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What is “subject/verb agreement”?: Difference between revisions
→Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
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Some pronouns are definite in the fact that they can replace a specific noun or another pronoun. But sometimes things aren’t so clear-cut. So what do we do for a pronoun when we find ourselves in this predicament? We will use indefinite pronouns. "Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things" <ref>Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. New York, Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2003. [http://books.google.com/books?id=g489u9j0XAMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hacker,+Diana.+A+Writer%E2%80%99s+Reference&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U_1GU4yDO6vnsASEoIHQDw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hacker%2C%20Diana.%20A%20Writer%E2%80%99s%20Reference&f=false]</ref>.Some of these indefinite pronouns are always singular or always plural. But some can change their number—they can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. | Some pronouns are definite in the fact that they can replace a specific noun or another pronoun. But sometimes things aren’t so clear-cut. So what do we do for a pronoun when we find ourselves in this predicament? We will use indefinite pronouns. "Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things" <ref>Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. New York, Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2003. [http://books.google.com/books?id=g489u9j0XAMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hacker,+Diana.+A+Writer%E2%80%99s+Reference&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U_1GU4yDO6vnsASEoIHQDw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hacker%2C%20Diana.%20A%20Writer%E2%80%99s%20Reference&f=false]</ref>.Some of these indefinite pronouns are always singular or always plural. But some can change their number—they can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. | ||
There are two categories of indefinite pronouns. The first category includes pronouns that refer to a nonspecific noun. These pronouns are: | There are two categories of indefinite pronouns. The first category includes pronouns that refer to a nonspecific noun. These pronouns are: | ||
anything,somebody, no one, and something. An example sentence using the first category of indefinite pronouns is: | ''anything'',''somebody'', ''no one'', and ''something''. An example sentence using the first category of indefinite pronouns is: | ||
*Somebody is at the door | *Somebody is at the door | ||
The second category of indefinite pronouns are those that point to a specific noun whose meaning is easily understood only because it was previously mentioned or because the words that follow the indefinite pronoun make it clear. These pronouns are: both, all, few, and either. An example sentence using the | |||
The second category of indefinite pronouns are those that point to a specific noun whose meaning is easily understood only because it was previously mentioned or because the words that follow the indefinite pronoun make it clear. These pronouns are: ''both'', ''all'', ''few'', and ''either''. An example sentence using the second category of indefinite pronouns is: | |||
*Both do well at taking tests. | *Both do well at taking tests. | ||