Pronouns in English grammar | Definitions , Types and Examples | Easy English Grammar

Introduction :

A pronoun serves as a replacement for a noun, effectively substituting the noun in a paragraph or written piece to prevent repetitive use of the noun. Pronouns can take on singular or plural forms, and the verb utilized in a sentence should align with the specific form of the pronoun employed.

For example , " Ram is intelligent and Ram scores A++ in every exam . "

We can write it as , " Ram is intelligent and he scores A++ in every exam ( Here , " he " is used in place of " Ram " ) "

A Pronoun : Definitions from Dictionaries :

As per the Cambridge Dictionary, a pronoun is described as "a word that is used in place of a noun or a noun phrase." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines pronouns as "a small set of words (such as I, she, he, you, it, we, or they) in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and whose referents are named or understood in the context." Additionally, according to the Collins Dictionary, a pronoun is "a word used to refer to someone or something without using a noun, often when the person or thing has been mentioned earlier. Examples include 'it', 'she', 'something', and 'myself'."

Types of Pronouns :

(A) Personal Pronouns : A personal pronoun is a type of pronoun that is used to refer to a specific person or thing. It typically takes the place of a noun that represents a person or object, and its form may change based on the grammatical person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural) being referred to. 

Here two types of cases arise .

 (i) Subjective case -  " I , he , she , it and they "

(ii) Objective case - " Me , him , her , it and them "

Examples :

1. (a) First person singular : I - me  

Example : "I went to the store ."

(b) First person plural: we - us

Example : "We are planning a trip ."

2. (a) Second person singular : you - you

Example : "You are my best friend ."

(b) Second person plural: you

Example : "Are you all coming to the party ? "

3. (a) Third person singular (masculine) : he - him 

Example : "He is reading a book ."

(b) Third person singular (feminine) : she - her

Example : "She is playing guiter ."

(c) Third person singular (neutral) : it - it

Example : "The cat chased its tail ."

(d) Third person plural : they - them

Example : "They are going to the party ."

An important point : We always compare similar cases , i.e. subjective - subjective & objective - objective

e.g. " He speaks more fluently than her " is wrong . It is " He speaks more fluently than she " .

Important rules :

(i) If all the three persons or two out ofv three are used in a sentence then follow the order - 

2nd - 3rd - 1st

e.g. You , he and I have scored the same marks .

(ii) If all the three persons or two out ofv three are used in a sentence and reflects a negative sense then follow the order - 

1st - 2nd - 3rd

e.g. I , you and he are guilty and will be punished .

(iii) In case of plural pronouns follow the order -

1st - 2nd - 3rd

e.g. We , you and they are going to play together .

(B) Possessive Pronouns :  Possessive pronouns are a type of pronoun that indicate ownership or possession. They are used to replace a noun or a noun phrase, and they show who or what something belongs to. 

1st Person :  I - mine , We - ours

2nd Person : You - yours

3rd Person : He - his , She - hers , They - theirs

Examples with explanation :

1. Mine - indicates ownership by the speaker

Example : "The book on the table is mine ."

2. (a) Yours - indicates ownership by the person being spoken to (singular)

Example : "Is this pen yours ? "

(b) Yours - indicates ownership by a group that includes the person being spoken to (plural)

Example : "Are these books yours ? "

3. His - indicates ownership by a male person

Example : "The car in the driveway is his ."

4. Hers - indicates ownership by a female person

Example : "The laptop on the desk is hers ."

5. Its - indicates ownership by a neutral object or animal

Example : "The bird built its nest in the tree ."

6. Ours - indicates ownership by a group that includes the speaker

Example : "The house by the lake is ours ."

7. Theirs - indicates ownership by a group that does not include the speaker or the person being spoken to

Example : "The bikes in the garage are theirs ."

It's important to note that possessive pronouns do not require an apostrophe when used to indicate possession. For example, "The book is mine" (not "The book is mine's") and "The car is his" (not "The car is his'").

(C) Reciprocal Pronoun : A reciprocal pronoun is a type of pronoun used to indicate a mutual relationship (action or feeling) that is reciprocated between two or more individuals . 

" Each other " and " One another " are the two reciprocal pronouns .

Examples with explanation :

1. Each other - used when two individuals reciprocate an action or feeling

Example : "Sam and David hugged each other tightly ."

2. One another - used when more than two individuals reciprocate an action or feeling

Example : "The team members congratulated one another on their success ."

(D) Distributive Pronouns : It separates a person or a thing from a group of persons or things .

" Each of / Either of / Neither of / Any of / Everyone of / One of " etc. are the distributive pronouns .

Examples with explanation : 

1. Each of the boys is happy . (Each boy is happy - here " Each " is adjective )

2. Everyone of the boys is happy . ( Everyone is happy - here " Everyone " is adjective )

Note :

(i) " Each of " and " Neither of " are used to denote the choice between two persons or things .

e.g. Either of Rai and Riya is comeing today . 

(ii) " Any of " and " One of " are used to denote the choice between many persons or things .

e.g. One of these books is mine .

(E) Demonstrative Pronouns : Demonstrative pronouns are a type of pronoun used to indicate or point to specific objects or locations. They are used to identify and distinguish between items in relation to their proximity to the speaker or the context of the conversation. 

Examples with explanation :

1. This - used to refer to an object or location that is close to the speaker

Example : "This book is interesting ."

2. That - used to refer to an object or location that is farther away from the speaker

Example : "That car is expensive ."

3. These - used to refer to multiple objects or locations that are close to the speaker

Example : "These shoes are comfortable ."

4. Those - used to refer to multiple objects or locations that are farther away from the speaker

Example : "Those flowers are beautiful ."

(F) Relative Pronouns : Relative pronouns are pronouns that establish a relationship or connection between different parts of a sentence. They are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence.

Examples with explanation :

1. That - used to introduce a restrictive relative clause, providing essential information that is necessary to identify the noun it modifies

Example : "The book that I'm reading is interesting ." (The relative clause "that I'm reading" restrictively identifies which book is being referred to.)

2. Which - used to introduce a non-restrictive relative clause, providing additional, non-essential information that is not necessary to identify the noun it modifies

Example : "The book, which is red, is not interesting ." (The relative clause "which is red" non-restrictively provides additional information about the book, but the noun "book" is already identified without it.)

3. Where - used to refer to a place or location

Example : "I visited the park where we used to play ." (The relative pronoun "where" introduces a relative clause that provides information about the location of the park.)

4. When - used to refer to a specific time or period

Example : "He remembers the day when we first met ." (The relative pronoun "when" introduces a relative clause that provides information about the time of the meeting.)

5. Why - used to refer to a reason or cause

Example : "I don't understand why he is upsetb." (The relative pronoun "why" introduces a relative clause that provides information about the reason for his upset.)

6. What - used to introduce a clause that functions as the subject or object of a sentence

Example : "What he said surprised me ." (The relative pronoun "what" introduces a relative clause that functions as the subject of the sentence.)

7. Whom - used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition

Example : "The girl whom I saw yesterday is my friend ." (The relative pronoun "whom" introduces a relative clause that functions as the object of the verb "saw".)

8. Whose - used to indicate possession

Example : "The house whose roof was damaged is being repaired ." (The relative pronoun "whose" introduces a relative clause that indicates possession of the house.)

[ Relative pronouns help to connect different parts of a sentence and provide additional information about the noun or pronoun they modify. ]

(G) Reflexive Pronouns : Reflexive pronouns are pronouns that are used to refer back to the subject of a sentence. They reflect or refer back to the subject and indicate that the action of the verb is directed towards the subject itself.

Examples with explanation :

1. Myself - used to refer back to "I" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "I hurt myself while playing football." (The reflexive pronoun "myself" refers back to the subject "I" and indicates that the subject is the one who got hurt.)

2. Yourself - used to refer back to "you" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "Did you buy the gift for yourself?" (The reflexive pronoun "yourself" refers back to the subject "you" and indicates that the subject is the one who bought the gift.)

3. Herself - used to refer back to "she" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "She congratulated herself on the achievement." (The reflexive pronoun "herself" refers back to the subject "she" and indicates that the subject is the one who congratulated herself.)

4. Himself - used to refer back to "he" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "He blamed himself for the mistake." (The reflexive pronoun "himself" refers back to the subject "he" and indicates that the subject is the one who blamed himself.)

5. Oneself - used to refer back to an indefinite subject or for emphasis

Example : "One should always believe in oneself." (The reflexive pronoun "oneself" refers back to the indefinite subject "one" and emphasizes the importance of self-belief.)

6. Itself - used to refer back to "it" as the subject of the sentence

Example: "The cat licked itself clean." (The reflexive pronoun "itself" refers back to the subject "it" and indicates that the subject is the one that licked itself.)

7. Ourselves - used to refer back to "we" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "We should be proud of ourselves for the hard work." (The reflexive pronoun "ourselves" refers back to the subject "we" and indicates that the subject is the one who should be proud of their own hard work.)

8. Themselves - used to refer back to "they" as the subject of the sentence

Example : "They enjoyed themselves at the party." (The reflexive pronoun "themselves" refers back to the subject "they" and indicates that the subject is the ones who enjoyed themselves at the party.)

9. Yourselves - used to refer back to "you" (plural) as the subject of the sentence

Example : "You should take care of yourselves." (The reflexive pronoun "yourselves" refers back to the subject "you" (plural) and indicates that the subject is the ones who should take care of themselves.)

Note : 

Reflexive pronoun is not used as a subject or an object of a sentence unless a noun or a pronoun preceds it .

e.g. " Myself Sanjay from Delhi " is wrong . It is " I am Sanjay from Delhi " .

(H) Interrogative pronouns : Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that are used to ask questions. They are used to introduce questions and seek information about people, objects, time, reason, and location. 

Examples with explanation :

1. Who - used to ask about people or individuals

Example : "Who is coming to the party tonight?" (The interrogative pronoun "who" is used to ask about the people or individuals who will be coming to the party.)

2. What - used to ask about objects, things, or concepts

Example : "What is your favorite color ? " (The interrogative pronoun "what" is used to ask about the object or thing that is someone's favorite color.)

3. When - used to ask about time or occasions

Example : "When will you be arriving at the airport ? " (The interrogative pronoun "when" is used to ask about the time or occasion when someone will be arriving at the airport.)

4. Why - used to ask about reasons or causes

Example : "Why did you miss the meeting ? " (The interrogative pronoun "why" is used to ask about the reason or cause for someone missing the meeting.)

5. Where - used to ask about locations or places

Example : "Where did you find the book ? " (The interrogative pronoun "where" is used to ask about the location or place where someone found the book.)

6. Whose - used to ask about possession of something

Example : Whose car is that ?

Note : 

" Whose " is not used for non - living things 

e.g. " This is the pen whose cap was lost " is wrong . It is " This is the pen thye cap of which was lost " .

(I) Indefinite Pronouns : Indefinite pronouns are a type of pronoun that do not refer to any specific person, place, or thing. They are used when the identity or location of the subject is unknown or unimportant. For example, pronouns like "someone," "somebody," "somewhere," and "something" are indefinite pronouns because they do not point to a particular individual, place, or thing.

Similarly, pronouns like "anyone," "anybody," "anywhere," and "anything" are also indefinite pronouns as they do not specify a particular person, place, or thing. Other examples of indefinite pronouns include "no one," "nobody," "nowhere," "everyone," "everybody," "everywhere," "everything," "each," "none," "few," and "many." These pronouns are used in situations where the specific identity or location is not known or not relevant to the context of the sentence.

Examples with explanation :

1. "Someone left their umbrella in the cafeteria . " (The pronoun "someone" does not refer to a specific person.)

2. "Is there anything I can help you with ? " (The pronoun "anything" does not refer to a specific thing.)

3. "Everyone is invited to the party." (The pronoun "everyone" does not refer to specific individuals.)

4. "I didn't see anyone at the park." (The pronoun "anyone" does not refer to a specific person.)

5. "She looked everywhere for her keys." (The pronoun "everywhere" does not refer to a specific location.)

6. "None of the students completed the assignment." (The pronoun "none" does not refer to specific individuals.)

7. "Few people attended the meeting." (The pronoun "few" does not refer to specific individuals.)

8. "Many are excited about the new project." (The pronoun "many" does not refer to specific individuals.)

Test yourself :

1. Which of the following is a personal pronoun?

a) This

b) Their

c) He

d) None of the above

2. Choose the correct possessive pronoun to complete the sentence: "The book is ____."

a) His

b) Hers

c) Theirs

d) Both a) and b)

3. Which of the following is a reciprocal pronoun?

a) This

b) Both

c) Each other

d) Who

4. Identify the demonstrative pronoun in the sentence: "That is my pen."

a) Is

b) My

c) That

d) Pen

5. Choose the correct relative pronoun to complete the sentence: "The girl ____ won the prize was happy."

a) Who

b) Whom

c) Whose

d) Which

6. Which of the following is a reflexive pronoun?

a) Herself

b) Myself

c) Itself

d) All of the above

7. Identify the interrogative pronoun in the sentence: "What is your name?"

a) Is

b) Your

c) Name

d) What

8. Choose the correct indefinite pronoun to complete the sentence: "Somebody left ____ jacket at the party."

a) His

b) Their

c) Somebody's

d) Nobody's

9. Identify the indefinite pronoun in the sentence: "None of the students completed their homework."

a) None

b) Students

c) Completed

d) Their

10. Choose the correct reciprocal pronoun to complete the sentence: "The two friends hugged ____ tightly."

a) Each other

b) One

c) Others

d) Both

11. Which of the following is a relative pronoun?

a) Some

b) This

c) Whom

d) All

12. Choose the correct reflexive pronoun to complete the sentence: "She looked at ____  at the mirror."

a) She

b) Herself

c) Her

d) Myself

13. Identify the interrogative pronoun in the sentence: "Which color do you prefer?"

a) Color

b) Prefer

c) Which

d) You

14. Choose the correct possessive pronoun to complete the sentence: "The house is ours, not ____."

a) Mine

b) Yours

c) Theirs

d) His

15. Identify the demonstrative pronoun in the sentence: "These are my new shoes."

a) New

b) My

c) These

d) Shoes

Answers with explanation :

1. Answer : (c) He

Explanation : Personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. "He" is a personal pronoun as it refers to a male person.

2. Answer : (d) Both a) and b)

Explanation : Possessive pronouns show ownership. "His" and "Her" are possessive pronouns used to indicate ownership by a male and female respectively.

3. Answer : (c) Each other

Explanation : Reciprocal pronouns are used when two or more people or things are doing the same action to each other. "Each other" is a reciprocal pronoun.

4. Answer : (c) That

Explanation : Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out specific people or things. "That" is a demonstrative pronoun as it points to a specific pen.

5. Answer : (a) Who

Explanation : Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses that provide more information about a noun. "Who" is the correct relative pronoun to refer to a person as the subject of the clause.

6. Answer : (d) All of the above

Explanation : Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. "Herself," "Myself," and "Itself" are examples of reflexive pronouns.

7. Answer : (d) What

Explanation : Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. "What" is an interrogative pronoun as it is used to ask for information.

8. Answer : (c) Somebody's

Explanation : Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things in a general or non-specific way. "Somebody's" is the correct indefinite pronoun to indicate possession by an unknown person.

9. Answer : (a) None

Explanation : Indefinite pronouns do not refer to any specific person or thing. "None" is an indefinite pronoun used to refer to no amount or quantity of something.

10. Answer : (a) Each

Explanation : Reciprocal pronouns are used when two or more people or things are doing the same action to each other. "Each" is the correct reciprocal pronoun to refer to the two friends in the sentence.

11. Answer : (c) Whom

Explanation : Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses that provide more information about a noun. "Whom" is a relative pronoun used to refer to a person as the object of the clause.

12. Answer : (b) Herself

Explanation : Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. "Herself" is the correct reflexive pronoun to refer back to the subject "She" in the sentence.

13. Answer : (c) Which

Explanation : Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. "Which" is an interrogative pronoun as it is used to ask for a choice or selection among options.

14. Answer : (c) Theirs

Explanation : Possessive pronouns show ownership. "Theirs" is the correct possessive pronoun to indicate ownership by more than one person.

15. Answer : (c) These

Explanation : Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out specific people or things. "These" is a demonstrative pronoun as it refers to specific shoes.

Nouns in English grammar | Definitions , Types and Examples | Easy English Grammar

Introduction :

A noun is a word that refers to a person , place , thing , animal or idea . Nouns are one of the basic parts of speech and are often called the building blocks of sentences .

Examples of nouns include :

Person : Mike , Maya , doctor , teacher ,  etc.

Place : London , park , beach , college , etc,

Thing : Car , table , book , chair , computer , etc.

Animal : Dog , cat , monkey , etc.

Idea : Love , peace , freedom , justice , etc.

Nouns can be used as the subject of a sentence (e.g. The dog barked ) , the object of a verb (e.g. She kicked the ball ) , or as the object of a preposition (e.g. He walked to the store ) . 

Nouns can also be singular or,  plural , and can be further categorized into common nouns (general items) , proper nouns (specific, named items) , etc.

1. Proper noun :

A proper noun is a specific name used to identify a particular person , place , or thing . Proper nouns are always capitalized .

Examples of proper nouns include :

Person : Mike , Maya , Puja , Riya ,  Michael Jordan , etc.

Place : India , New York City , Paris , Mount Everest , Delhi , Mumbai , etc.

Organization : United Nations , Coca-Cola Company , Harvard University , Reliance etc.

Title : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , Star Wars : A New Hope etc.

2. Common noun :

A common noun is a general name for a person , place , thing or idea . Common nouns are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence .

Examples of common nouns include :

Person : teacher , doctor , musician , student , etc.

Place : city , park , beach , school , etc. 

Thing : book , car , chair , computer , etc.

Idea : freedom , justice , happiness , education , etc.

Note :

Common nouns are different from proper nouns , which are specific names for people , places , or things .

For example , " book " is a common noun , but " The Catcher in the Rye " is a proper noun because it refers to a specific book title .

3. Collective noun :

A collective noun is a singular noun that refers to a group of individuals , animals , or things as a single unit .

List of collective nouns :

(i) a pack of thieves  , (ii) a pack of cards , (iii) a packet of letters , (iv) a wad of notes , (v)  a pair of shoes , (vi) a quiver of arrows  , (vii) a range of mountains , (viii) a ream of paper , (ix) a reel of film , (x) a set of clubs , (xi) a bunch of keys , (xii) a bundle of sticks ,

(xiii) a catalogue of prices , (xiv) a chest of drawers , (xv) a cluster of coconuts , (xvi) a fleet of ships , (xvii) a forest of trees , (xviii) a troop of lions , (xix) a galaxy of stars , (xx) a group of islands , (xxi) a troop of scouts , (xxii) a band of musicians , etc.

Collective nouns can be tricky because they are singular nouns that refer to a group , but they can be treated as either singular or plural in a sentence . 

For example , you can say  " The team is playing well " (singular) or,  " The team are all wearing their uniforms " (plural) . It depends on the context of the sentence .

4. Material noun :

A material noun is a noun that refers to a substance or material out of which things are made.

Examples of material nouns include :

Wood : The table is made of wood .

Steel : The bridge is constructed with steel .

Gold : The necklace is made of gold .

Leather : The shoes are made of leather . 

Material nouns are different from other types of nouns because they refer to the physical substance or material of an object rather than the object itself . They are often used when describing the composition or ingredients of an object .

5. Concrete noun :

A concrete noun is a noun that refers to a physical object or a substance that can be perceived through the five senses .

Examples of concrete nouns include :

Chair : I sat on the chair .

Dog : The dog chased the ball .

Water : I drank a glass of water .

Tree : The leaves on the tree turned red in the fall .

6. Abstract noun :

An abstract noun is a noun that refers to a concept , idea , or feeling that cannot be perceived through the five senses .

Examples of abstract nouns include :

Love : The couple's love for each other was evident in their actions .

Courage : The firefighter showed great courage in saving the child from the burning building .

Happiness : The children's laughter filled the room with happiness .

Justice : The court's decision to acquit the defendant was a triumph for justice .

Abstract nouns are different from concrete nouns , which refer to physical objects that can be perceived through the senses . Abstract nouns can be challenging to define because they represent intangible concepts or ideas , but they are important in expressing thoughts , emotions , and ideas in language .

7. Countable and Uncountable Nouns :

Countable Nouns – Countable nouns can be counted like one pen , two ladies , one chair , etc. These nouns take articles (a, an, the) with them .

Uncountable Nouns – Uncountable nouns cannot be counted . For example , water, soil, sugar, salt, etc . 

Abstract nouns and Proper Noun are always uncountable while Common and Concrete nouns can be both countable and well as uncountable nouns .

8. Number nouns :

Number nouns are nouns that refer to quantities or numerical values . 

There are two main types of number nouns : (i) singular and (ii) plural .

Singular number nouns refer to a single entity , while plural number nouns refer to more than one entity . The plural form of most nouns is created by adding " -s " or " -es " to the end of the singular noun .

Examples of singular number nouns include :

Cat : I saw a cat in the garden .

House : The house is painted blue .

Child : The child is playing in the park .

Examples of plural number nouns include :

Cats : There are three cats in the garden .

Houses : The houses are painted blue .

Children : The children are playing in the park .

9. Noun genders :

(i) Masculine –  nouns that refer to the male classification of a person, animal or thing like man , lion , moon , etc.

(ii) Feminine –  nouns denoting a female class of a person , animal or thing like nature , tigress , woman , etc.

(iii) Neuter –  nouns that denote a thing without life , either female or male , like pen , room , book , etc.

10. Functions of Nouns – Cases :

Case in a grammatical category which reflects the grammatical function performed by a noun or a pronoun in a phrase , clause or sentence .

In English grammar, there are four cases of nouns :

 

(i) Nominative case , (ii) Objective case , (iii) Possessive case and (iv) Dative case .

(i) Nominative case : Nouns in the nominative case are used as the subject of a sentence or clause , or as a predicate nominative (a noun or pronoun that renames or explains the subject) . Nouns in the nominative case are generally not preceded by a preposition .

Example : The dog chased the ball  ( In this sentence , " dog " is the subject of the sentence and it is in the nominative case )

(ii) Objective case : Nouns in the objective case are used as the object of a verb or preposition . There are two types of objective case – (i) direct object and (ii) indirect object .

Example : She gave the book to him  ( In this sentence , " book " is the direct object of the verb " gave " and " him " is the indirect object of the verb )

(iii) Possessive case : Nouns in the possessive case show ownership or possession . In the possessive case , an apostrophe and the letter " s " are added to the end of the noun ( or just an apostrophe if the noun already ends in "s" )

Example : The cat's tail was fluffy  ( In this sentence , " cat's " is the possessive form of the noun " cat " and it shows ownership of the tail )

Important points :

(a) If a plural noun ends in  " s / es " , " s " is not added while apostrophe with the plural form .

Example : Boys’ , Girls’ , etc.

But if plural form is different from singular form " s " comes with both the forms .

Example : Child’ s , children’ s etc.

(b) When nouns end with hissing sound , s is not added after apostrophe .

Example : For peace’ shake (For peace’s shake is wrong) , Ganesh idol etc.

  

(c) Apostrophe is not used with non-living things .

Example : " Table’s leg " is not correct , it is " Leg of the table " .

(d) Do not use double apostrophe in a sentence .

Example : " My wife’s secretary’s mother is ill " is wrong , it is "Mother of my wife’s secretary is ill " .

(e) " ’s " is used with anybody / nobody / everybody / somebody / anyone / someone / no one / everyone , e.g. Everyone’s concern is no one’s concern .

If " else " is used with anybody / somebody / no one etc. then " ’s " is used with " else " , e.g. I can rely on your words not somebody else’s . 

(iv) Dative case : We use this case when we need to say something by pointing someone or addressing someone .

Example :

 

(a) Ram , you are a very nice person .

(b) Rai , go there .

(c) Mantu , read loudly .

(d) Piya , stop talking .

*** Some basic questions on nouns for better understanding  –

1. Which of the following is an example of a proper noun ?

a) book

b) car

c) London

d) table

2. Which of the following is an example of a common noun ?

a) Statue of Liberty

b) Coca-Cola

c) Television

d) United States

3. Which of the following is an example of a concrete noun ?

a) love

b) freedom

c) tree

d) courage

4. Which of the following is an example of an abstract noun ?

a) book

b) music

c) chair

d) car

5. Which of the following is an example of a collective noun ?

a) team

b) house

c) mountain

d) river

6. Which of the following is a countable noun ?

a) water

b) air

c) milk

d) chair

7. Which of the following is an example of an uncountable noun ?

a) book

b) furniture

c) bottle

d) pencil

8. Which of the following is an example of a compound noun ?

a) house

b) car

c) snow

d) greenhouse

9. Which of the following is an example of a possessive noun ?

a) cat

b) dog's

c) house

d) car

10. Which of the following is an example of a concrete collective noun ?

a) family

b) herd

c) team

d) flock

Answers :

1. Answer : c) London

Explanation : Proper nouns are specific names of people , places or things . "London" is a specific city and a proper noun .

2. Answer : c) Television

Explanation : Common nouns are general names for people , places , or things . " television " is a general name for a device used for watching programs or movies .

3. Answer : c) tree

Explanation : Concrete nouns are physical objects that can be perceived through the senses . " tree " is a physical object that can be seen , touched  and smelled .

4. Answer : b) music

Explanation : Abstract nouns are ideas, emotions, or concepts that cannot be perceived through the senses . " music " is an abstract noun as it represents an intangible concept or feeling .

5. Answer : a) team

Explanation : Collective nouns are names for groups of people , animals  or things . " team " is a collective noun as it refers to a group of people working together towards a common goal .

6. Answer : d) chair

Explanation : Countable nouns are objects that can be counted , and " chair " is an object that can be counted as one , two , three and so on .

7. Answer : b) furniture

Explanation : Uncountable nouns are objects that cannot be counted and " furniture " is a category of objects that cannot be counted individually .

8. Answer : d) greenhouse

Explanation : A compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words and " greenhouse " is a compound noun made up of " green " and " house " .

9. Answer : b) dog's

Explanation : A possessive noun shows ownership or possession and " dog's " is a possessive form of the noun " dog " .

10. Answer : b) herd

Explanation : A concrete collective noun is a name for a group of physical objects that can be counted  and " herd " is a concrete collective noun used for a group of animals such as cows , sheep or elephants .

Subject - Verb Agreement in English Grammar | Definitions and examples | Easy English Grammar (Part - 2)

9. When two subjects are joined together by “ and ” but the two subjects refer to only one person or thing , a singular verb should be used .

Example :

Our principal and mathematics teacher knows me .

In the above sentence , Our principal and mathematics teacher is not two different people but , our principal is also our mathematics teacher , hence the subject is our principal , and it is a singular noun , hence , singular verb .

Now consider this example –

Our principal and the mathematics teacher .

This is quite different from the first sentence because Our principal and the mathematics teacher are two different subjects because of the use of “ the ” Mathematics teacher .

Hence , in this second sentence , you use a plural verb .

10. When amount or, unit is mentioned in a statement , units such as five thousand , three hundred , percent , twenty meters , five times , and so on . The next verb must be singular .

Example :

(i) Two pounds of flour is (not are) too few to bake a cake .

(ii) Ten percent of my earnings goes (not go) to my wife .

11. When mathematical facts such as subtraction , multiplication , addition , division , and so on , are used , the verb will be any of singular and plural , that is , a singular or plural verb can be used when mathematical facts are used .

Example :

(i) Ten plus ten is / are ( are and is are both correct) twenty .

(ii) Ten multiplied by two is / are twenty .

Both singular and plural are correct .

 

12. (a) Every + plural : When every precedes a plural , the next verb is plural .

Example :  Every ten liters of oil bought come (not comes) with a bonus of an extra liter .

But when “every” appears without any plural number, the verb is singular.

Example :  Every man (not men) likes cricket .

 

(b) When “ and ” joins two or more subjects with every or each , the verb should be singular .

Example :

(i) Every man and woman speaks ( not speak) good English here .

(ii) Every student and teacher comes ( not come) to school early .

(c) When “ most ” is used , the verb will either be singular or plural , depending on whether the referent is a countable or uncountable noun .

Example :

(i) Most of the boys (countable noun) are tall .

(ii) Most of the time (uncountable noun) , John has (not have) always been there for her .

(d) When “ much ” is used in a statement , the verb to be used must be singular .

Example :

Much of the water has (not have) been spilled .

(e)  When “ all ” appears , it means either everything or all the people .

When all means everything , the verb to be used should be Singular but when all means all the people , the verb to be used should be plural .

Example :

(i) All are already seated in the hall .

In the above sentence , “All” means all the people are already seated in the hall hence a plural verb .

But ,

(ii) All is well with me .

In the above sentence , “All” means everything is well with me hence a singular verb.

(f) When “ all but ” is used, the following verb should be plural

Example :

All but John are (not is) on the bus . That means , only John is absent .

13. Either or neither :

When either or neither joins two singular nouns together , the following verb should be singular .

Example :

(i) Either John or Jackson knows (not know) me.

(ii) Neither Mary nor her friend was (not were) here.

But , when either or neither joins two subjects (one singular and the other plural), the verb should be chosen by considering the nearer of the two subjects .

Example : Either James or his friends know me .

You can see that the word “ friends ” is nearer to the verb gap than it is near James .

 

# # These rules also apply , when “but or but even” joins two subjects .

Example :

(i) Not only Sola but even teachers laugh in school .

(ii) Not Lawrence but James speaks good English .

You can see that the word James is nearer to the verb gap than it is near Lawrence, hence, you use singular verb .

 

14. Each and one of :

When “ each ” appears , a singular noun + a singular verb will be chosen .

Example :

Each boy (not boys) has a car .

But , when “ each of or one of  ” appears , the next noun should be plural but the next verb should be singular .

Example :

Each of the candidates (not candidate) stands (not stand) a good chance to win a scholarship .

15. (a) When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the subject.

Example :

(i) The children do not like working out trigonometry problems .

(ii) My father does not work at the bank anymore .

(b) Interrogative sentences take the help of the ‘ do ’ verb . As far as the subject-verb agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned , the first verb (‘be’ verb or ‘do’ verb) has to be aligned with the subject of the sentence .

Example :

(i) Do you read romantic novels ?

(ii) Doesn’t he know you already ?

(iii) Is Rap happy with the new phone ?

(iv) Were you looking for me ?

(v) Has Sara submitted her final project yet ?

Subject - Verb Agreement in English Grammar | Definitions and examples | Easy English Grammar (Part - 1)

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical concept that refers to the correspondence between the subject and the verb in a sentence . In English, the subject and the verb must agree in number , person , and tense . This means that if the subject is singular , the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural .

1. (a) Singular subject with a singular verb :

When the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular .

Example : The dog barks at the postmaster .

In this sentence , "dog" is the singular subject, and "barks" is the singular verb that agrees with the subject .

(b) Plural subject with a plural verb :

When the subject of a sentence is plural, the verb should also be plural .

Example : The dogs bark at the postmaster .

In this sentence , "dogs" is the plural subject, and "bark" is the plural verb that agrees with the subject .

More examples :

(i) Swati spends her free time listening to music . (Singular subject with singular verb)

(ii) Krishna and Balram play the piano . (Plural subject with plural verb)

(iii) Radhe likes to have a dessert after every meal . (Third person singular noun with singular subject)

Note : The subject can be a noun, a pronoun or even a noun phrase . If it is a pronoun , the subject-verb agreement is done with reference to the person of the pronoun .

 

2. (a) When everybody or everyone is used, the object must be singular, not plural .

Example : Everybody knows his or her name ( " Everybody knows their name "  is wrong )

(b) When prayer , suggestion ,  wish , demand , recommendation , or resolution is used in a sentence, the verb that follows must be plural , whether the subject is singular or plural .

Example :

(i) It has been suggested that he go ( not goes ) away .

(ii) The board has recommend that the manager resign ( not resigns ) .

(iii) I pray that God help me on my upcoming examination, ( not God helps ) .

(c) When " many – a " is used , the verb and the noun that follows must be singular .

Example :

(i) Many a candidate (not candidates) speaks ( not speak) bad English expressions .

(ii) Many a girl (not girls) is (not are) here .

The actual meaning of statements (i) and (ii) are many candidates and many girls .

3. Collective nouns :

(a) Collective nouns refer to groups of people , animals , or things as a single entity .

e.g. (i) An audience which means people who watch programs .

(ii) The congregation, which means worshipers .

(iii) Clergy which means religion officers .

(iv) A club, which means the association of members .

When a collective noun is used as the subject of a sentence , the verb can be singular or plural , depending on the context .

Example : The team is playing well . (singular verb)

In this sentence , "team" is a collective noun that refers to a group of individuals as a single entity . The singular verb "is" agrees with the singular noun "team" .

Example : The team are arguing among themselves . (plural verb)

In this sentence , "team" is still a collective noun, but the verb "are" is used because the individuals within the team are acting separately .

(b) When a collective name , denoting category (not a collective noun) is used , the verb to be used must be plural .

Categories like : the poor , the rich , the wealthy , the successful , the gifted , the weak , the young in spirit , the handicapped , the helpless , etc. The verb to be used should be plural .

Example :

(i) The poor need help ( not helps or needs ) from the government .

(ii) The young are ( not is ) disobedient .

(iii) The weak are ( not is ) left to their fates .

4. Parenthesis : The parenthesis statement is an additional statement to what has already been said before .

Note : A parenthetical statement should not be considered in choosing the verb that will follow .

Example :

(i) The teacher , not his students is in the class .

The correct answer is, ‘ is ’  because  ‘ not his students ’ is just parenthesis , and parenthesis has nothing to do with choosing the verb .

(ii) The manager, not many of his workers , is ( not are ) here now . ‘ not many of his workers ’ is just a parenthesis , therefore, the parenthesis should be ignored .

The manager is a singular noun , hence a singular verb .

5. When ‘ more than ’ is used , the word or number that comes after more than will determine the next verb .

Example :

(i) More than two apples are ( not is) here .

(ii) More than one mangoes is (not are) here .

In the first statement , the answer is “ are ” not is because two attracts are but in the second statement , the correct option is , “ is ” not are because one attracts is .

6. Indefinite pronouns :

When any of the following words are used, you should use a Singular verb –

“ Everybody , everything , everyone , everywhere , no one , nothing , nobody , nowhere , something , someone , somebody , anyone , anything , anybody, anywhere and each ” the next verb must be singular .

Example :

(i) Nothing goes ( not go) .

(ii) Everybody likes (not like) him .

(iii) Everybody thinks (not think) she stole the money .

(iv) Each of the students has ( not have ) a different opinion .

7. Relative nouns :

When who, whose, which and that refers to a previously mentioned noun or pronoun, such noun is a Relative noun .

Example :

One of the farmers who plant (not plants) on the farm has (not have) been asked to withdraw .

8. Uncountable nouns :

(A) Countable nouns are nouns that can be quantified in units and numbers , that is , are nouns that can be counted .

e.g. chairs , tables , phones , stars , etc.

(B) Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be quantified in units and numbers.

e.g. water, information, equipment , etc.

Note : all uncountable nouns will avoid “s” at the back .

It is wrong to use any of these words given below –

Informations , clothes , equipments , furnitures , machineries , datas , advices , evidences , wealths , etc.

Instead, you say a piece of , information , evidence , data , cloth , equipment , advice , etc

It is wrong to say machineries instead , you say a machine or two machines .

# # Other examples of nouns that attract plural verbs are –

(i) The police work hard (not works) , but , that policeman (not policemen) works (not work) hard .

Police and policemen are collective nouns that is why they attract a plural verb .

But policeman is not collective noun but a singular noun , hence a singular verb

(ii) The headquarters look (not looks) palatial .

(iii) Cattle give (not gives) bad odo , and a cow gives bad odor.

(iv) Aircraft make (not makes) traveling easier but , that chopper , airbus , or airplane makes traveling easier .