Lecture 3 BBA English
Lecture 3 BBA English
IBA
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ENGLISH LECTURE - 03
Part Contents Page
REVIEW TEST 03
• RELATIVE PRONOUNS
• INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
• COMMON PROBLEMS ON PRONOUN-VERB AGREEMENT
• ANTECEDENTS OF PRONOUNS
• THE PRONOUNS ONE AND YOU
• PREFIX AND SUFFIX
02 TAKE-HOME ASSIGNMENT
• VOCABULARY-3 12
• LIST OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS-3
TM
e d u c a t i o n s t u d y a b r o a d
REVIEW TEST
Identify the one underlined word or phrase A, B, C, or D that should be corrected or rewritten.
Write down E if you think there is no error in the sentence.
1. Energy in a tornado is enormous by any set of standards.
A B C D
2. The amount of women earning Master’s Degrees has risen sharply in recent years.
A B C D
3. There is fewer rainfall on the West Coast of the United States than on the East Coast.
A B C D
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4. In 1999 the Hawaii was included in the Union as the 50 state.
A B C D
5. Most of the magnesium used in the United States comes from the sea water.
A B C D
6. The Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States.
A B C D
7. Most American university degrees are awarded on completion of a specified amount of courses
A B
that earn students credits or points.
C D
Fill in the following blanks with the right word from the options below.
1. Over the years, Professor Sogra has mastered the art of leading her subordinates; nobody
subordinate to her has any problems with her _____________ over them.
(A) subordination (B) presence (C) absurdity (D) ascendancy (E) randomness
2. Honestly, Raihan is no_____________ ; despite achieving so much at such an early age, he
prefers to remain ignorant of his fame and recognition.
(A) braggart (B) failure (C) saint (D) clairvoyant (E) hypochondriac
3. Rafid has been working on his speech day in and day out so that on the day of the finale, he can
use valid logics to_____________ his statement.
(A) refute (B) bolster (C) repudiate (D) negate (E) retract
4. I was waiting to hear about his adventures but ended up listening to how he survived in a severely
_____________ area with minimal basic requirements.
(A) blighted (B) salacious (C) wholesome (D) cramped (E) narrow
5. She can work for hours without taking rest for even a few minutes; I have never seen a
more_____________ person.
(A) indolent (B) laidback (C) apathetic (D) assiduous (E) arrogant
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PART – 1: STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION
PRONOUNS
There are five forms of pronouns in English: subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns,
reflexive pronouns, and relative pronouns. The possessive adjectives, although they are not pronouns,
follow similar patterns to the possessive pronouns and will therefore be included in this category. Here
is a list where you can observe the different forms each of these pronouns takes according to how we
use it.
SUBJECT PRONOUNS
OBJECT PRONOUNS
Me Us
The object pronoun is used: You You
(i) when it is the direct object of a verb Him/Her/It Them
She gave him her card.
We saw her in class.
(ii) when the objects of two clauses are compared
She worries about you more than him.
The office staff helped you more than (they helped) me.
(iii) after prepositions
Tanvir studies English with us.
It did not sound like a good idea to me.
N. B. If the preposition introduces a new clause, a subject pronoun must be used because it is the
subject of the new clause:
We left after she called.
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Exercise 1: Choose the correct subject/object pronoun.
1. Jawaad is heavier than me/I.
2. It must be her/she.
3. Bobby and I/me went to the movies.
4. She is not as fast as he/him.
5. It was they/them who told us.
6. Could you please explain this exercise to her/she?
7. Mushfiq sat between Sajid and I/me.
8. He understands her better than him/he.
9. He told Mary and me/I about his trip.
10. She gets along with him better than me/I.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
My Our
The possessive adjective is used: Your Your
His/Her/Its Their
(i) to indicate ownership by modifying a noun
My picture is on the card.
He left his books on the table.
(ii) to modify a gerund
The teacher was irritated at my whispering in class.
We were surprised at her going on a trip alone.
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Mine Ours
Yours Yours
The possessive pronoun is used His/Hers/Its Theirs
(i) To replace a possessive adjective + a noun.
Instead of saying “This book is my book,” we say,” That book is mine.”
Our car is big, and theirs (their car) is small.
His score was good but hers (her score) was better.
(ii) After the preposition “of,” when it indicates “one of several”
Jamie is a colleague of mine. (one of several colleagues)
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REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS (sometimes called Emphatic Pronoun)
(i) As the object of a verb when the subject and the object are the same person
She served herself in the cafeteria.
He cut himself while shaving.
(ii) For emphasis. It follows the subject verb before a preposition and means the subject did the
action alone.
I looked myself for the missing documents. Myself Ourselves
Otherwise it goes at the end of the sentence Yourself Yourselves
I made this sweater myself. Himself/herself/Itself Themselves
You told me yourself.
(iii) After the preposition “by.” It means that the subject did the action alone.
She likes to shop by herself.
Little Shyam has learned to eat by himself.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
The relative pronouns in English are “who” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that,”
Pronoun Use
Who People + household animals
Whom People + household animals
Which Things
That All nouns
Whose All nouns
Whom: Refers to persons and household animals. It is used in the complement position (object)
In formal written English; otherwise “who: _____ +preposition is used.
To whom were you talking? (formal written)
Who were you talking to ? (spoken)
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Whose: Refers to animals, people, and things and indicates possession.
Which: Refers to things, collective nouns, and animals.
That: Refers to people, things, and animals that have already been mentioned.
Note: The use of which and that is often interchangeable, but sometimes there’s a difference:
Sami’s car, which he recently bought, is now in the garage.
Sami’s car that he recently bought is now in the garage.
The first suggests that Sami has only one car and it is now in the garage. The second sentence
suggests that Sami may have multiple cars. The phrase “that he recently bought” is known as a
restrictive clause because another part of the sentence (Sami’s car) depends on it. You will learn more
about clauses in the coming lectures.
Reference books will agree that the word "that" should be used to introduce restrictive clauses. In the
sentence you give us, "which was twenty years old" is not a restrictive clause. We can remove it
without changing the essential meaning of the sentence: The car was in amazingly good condition."
The added information, the nonrestrictive clause, is properly introduced by "which," but we need
commas to set it off: "The car, which was twenty years old, was in amazingly good condition."
When which introduces a nonrestrictive clause, you will use a comma before it.
Exercise 4: Correct the relative pronouns where necessary:
1. The gold that you saw was mined from the sea.
2. It was your school counselor whom called you.
3. The devastation which the tornado had brought about was unbelievable.
4. Some scientists believe that the Americas were populated by groups of Siberian hunters which
crossed the Bering Strait.
5. Our office, which has two boardrooms, is located in Dhaka. I work in the Khulna branch. The
student whose paper you have read is sitting there.
6. I would return this book to its rightful owner but I forgot which book it is.
7. The doctor whom was treating my brother, who I’ve not spoken to for years, recently died.
8. Did you find the book which you were looking for?
9. We are going to see Silence of the Lambs, that is my favorite film, next Thursday.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Up to now we have discussed about pronouns that refer to specific nouns and these nouns are easily
identifiable. Now we shall study a list of Indefinite Pronouns, which do not have any particular noun
to refer to.
For example: Somebody has stolen my pen. Here, the pronoun somebody refers to no particular
noun- it just gives us the idea that the subject is an unknown person.
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PRONOUN VERB AGREEMENT
A singular verb and a singular possessive adjective must be used with indefinite pronouns:
Indefinite pronouns are singular; however, in informal spoken English, a plural possessive adjective
is often used with an indefinite pronoun:
ANTECEDENTS OF PRONOUNS
If a pronoun is used in a sentence, there must be a noun of the same person and number before
it.
There must be one, and only one, antecedent to which the pronoun refers.
Incorrect: Henry was denied admission to graduate school because they did not believe that he
could handle the workload.
(The pronoun they does not have an antecedent in the sentence. The graduate school is a
singular unit, and the members of its faculty are not mentioned.)
Correct: The members of the admissions committee denied Henry admission to graduate school
because they did not believe that he could handle the workload. (In this sentence, they
refer to members.)
OR
Henry was denied admission to graduate school because the members of the admissions
committee did not believe that he could handle the workload. (Here the noun is given
instead of the pronoun.)
Incorrect: George dislikes politics because he believes that they are corrupt.
(The pronoun they does not have an antecedent in this sentence. The word politics is
singular, so they cannot refer to it.)
Correct: George dislikes politics because he believes that politicians are corrupt.
OR
George dislikes politicians because he believes that they are corrupt.
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Incorrect: Mr. Brown told Mr. Adams that he would have to work al night in order to finish the
report. (It is not clear whether the pronoun he refers to Mr. Brown or Mr. Adams.)
Correct: According to Mr. Brown, Mr. Adams will have to work all night in order to finish the
report.
OR
Mr. Brown said that, in order to finish the report, Mr. Adams would have to work all
night.
Incorrect: Janet visited her friend every day while she was on vacation.
(The pronoun she could refer to either Janet or her friend.)
Correct: While Janet was on vacation, she visited her friend every day.
Exercise 5: Rewrite the following sentences so that each pronoun has a clear antecedent. If
you have to supply a noun, use any noun that will make the sentence correct.
1. The dispute between the faculty and the administration was not resolved until they got better
working conditions.
2. Shahnila spotted her friend as she walked toward the Student Union.
3. Foreigners are easily impressed by the bullfighters as they march into arena.
4. Both Piyash and Prova wanted to watch Kung Fu Panda 3, though he had already watched it.
5. In their spare time, many great books have been written about the famous Greek and Roman
heroes.
6. Dr. Majid's book was accepted for publication because they thought it would be beneficial to
students.
7. Messi missing the loose cross made by Ronaldo made him really angry.
8. Robert bought a plant for Jimmy before he left for Kashmir.
9. Even though the production team and the cast was confident, they did not provide positive
reviews for the film.
10. Both Ferdous and Watir loved Cleopatra, but she only loved him.
If one (meaning a person in general) is used in a sentence, a subsequent pronoun referring to the
same person must also be one or he. If you is used, the subsequent pronoun must also be you.Heor
you can be in the possessive, complement, or reflexive case.
One
one's + noun
one + verb . . . he + (verb) . . .
his + noun
NOTE: Many times it is considered more appropriate to use he or she and similar expression so that
the masculine pronoun is not used exclusively.
If one takes this exam without studying one is likely to fail.
If one takes this exam without studying he is likely to fail.
One should always do one's homework.
One should always do his homework
you
you + verb . . . + + (verb) . . .
your
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If you take this exam without studying you are likely to fail.
You should always do your homework.
PREFIX
dis-
Dis- means “apart” or “away.”
Examples Meanings
The boys dissected the frog. The boys took the frog apart.
She dissented from the majority opinion. She voted apart from the majority opinion.
The employer dismissed the staff member. The employer sent the staff member away.
The materials dissipated. The materials separated or moved away from
each other.
He is a dissident. His ideas are apart from those of the majority.
dys-
The prefix dys- means “bad,” “faulty,” “difficulty,” or “illness.”
Examples Meanings
He was suffering from dysentery. He was suffering from an illness of the large
intestine.
Joe has dyslexia. Joe has difficulty reading.
The doctor has treated Jane for dysphasia. The doctor has treated Jane for difficulty in
swallowing.
Many children in that country have died from Many children in that country have died from bad
dystrophy. nutrition or illness caused by lack of proper
nutrition.
eu-
The prefix eu- means “good” or “well.” It’s the opposite of the prefix dys-.
Examples Meanings
Tim gave a beautiful eulogy about Glenn. Tim gave a beautiful statement about the good
things Glenn has done.
He tried to think of an appropriate euphemism to He tried to think of an appropriate good substitute
lessen the impact of his words. expression to lessen the impact of his words.
The doctor says his dyspepsia has been replaced The doctor says his dyspepsia has been replaced
by eupepsia. by good digestion.
This instrument provides a euphonious sound. This instrument provides good, or pleasing,
sound.
ex-
The prefix ex- means “out,” “out of,” or “from.”
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Examples Meanings
He emitted a low sound. (The x is deleted before He sent out a low sound.
the m.)
They expelled the unruly students. They drove out, or removed, the unruly students
from the institution.
The doctor asked him to exhale slowly. The doctor asked him to breathe out slowly.
That organ excretes waste. That organ sends out waste.
They exculpated him. They showed that he was without blame.
in-
Before l, m, or r, the n of this prefix becomes the same as the first consonant of the word. The prefix
in- has two meanings. The first meaning is “not.”
Examples Meanings
Jim knew his actions were illegal. Jim knew his actions were not legal.
The amount of poisonous gas was insignificant. The amount of poisonous gas was not significant.
He suffered from an irregular heartbeat. He suffered from a heartbeat that was not regular.
Bruce’s actions were immoral. Bruce’s actions were not moral.
The council’s decision was impossible to The council’s decision was not possible to
understand. understand, or comprehend.
SUFFIX
Verb Endings
The endings -en and -ize normally indicate that the word is a verb.
The suffixes -en and -ize are normally added to nouns or adjectives to make verbs.
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PART – II: TAKE-HOME EXERCISE
Choose the best relative pronoun to complete each sentence. If there is none required, put "X".
1. It was Robbin ___________ gave me the old map; he had found it in an old junk shop.
2. My uncle apologized for his insult, ___________ we accepted gracefully.
3. Asif put the keys down on the table ___________ was in the kitchen.
4. Much ___________ your father left in his will is going to your mother.
5. Unfortunately, the car hit the dog ___________ I love so much and it was killed.
6. The car, ___________ owner was arrested by the police, has been parked there ever since.
7. There are several reasons for the closure of the school, most of ___________ have already been
explained fully.
8. This was the room ___________ we first met and spoke. Do you remember?
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Vocabulary Section
LIST OF VOCABULARY - 3
commemorate V. honor the memory of. The concur V. agree. Did you concur with the
statue of the Minute Man commemorates the decision of the court or did you find it unfair?
valiant soldiers who fought in the condone V. overlook; forgive; give tacit
Revolutionary War.
approval; excuse. Unlike Widow Douglass,
compile V. assemble; gather; accumulate. We who condoned Huck’s minor offenses, Miss
planned to compile a list of the words most Watson did nothing but scold.
frequently used on SAT examinations.
conflagration N. great fire. In the
complacency N. self-satisfaction; smugness. conflagration that followed the 1906
Full of complacency about his latest victories, earthquake, much of San Francisco was
he looked smugly at the row of trophies on his destroyed.
mantelpiece. complacent, ADJ.
confluence N. flowing together; crowd. They
complementary ADJ. serving to complete built the city at the confluence of two rivers.
something. John and Lisa’s skills are confound V. confuse; puzzle. No mystery
complementary: he’s good at following a daily could confound Sherlock Holmes for long.
routine, while she’s great at improvising and
handling emergencies. Together they make a conjecture V. surmise; guess. It’s all
great team. conjectures; you can’t really prove anything.
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conviction for murder did not shake Peter’s possibility of arson, we believe the insurance
conviction that Harriet was innocent of the agency should undertake a more extensive
crime. investigation of the fire’s cause.
cordial ADJ. gracious; heartfelt. Our hosts curtail V. shorten; reduce. When Herb asked
greeted us at the airport with a cordial Diane for a date, she said she was really sorry
welcome and a hearty hug. she couldn’t go out with him, but her dad had
ordered her to curtail her social life.
corroborate V. confirm; support. Though Huck
was quite willing to corroborate Tom’s story, debilitate V. weaken; enfeeble. Michael’s
Aunt Polly knew better than to believe either of severe bout of the flu debilitated him so much
them. that he was too tired to go to work for a week.
corrode V. destroy by chemical action. The debunk V. expose as false, exaggerated,
girders supporting the bridge corroded so worthless, etc; ridicule. Pointing out that he
gradually that no one suspected any danger consistently had voted against strengthening
until the bridge suddenly collapsed. corrosion, anti-pollution legislation, reporters debunked
N. the candidate’s claim that he was a fervent
environmentalist.
credulity N. belief on slight evidence;
gullibility; naivete. Con artists take advantage decorum N. propriety; orderliness and good
of the credulity of inexperienced investors to taste in manners. Even the best-mannered
swindle them out of their savings. credulous, students have trouble behaving with decorum
ADJ. on the last day of school. decorous, ADJ.
creed N. system of religious or ethical belief. deference N. courteous regard for another’s
Any loyal American’s creed must emphasize wish. In deference to the minister’s request,
love of democracy. please do not take photographs during the
wedding service.
cryptic ADJ. mysterious; hidden; secret.
Thoroughly baffled by Holmes’s cryptic degradation N. humiliation; debasement;
remarks, Watson wondered whether Holmes degeneration. Some secretaries object to
was intentionally concealing his thoughts about fetching the boss a cup of coffee because they
the crime. resent the degradation of being made to do
such lowly tasks. degrade, V.
culpable ADJ. deserving blame. Corrupt
politicians who condone the activities of the dehydrate V. remove water from; dry out.
gamblers are equally culpable. Running under a hot sun quickly dehydrates
cursory ADJ. casual; hastily done. Because a the body; joggers soon learn to carry water
bottles and to drink from them frequently.
cursory examination of the ruins indicates the
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LIST OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS - 3
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