3
Introduction to Grammar
Because we become so familiar with the language we use on a regular basis, we often forget that it has different “forms” that are appropriate in different contexts. In the United States, for example, there are several different types of English, such as formal vs. informal English or verbal vs. written English. There are also different varieties of English that are unique to cultural, societal, or professional groups.
While all of these types of English are equally dynamic and complex, each variety is appropriate in different situations. When you’re talking to your friends, you could use slang and cultural references—if you speak in formal language, you can easily come off as rigid and pretentious. When sending a quick, casual message—via social media or texting—most of us don’t worry too much about capitalization or strict punctuation, and we often rely on different shortcuts to communicate efficiently. Indeed, younger generations have developed an entire online jargon, full of acronyms and specialized terms, to keep in touch and stay connected as easily as possible. However, although this online jargon is great for quick communication, it isn’t formal; it isn’t a part of the commonly accepted conventions that make up Standard American English. How many times have you heard people of older generations ask just what smh or rn means?
To avoid this kind of confusion, in academic and professional situations, you need to use what is called Standard American English. This English is used in such settings so that people can communicate and understand each other clearly and efficiently.
Grammar is a set of rules and conventions that dictate how Standard American English works. These rules are simply tools that speakers of a language can use. When you learn how to use the language, you can craft your message to communicate exactly what you want to convey.(2) Throughout this course, we will be taking a close look at the components of Standard American English so that you are empowered to use it correctly when writing in an academic or professional context. In this first lesson, we will focus on nouns and pronouns, two essential parts of speech that populate English sentences with various types of people, places, things, and ideas.
Nouns and Pronouns
Types of Pronouns
Personal pronouns may refer to the speaker of a sentence, the person being addressed by the speaker, or the person or thing being discussed by the sentence. The following sentences give examples of personal pronouns used with antecedents:
- That man looks as if he needs a new coat. (the noun phrase that man is the antecedent of the male pronoun he)
- Kat arrived yesterday. I met her at the station. (Kat is the antecedent of the female pronoun her)
- When they saw us, the lions began roaring (the lions is the antecedent of plural pronoun they)
- Adam and I were hoping no one would find us. (Adam and I is the antecedent of the plural pronoun us)
Pronouns like I, we, and you don’t always require an explicitly stated antecedent. When a speaker says something like “I told you the zoo was closed today,” it’s implied that the speaker is the antecedent for I and the listener is the antecedent for you.(4)
Click on each tab to reveal more information.
Relative Pronouns
There are five relative pronouns in English: who, whom, whose, that, and which. These pronouns are used to connect different clauses (groups of words that contain subjects and verbs) together. For example:
- Belen, who had starred in six plays before she turned seventeen, knew that she wanted to act on Broadway someday.
- My daughter wants to adopt the dog that doesn’t have a tail.
In the first example, who refers back to Belen, and the clause it introduces helps the reader better understand her passion for acting. In the second example, that refers back to the dog, and the clause it introduces helps the reader understand exactly what dog the writer’s daughter prefers. These pronouns behave differently from the other categories we’ve studied. However, they are pronouns, and it’s important to learn how they work.(4)
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership of something (in a broad sense). Some must be accompanied by a noun: e.g., my or your, as in “I lost my wallet.” These pronouns behave similarly to adjectives (words that modify nouns). Others occur alone: e.g., mine or yours. For example, “Those clothes are mine.”(4)
Pronouns: Person and Number
Select each tab to reveal its information.
Case
You and I versus You and Me
Some of the most common pronoun mistakes occur when a writer has to decide between you and I and you and me. People will often say things like “You and me should go out for drinks.” Or—thinking back on the rule that it should be you and I—they will say “Susan assigned the task to both you and I.” However, both of these sentences are wrong. Remember that every time you use a pronoun, you need to make sure that you’re using the correct case.
Let’s take a look at the first sentence: “You and me should go out for drinks.” Both pronouns are the subject of the sentence, so they should be in subject case: “You and I should go out for drinks.”
In the second sentence (“Susan assigned the task to both you and I.”), both pronouns are the object of the sentence, so they should be in object case: “Susan assigned the task to both you and me.”(5)
An easy way to check such sentences is to say them in your head with just the personal pronouns alone. In the first example, “Me should go out for drinks” sounds very wrong, as does “Susan assigned the task to I” in the second example.
Finally, always remember to put the first-person pronoun last when it is grouped in these kinds of constructions. In other words, never say “I and you should go out for drinks” or “Susan assigned the task to me and you.” The correct wording will always be “You and I should go out for drinks” and “Susan assigned the task to you and me.”
Attributions
(2) Why It Matters: Grammar. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution 4.0
(3) Outcome: Nouns and Pronouns. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution 4.0
(4) Pronouns. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
(5) Pronoun Antecedents. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution 4.0
