Types of Pronouns
There are three different types of pronouns: simple, compound, and phrasal. Turn to page
704 in Write Source.
> When Martin Luther King, Jr., was born, he was destined to be a great man.
(The pronoun he is simple.)
King knew that people had to believe in themselves.
(The pronoun themselves is compound)
K ing also wanted people to love one another.
(The pronoun one another is phrasal.)
>
>
Underline
the pronouns in the sentences below. Study the first pronoun in each
sentence. In the blank write an S if the pronoun is simple, a C if it is compound, and a
P if it is phrasal.
P
1. Martin Luther King's dream was to have a world where people lived
with each other in peace.
-----
2. Everybody who has heard King's brilliant "I Have a Dream" speech is
inspired.
3. Long before honor and fame found him, King worked as well as
dreamed.
It. After successfully organizing a bus boycott in 1956, he became a leader
in the civil rights movement.
5. Martin Luther King studied the practices of Mahatma Gandhi, and
King himself followed nonviolent civil disobedience.
6. In
1960 King accepted a co-pastorship with his father at Ebenezer
Baptist Church in Atlanta.
7. In 1964 Time
magazine chose King as Man of the Year, the first black
American it had thus honored.
Extend: Write four or five sentences about a famous (or not-so-famous) person. Use at least one
pronoun per sentence. Exchange papers with a classmate. Underline and identify the types of
pronouns.
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Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
A pronoun takes the place of a noun or nouns. By correctly using pronouns, you can avoid
repetition and write smoother, more readable sentences. Turn to 704.1 in Write Source for the
chart "Classes of Pronouns."
>
>
Cleopatra believed laughter reduced fear; Cleopatra had four court jesters
to entertain Cleopatra's armies. (This sentence is written without pronouns.)
Cleopatra believed laughter reduced fear; she had four court jesters to
entertain her armies. (Here is the same sentence written with pronouns.)
Replace the
underlined nouns in the following narrative with the appropriate pronouns.
2
Cleopatra, who ruled Egypt from 47 B.C.E. to 30 B.C.E., enjoyed luxury.
she
her
For example, Cleopatra had four court jesters to make Cleopatra laugh and to
3
entertain Cleopatra's armies. Cleopatra was rich, extravagant, and demanding.
4
Slaves quickly obeyed Cleopatra's every order. Cleopatra demanded that slaves
5
fill Cleopatra's bathtub with milk every day. Cleopatra believed the milk kept
6
Cleopatra's skin soft. Cleopatra also worried about Cleopatra's complexion.
7
One of the legends about Cleopatra demonstrates Cleopatra's concern. The
8
legend says that Cleopatra once dissolved a large, lustrous pearl in a glass
9
of vinegar. Cleopatra did this in front of many guests at a banquet.
1
10
Cleopatra's guests were astonished! And Cleopatra's guests were even more
11
surprised when Cleopatra drank the mixture. The mixture was supposed
12
to ensure a lustrous complexion. The legends about Cleopatra's riches and
13
extravagance are endless. Some of the legends are true; others are mere myth.
Extend: Select a passage from a book or magazine. Exchange passages with a classmate and
take turns reading them aloud. Whenever a pronoun is used, don't read it aloud; pause so the
listener can supply it. If your classmate has trouble naming the pronoun, tell him or her the
antecedent. This exercise requires careful listening.
© Great Source. All rights reserved. (9)
Writers INC 535.3
Number & Person of Personal Pronouns
The number of a pronoun can be either singular or plural. The person of a pronoun shows
who is speaking (first person), who is spoken to (second person), or who is spoken about (third
person). Turn to 708.1-708.2 in Write Source for more information.
Underline all of the personal pronouns in the following sentences. Then label each
pronoun. Use S for singular and P for plural. Use 1, 2, and 3 for first, second, and third
person. Label "you" S-P when it can be either singular or plural.
PI1 S-PI2
1. What makes us laugh? How would you define laughter?
--
-
2. A comedian once said, "I can't define laughter, but 1 know it when 1 feel it."
3. "It is like a 'happy spasm,''' he added. If. Doctors and psychiatrists say laughter is good for us. 5. It stimulates our hearts, increases our circulation, and exercises our stomach
and chest muscles.
6. Research has
proven it helps our immune system by increasing the number of
cells that we need for healing and fighting disease.
7. I
did some research of my own.
8. 1 asked each of my classmates,
"How many times do you laugh each day?"
9. When you were in kindergarten, you probably laughed as many as 300 times
a day.
10. By the time we become adults, we laugh only about 15 times daily.
11. Laughter is one of the things that makes your life, and mine, worth living.
12. Another writer took this view: "We laugh in order not to cry."
Extend: Write a joke or an anecdote that makes you laugh. Share your writing with a
classmate. When you're done laughing, locate the personal pronouns in each piece. Tell each
other the number and person for each.
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