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The Third “Ideal” KISS Grammar Book
Unit 4 - Person, Number, Case and Tense
When we talk about sentences, the words “person,” “number,” “case,” and “tense” don’t mean what they usually mean.This unit tries to help you understand what they mean in discussing language—and, I hope, why understanding them will help you.
--Dr. V. / Patience
by
John George Brown
(1864)
The Athenaeum
On the Grammatical Terms 2
Antecedents of Pronouns 2
Ex. 1 - From Maxwell’s Grammar 3
Ex. 2 - From Maxwell’s Grammar 4
The “Person” in Personal Pronouns: Person, Number, and Case 5
Ex. 3 - Person, Number, and Case Adapted from Wonderwings 7
Ex. 4 - Adapted from English for Use -- Book Three 8
Ex. 5 - “The Story of the First Diamonds” by Florence Holbrook 9
The Tense of Verbs: What Is It? 11
Ex. 6 – Identifying Tenses from Pinocchio 12
Ex. 7 - Identifying Tenses from “Cinderella” 13
Ex. 8 - Person, Number, Case, and Tense from “Hansel and Grethel” (1) 14
Ex. 9 - Two Just for Fun 15
Reading, Writing, Vocabulary & Style 16
Ex. 10- Adding Prepositional Phrases of Time and Space 16
Ex. 11 – Fill-in-the Blanks from “The Fox and the Horse” 17
Ex. 12 – Sentence Combining and De-combining from “The Fox and the Horse” 18
Ex. 13 – Fix the Punctuation from “The Fox and the Horse” 19
For more information about the KISS Grammar “Ideal” books, go to:
http://kissgrammar.org/Ideal_Sequence/index.html
© Ed Vavra 12/16/2016
On the Grammatical Terms
Thomas Hart Benton's(1889-1975), American
New York,
Early Twenties
1920 /
Antecedents of Pronouns
The antecedent of a pronoun is the person or thing the pronoun refers to. Antecedent means “going before,” and the word is used because the person or thing named by a pronoun generally occurs in the sentence before the pronoun. In
Bill found a fortune when he went to California.
the antecedent of the pronoun “he” is “Bill.”
Some pronouns do not have antecedents. For example, to what word does the pronoun “it” name in a sentence like “It is raining”? And what would be the antecedent of “I” in “I saw him at the store”?
Sometimes you will find an antecedent that comes after the pronoun as in the following sentence from Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince”:
“Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince?” asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon.
In the story, the “you” cannot be identified until one gets to the word “boy.”
Later, you will be learning of other constructions in which the antecedent comes after the pronoun. One example is:
It is easy to catch a fish here.
In cases like this, the word “it” simply fills the subject slot in the sentence. We get to the real subject later: “To catch fish here is easy.”
Antecedents of PronounsEx. 1 - From Maxwell’s Grammar
[L1.1 # 16] / Allegory of Wealth(1630-35)
Louvre, Paris, France
by
Simon Vouet
(1590 - 1649)
Directions: Circle the pronouns and draw a line from each circle to the antecedent—if there is one. If there is no antecedent, just circle the pronoun.
1. Frank’s kite flew so high that he could scarcely see it.
2. “Children,” said Aunt Sue, “you must be quiet at your play, or I shall send you to bed.”
3. King Midas valued his royal crown because it was made of gold.
4. The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might;
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright.
5. The wind blew with all his strength a cold blast; but the fiercer he blew, the tighter did the man clasp his cloak around him.
6. “What a selfish dog you are!” said the ox; “you can not eat the hay yourself, nor will you let me eat it.”
7. The herald bade Cinderella sit down on a stool in the kitchen, and himself put the slipper on her pretty little foot, which it fitted exactly.
Antecedents of PronounsEx. 2 - From Maxwell’s Grammar
[L1.1 # 23] / The Sisters1885, oil on canvas
by
Mary Cassatt
(1844-1926)
Directions: Circle the pronouns and draw a line from each circle to the antecedent—if there is one. If there is no antecedent, just circle the pronoun.
1. The maid washed her dishes and put them in the closet.
2. Little Louis said he thought his top would get dizzy because it turned around so fast.
3. The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart;
She gives me cream with all her might;
I eat it with my tart.
4. Today my doll is one year old,
And she shall have a purse of gold
If she will speak and tell me where
I’m sure to find a gift so rare.
5. Tell me, pretty roses, for I want to know,
Where it is you come from, how it is you grow.
The “Person” in Personal Pronouns: Person, Number, and Case
A noun or pronoun is in the first person when it includes the speaker, as I, me, we, us, etc.:
I was sick. Mary saw us.
A noun or pronoun is of the second person when it names the person or thing spoken to, as thou, thee, you, etc.
Thou are the man. Did you go?
A noun or pronoun is of the third person when it denotes the person or thing spoken about, as he, him, she, it, they, etc.
Birds are happiest when they are free.
When the sun rose, he darted his fierce beams
on the flowers, and they withered.
Pronouns and Number
Most pronouns, like nouns, have separate forms to show whether they name one person or thing, or more than one. In other words, pronouns have number.
The pronouns in the following sentence are singular because each refers to only one person:
I run. He saw her. She taught him. Thou seest me.
The pronouns in the next two sentences are called “plural” because they refer to more than one person:
We helped you. They escaped us.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
The pronouns you, your, yours are used in both numbers. In the next sentence, it is easy to see that the pronouns are singular.
The hat you said was your hat was not yours.
But in the following sentence they are plural:
You shall all go directly to your homes.
Pronouns and Case
The pronouns in the table are in “nominative case.” They are pronouns that function as subjects or predicate nouns.
Person / Singular / Pluralfirst / I / we
second / you / you
third / he, she, it / they
“Objective case” pronouns function as objects (indirect or direct) or as objects of prepositions.
Person / Singular / Pluralfirst / me, myself / us, ourselves
second / you, yourself / you, yourselves
third / him, her, it
himself, herself, itself / them
themselves
Pronouns in “possessive case” can function as subjects, predicate nouns, or objects.
Person / Singular / Pluralfirst / mine / ours
second / yours / yours
third / his, hers, its / theirs
That book is yours. Mine is in my room. They forgot about theirs.
The pronoun “who” can be either singular or plural. It has an objective case form “whom,” and a possessive case form “whose.”
Ex. 3 - Person, Number, and CaseAdapted from Wonderwings
by Edith Howes, illustrated by Alicea PolsonDirections: In the sentences below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. On separate paper, make five columns:
In the first, write the number of the word and the word.
In the second, write “1st,” 2nd,” or “3rd” for person.
In the third, write “S” for singular or “P” for plural.
In the fourth, write “N” for nominative, “O” for objective, or “P” for possessive case.
In the fifth, write the word that is the antecedent of the pronoun. (Write “U” if it is unknown.)
1. “Come then,” said Wonderwings. She (1) took the little fairy’s hand and up they (2) rose into the clear air.
2. “Oh dear! I (3) am so sleepy,” said Poppypink, and she (4) yawned again.
3. She sprang from bed and dressed so hurriedly that I am afraid her (5) hair did not receive its (6) due amount of brushing.
4. “My (7) wings are small and colourless. Tell me (8) how I may grow wings like yours (9).”
5. “Such wings as mine (10) are only to be won in sadder lands than these (11),” she said.
6. She looked around, and found herself (12) alone.
7. She gathered armfuls of the golden sunbeams, and flying with them (13) through the glass as only a fairy can fly, herself unseen, she heaped them over the twisted hands and pale thin face of the child, and left her (14) playing with them (15) and smiling happily.
8. Lower she flew to help the little ones who (16) cried about the gutters.
9. “I have a daughter as well as a son; why should she (17) not have a kingdom too? I will see to it (18) at once.”
10. The Queen-mother looked down into the water of the pool. As she gazed, ripples came upon its (19) surface. They broke away into shining cascades of diamonds and pearls, and between them (20) appeared the face and shoulders of the old woman of the road.
Hurricane,Bahamas
1898-1899
by
Winslow
Homer
(1836-1910) / Person, Number, and Case
Ex. 4 - Adapted fromEnglish for Use -- Book Three
by John H. Beveridge, Belle M. Ryan,& William D. Lewis
Philadelphia, 1926:
The John C. Winston Company, 220.
Directions: In the sentences below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. On separate paper, make five columns:
In the first, write the number of the word and the word.
In the second, write “1st,” 2nd,” or “3rd” for person.
In the third, write “S” for singular or “P” for plural.
In the fourth, write “N” for nominative, “O” for objective, or “P” for possessive case.
In the fifth, write the word that is the antecedent of the pronoun. (Write “U” if it is unknown.)
1. “I gave my (1) pencil to him (2),” said John.
2. We (3) shared our (4) gifts with the children next door.
3. “You (5) and your (6) parents are invited to the entertainment,” said the teacher.
4. John waved to his (7) friend as he (8) passed his door.
5. She laughed gaily when her friends told her (9) some of their (10) funny experiences.
6. Our (11) flag made a lovely picture as its (12) brilliant folds fluttered in the breeze.
7. Give credit to them (13); it is truly theirs (14).
8. “I believe you,” said the mother, “for I (15) have never known you (16) to deceive me.”
9. My (17) brother and I earned the money with which we bought our (18) gifts.
10. Father let us (19) decide for ourselves (20), whether we should go or stay.
Pronouns -- Person, Number, and CaseEx. 5 - “The Story of the First Diamonds” by Florence Holbrook
From The Book of Nature MythsDirections: In the sentences below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. On separate paper, make five columns:
In the first, write the number of the word and the word.
In the second, write “1st,” 2nd,” or “3rd” for person.
In the third, write “S” for singular or “P” for plural.
In the fourth, write “N” for nominative, “O” for objective, or “P” for possessive case.
In the fifth, write the word that is the antecedent of the pronoun. (Write “U” if it is unknown.)
The chief of an Indian tribe had two sons whom he (1) loved very dearly. This chief was at war with another tribe, and one dark night two of his enemies crept softly through the trees till they came to where the two boys lay sound asleep. The warriors caught the younger boy up gently, and carried him far away from his home and his friends.
When the chief woke, he cried, “Where is my (2) son? My enemies have been here and have stolen him (3).”
All the Indians in the tribe started out in search of the boy. They (4) roamed the forest through and through, but the stolen child could not be found.
The chief mourned for his son, and when the time of his death drew near, he (5) said to his wife, “Moneta, my tribe shall have no chief until my boy is found and taken from our (6) enemies. Let our oldest son go forth in search of his brother, and until he has brought back the little one, do you rule my people.”
Moneta ruled the people wisely and kindly. When the older son was a man she (7) said to him, “My son, go forth and search for your (8) brother, whom I (9) have mourned these many years. Every day I shall watch for you (10), and every night I shall build a fire on the mountain top.”
“Do not mourn, mother,” said the young man. “You (11) will not build the fire many nights on the mountain top, for I shall soon find my brother and bring him back to you.”
He went forth bravely, but he did not come back. His mother went every night to the mountain top, and when she was so old that she (12) could no longer walk, the young men of the tribe bore her up the mountain side in their (13) strong arms, so that with her (14) own trembling hand she could light the fire.
One night there was a great storm. Even the brave warriors were afraid, but Moneta had no fear, for out of the storm a gentle voice had come to her that said, “Moneta, your sons are coming home to you.”
“Once more I must build the fire on the mountain top,” she cried. The young men trembled with fear, but they (15) bore her (16) to the top of the mountain.
“Leave me (17) here alone,” she said. “I hear a voice. It is the voice of my son, and he is calling, ‘Mother, mother.’ Come to me, come, my boys.”