Grammar Lesson One

Grammar Lesson One

Language Skill: Pronouns and their antecedents.

A pronoun is a word that is used to substitute for a noun. The word it replaces is called its antecedent. Each pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, person and gender. It is easy to make a careless error in matching antecedents and pronouns. Look at the following sentence and try and "hear" what's wrong.

Example: Every teenager should have their own car.

This sentence is wrong because "teenager" is singular and "their" is plural. The sentence could be recast in several different ways to make it correct.

Teenagers should have their own cars.

A teenage girl should have her own car.

A teenage boy should have his own car.

Pronouns and antecedents can also cause problems if they are placed "too far" away from each other in the sentence or paragraph. Usually the pronoun and its antecedent are placed "close" together. Sometime the sense of the sentence will make clear which pronoun refers to which noun. (Check sentence 4 below.)

Example: Dante left his hometown. Dante and his are singular, third person, masculine. They agree in number, person and gender. Sometimes the pronouns and antecedents appear in the same sentence, sometimes in different sentences. Look at this example:

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265. He was descended from a well respected family .

Here are a few more examples of sentences with correct pronoun/antecedent agreement. Circle the both the pronoun and its antecedent. Then check your answers on the next page.

1. The Inferno is very precise; it was written in terrza rima.

2. Dante makes Virgil an important character in the story. He represents Reason.

3. Dante also employs Beatrice in the poem. She symbolizes the divine love of

God, the power of faith, and the importance of hope.

4. Dante was influenced greatly by Beatrice although he saw her only twice in his lifetime.

5. Dante lived in Florence. It was a burgeoning center of trade, banking and manufacturing.

6. Beatrice died when she was only 24 years old.

Answers

1. The Inferno is very precise; it was written in terrza rima.

2. Dante makes Virgil an important character in the story. He represents Reason.

3. Dante also employs Beatrice in the poem. She symbolizes the divine love of God, the power of faith, and the importance of hope.

4. Dante was influenced greatly by Beatrice although he saw her only twice in his lifetime.

5. Dante lived in Florence. It was a burgeoning center of trade, banking and manufacturing.

6. Beatrice died when she was only 24 years old.

Writing Assignment

What is your reaction to the story of Dante and Beatrice? Is it possible to be profoundly influenced by someone you have met only briefly? In what way did Beatrice inspire Dante? Can you think of other situations in literature that relate similar circumstances? Jack and Rose from Titanic perhaps? In a paragraph, relate your thoughts on these questions.

To Inferno Lesson 2: The Vestibule

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