Correct Usage of Nouns and Pronouns

Presented by Group 2

Business English

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Rule 1Countable Nouns

Words like book, table, flower, ship etc are countable nouns. Such nouns can be counted. These nouns have plural forms and can be used with a/an.

Examples:

1. There is a pen on the table.2. We could see a ship in the distance.3. I have got a problem with the car.

Ebaad

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Uncountable Nouns

Words like ink, milk, gold and wisdom are uncountable nouns. Such nouns cannot be counted. These nouns don’t have plural forms and cannot be used with a/an.

NOTE: Following nouns are usually uncountable nouns in English: Advice, news, information luggage, work, scenery etc.Examples

He gave me some advice. He gave me an advice. The sceneries are very good. The scenery here is very good.

Rule 1

Ebaad

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Possessive Case

When a noun shows ownership or possession, authorship it is said to be possessive case or genitive case. The use of this case can be confined to the following:

Me , Mine and Your:• It's my car.• Here's your coat.• Are these your tickets?

OWN:We use own after my, your etc to say that

something belongs to us and not to any one else.

Example: Rachel has got her own calculator. She doesn't borrow mine. 

Rule 2

Ebaad

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A Friend of mine:We use this to show one of my friend.

Examples:

• Tom is a friend of mine. (One of my friend).• Jessica came to party with a cousin of hers. (One

of her cousin)

Rule 2

Ebaad

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Rule 3 • The Object of a verb or of a preposition, when it is a Pronoun, should be in the Objective form.

 

Examples  Between you and me affairs look dark. Between you and I affairs look dark.  Let you and me do it. Let you and I do it.  He has given great trouble to my father and me. He has given great trouble to my father and I.

Khawar

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Rule 4 • A pronoun directly after than or as is usually in the objective case unless there is a verb after it. If a verb follows it, the nominative form is used.

ExamplesObjective Form Nominative FormHe is taller me. He is taller than I am. Objective Form Nominative FormI swim better than him. I swim better than he does. Objective Form Nominative FormI am as tall as her. I am as tall as she is.

• The nominative form without a verb after it (e.g. ‘He is taller than I’) is old fashioned.

Khawar

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Rule 5 • A pronoun must agree with its Antecedent in person, number and gender.

Examples

1. All passengers must show their tickets.2. Every man must bear his own burden.3. Each of the girls gave her own version of the

affair.

Khawar

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Rule 6 • None is constructed in singular or plural as the sense may require ;as, It is better to change the form of sentence than to keep on repeating ones

ExamplesQuestion : Did you buy any mangoes?Answer : There were no in the market.Question : Have you brought me a letter?Answer : There was none for you.

• When the singular equally well expresses the sense the plural is commonly used; as,

1. None of these words are currently used .2. None of poems are well known.3. None but fools have believed it.

Kudeep

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Rule 7 • “Anyone” should be used when more than two persons or the things are spoken of.

Example:

She was taller than any one {not either} of her five sisters.

Kudeep

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Rule 8 • Each, either and neither are distributive pronouns calling attention to the individuals forming a collection, and must accordingly be followed by verbs in singular.

Examples:

1. Each of the scholars has {not have} done well.2. Each of the men was {not were} paid twenty

rupees.3. Neither of the man was invited to the party.

Neither of the accusation is true.4. Either of the roads leads to the railway station.5. He asked whether either of the brothers at

home

Kudeep

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Rule 9 • BE CAREFULL TO USE WHO (NOMINATIVE) AND WHOM (OBJECTIVE)

Nominative Case: When a noun or pronoun is used as a subject of verb, it is said to be in the nominative case.

Accusative Case: When a noun or pronoun is used as the Object of verb, it is said to be in the objective or accusative case.

Examples:1. John threw a stone.2. The horse kicked the boy.

Kashif

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Rule 10 • WHEN THE SUBJECT OF VERB IS A RELATIVE PRONOUN CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO SEE THAT THE VERB AGREES IN NUMBER AND PERSON WITH THE ANTECEDENT OF THE RELATIVE

Examples:

1. This is one of the most interesting novels that have appeared this year.

2. This is the only one of his poems that is worth reading.

3. He is one of the cleverest boys that have passed through the school.

4. It was one of the best speeches that have ever been made in the parliament.

Kashif

Rule 11

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Unnecessary Use of Nouns and Pronouns

Sometimes the noun or pronoun is used in a place where they are not required.

Examples:

Zeeshan, being a student of iqra, he wants to be a business executive.

Zeeshan, beign a student of iqra, wants to be a business executive.

The Applicant, being a householder, he is entitled to a vote.The Applicant, being a householder, is entitled to a vote.

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Rule 12

Iqbal

And which, but whichNo Conjunction should be placed before

relative pronoun because Relative Pronoun also works as conjunction sometimes.

ConjunctionA conjunction is a word which joins together

sentences and sometimes words. Example : and, but, or etc.

• God made the country and man made the town.• She must weep, or she will die.• Two and two makes four.

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Rule 12

Iqbal

Relative Pronouns (Conjunctive Pronoun)

These are the words like who, which, that, whose, whom etc which refer to a noun.

• I met Ahmed who has just returned.• I have found the pen which I lost.• This is the boy whose exercise is done well.

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Rule 12

Iqbal

When we have to join together two relative clauses referring to the same antecedent , as:

• He had a car which was made by Japan, and which had been with him for ten years.

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Rule 13

Iqbal

Pronoun according to the GenderSince a Personal Pronoun is used instead of a

Noun, it must be of the same number, gender and person as the Noun for which it stands.

Examples:

Imran is a hard working boy. It always stands first. Imran is a hard working boy. He always stands first.  The students are so fatigued. He wants to leave the class. The students are so fatigued. They want to leave the class.

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Rule 14 A Noun or Pronoun in the Possessive Case.

Every boy and every man must love their country. Every boy and man must love his country.

I never heard of him having gone home. I never heard of his having gone home.

Imtiaz

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Rule 15 Use of the Relative pronoun with subject of the clause.

Rizwan is not my brother who was sitting here. Rizwan, who was sitting here, is not my brother.

This is the chair whose leg was broken. This is the chair a leg of which was broken.

Imtiaz

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Rule 16 • The word as is used as a Relative Pronoun after such and sometimes after the same.

• Examples:1. He is such a man as I honour.2. These mangoes are not such as I bought yesterday.3. My trouble is the same as yours.4. This is not the same as that.5. [But] I played with the same bat that you did.6. That is the same man that we saw yesterday.

• The word as is also used as a Relative Pronoun after as followed by an adjective; as.

 I collected as many specimens as I could find.

Yasir

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Rule 17 • Pronouns of the Third Person Plural should not be used as antecedents to who and that as

 Examples:

1. They that are whole have no need of a physician.

2. They who are rich should be ignored.3. Here those is to be preferred to they.

 

Yasir

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Rule 18 • Avoid the use of same as a substitute for the Personal Pronoun; as,

  When you have examined these patterns please return the same to us. When you have examined these patterns please return them to us.

Yasir