, we, you, they, he, she, it.

–    Objective case = Me, us, you, them, him, her, it.

–    Possessive case = Mine, ours, yours, theirs, his, hers, its.

e.g.,   She has lost her keys.

         

Relative Pronoun:

          Relative pronouns are used to join or introduce two clauses or sentences.

e.g.,   The movie is about a man who was cast away.

 

Relative pronouns are which, that, who(m) and what. The pronoun who is used for person, which is used for animals and things and the pronoun that is used for both person and thing.

 

Interrogative Pronoun:

          Interrogative pronouns are used for asking questions and these pronouns are who, that and which.

e.g.,   Who knows the formula?

          Which one is yours?

 

Distributive Pronouns:

          Distributive pronouns are used instead of their nouns and refer to one person or thing. These pronouns are each, either and neither.

e.g.,   Each of the boys gets a prize!

          Either of you can go.

Note: Distributive pronouns refer to persons or things one at a time. Therefore, they are always singular and are followed by singular verbs.

 

 


Demonstrative Pronoun:

            Demonstrative pronouns are those pronouns which are used to point out persons or objects to which they refer. They are this, these, that, those.

e.g.,     The river of Helmand is larger than that of Kabul.

            This is the largest hall in Quetta city.

 

Reflexive Pronoun:

            The pronouns which return the action to the subject of the sentence is called reflexive pronoun.

e.g.,     Never deceive yourself.

            Pray do not inconvenience yourself.

Reflexive pronouns are: (Himself, herself, and itself =third person singular & themselves = third person plural), (Myself, ourselves = First person(s)), (yourself, yourselves = second person(s))

                                                            

 

Indefinite Pronoun:

            Indefinite pronouns are used to indicate persons, things, places, and animals which are unknown or less clear and include compound words. The most common of the indefinite pronouns are:

            Anyone (body) / thing / where. Someone (body) / thing / where. No-one (body) / thing / where.

e.g.,     Somebody has stolen my watch



Conditional sentences

 

          Condition means thing needed to make something else possible or thing on which another thing depended.

 

Conditional sentences typically consist:

Ø     The “If clause” = (dependent clause)

Ø     The “main clause” = (Independent clause)

As,    if it rains, the streets get flooded.

          In above sentences the clause beginning with “If it rains” is the if-clause and the clause “the streets get flooded” is the main clause.

 

There are three types of conditional sentences. With each type certain variations are possible but students who are studying the conditional for the first time should ignore these and concentrate on the basic forms.

 

Conditional type 1: Probable

          The verb in the if-clause is in the present tense; the verb in the main clause is in future simple. It doesn’t matter which comes first. The meaning here is whether present or future, but the verb in the If-clause is in a present, not a future tense.

As,   

If you think deeply, you will understand it.

          You will get first position if you work hard.

 

Conditional type 2: Present unreal

          The verb in the if-clause is in the past tense; the verb in the main clause is in the conditional tense. Type two refers whether to the present or future and the past tense in the if-clause indicates unreality or improbability.

Type two is used:

1.     When the supposition is contrary to known facts.

As,   

If I lived near my office, I would be in time for work. (But I don’t live near my office.)

2.     When we don’t expect the action in the if-clause to take place.

As,   

If I dyed my hair blue everyone would laugh at me. (But I don’t intend to dye it.)

 

Conditional type 3: Past unreal

          The verb in the if-clause is in the past perfect tense; the verb in the main clause is in the perfect conditional. The time is in the past that’s why the condition cannot be fulfilled because the action in the if-clause did not happen and the chance has been missed.

As,   

If I had known that you are coming I would have met you at the airport. (But I didn’t know, so I didn’t come.)


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