English for Legal

Advocacy

Module 2
Nouns and Pronouns

Lesson 1:
Plural Forms of Nouns
 General Rule

 Most nouns form their plural by adding “s”

to the singular.

Examples:
section – sections picture - pictures
worker – workers house - houses
wage – wages table - tables
 1.1 Nouns ending in s, x, z, ch

 Nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, and sh form the

plural by adding “es” to the singular.

Examples:
bias – biases torch – torches
box – boxes batch – batches
bush – bushes church - churches
 1.2 Nouns ending in “y”

 Nouns ending “y” preceded by a vowel form

the plural by adding “s” to the singular.

Examples:
day – days survey – surveys
valley – valleys subway - subways
tray – trays gateway – gateways
 1.2 Nouns ending in “y”

 Nouns ending in “y” preceded by a

consonant form the plural by changing the
“y” to “i” and adding “es”.

Examples:
company – companies
responsibility – responsibilities
personality – personalities
casualty – casualties
 1.3 Nouns ending in “f” or “fe”

 Nouns ending in “f” or “fe” change endings

to “ves” to form their plural.

Examples:
leaf – leaves thief – thieves
self – selves wife – wives
half – halves loaf - loaves
 1.4 Nouns ending in “o”

 All nouns ending in “o” preceded by a vowel

form the plural by adding “s” to the
singular.

Examples:
radio – radios
video – videos
stereo - stereos
 1.4 Nouns ending in “o”

 Nouns ending in “o” preceded by a

consonant generally form the plural by
adding “es” to the singular.

Examples:
hero – heroes
echo – echoes
zero - zeroes
 1.4 Nouns ending in “o”

 Some nouns ending in “o” preceded by a

consonant form the plural by adding “s” to
the singular (especially those associated
with music).

Examples:
piano – pianos
alto - altos
 1.4 Nouns ending in “o”

 Some nouns ending in “o” preceded by a

consonant may form the plural by adding
“s” or “es” to the singular.

Examples:
cargo – cargos or cargoes
 1.5 Irregular Nouns

 A few nouns form the plural by a change

within the singular.

Examples:
tooth – teeth
foot – feet
goose – geese
 1.5 Irregular Nouns

 A few nouns form the plural by the addition

of the Old English ending “en”.

Examples:
ox – oxen
man - men
child – children
 1.5 Irregular Nouns

 A few nouns retain the same form in the

plural as in the singular.

Examples:
series information salmon
corps Chinese trout
species swine deer
 1.5 Irregular Nouns

 Some nouns are plural in form, but singular

in meaning and use.

Examples:
news mumps mathematics
measles civics aeronautics
 1.5 Irregular Nouns

 Some nouns are used only in the plural.

Examples:
ashes goods scissors
banns pliers trousers
clothes pincers tweezers
 1.6 Titles & Proper Names

 When a name is preceded by a title, either

the name or the title may be pluralized.
 Mrs. is an exception as it cannot be
pluralized.

Examples:
Miss Cruz The Misses Cruz
The Miss Cruzes
Mr. Lim The Messrs. Lim
The Mr. Lims
 1.7 Nouns of Foreign Origin

 Some nouns taken from foreign languages

retain their foreign plurals.

Examples:
alumnus – alumni alumna – alumnae
fungus – fungi basis – bases
datum – data crisis – crises
criterion - criteria thesis – theses
 1.7 Nouns of Foreign Origin

 Some nouns taken from foreign languages

have both a foreign and an English plural.
The English form is preferred.

Examples:
English Foreign
index indexes indices
formula formulas formulae
memorandum memorandums memoranda
 1.8 Compound Nouns

 Compound nouns usually form the plural

by adding “s” to the most important word
or words.
 Open form – paper doll
 Closed form – proofreader
 Hyphenated – father-in-law

Examples:
proofreader - proofreaders
paper doll - paper dolls
father-in-law - fathers-in-law
 1.8 Compound Nouns

 Compound nouns ending in “ful” form the

plural by adding “s” to the last syllable.
Examples:
cupful – cupfuls
spoonful – spoonfuls
 If a numeral is found before the compound
noun, two words are used as:
Examples:
two cups full
three spoons full
 1.9 Other Nouns

 Numbers, letters, and symbols form the

plural by adding (‟s).

Examples:
There are six 6‟s in 36.
How many A‟s do you have on your card?
Write as many not‟s as you can.
Nouns and Pronouns

Lesson 2:
Possessive Case of
Nouns
 General Rule:
To form possessive noun, add [„s] to
nouns not ending in [s] while add [„] to
nouns ending in [s].
 Nouns not ending in [s]
 Jacky‟s reaction was more of anger rather than of
surprise.
 The client‟s accident report was forwarded to the
insurance company.
 Nouns ending in [s]
 My brothers‟ paintings were sold at auction.

 The lawyers‟ forum focused on election campaign

violations.
 2.1 Proper names ending in [s] usually
form the possessive case by adding [‟s]
after words of one syllable and
apostrophe only after words of more
than one syllable.
 James‟s travel abroad was exciting.
 Jesus‟ teachings reached the present generation.

*If the proper name is followed by a

word beginning with [s], the apostrophe
only is used.
 James‟ store sells ready-to-wear items.
 2.2 In compound nouns, the
possessive sign is added to the end
of the word.
 The retreat master‟s techniques interest the
participants.
 The editor-in-chief‟s note gained public
attention.
 His bodyguard‟s pistol was confiscated at the
entrance.
2.3 If two or more nouns are used together
to indicate joint ownership, attach the
possessive sign to the last noun.
 Bob and Bill‟s restaurant earns a thousand a day.
 Her father and mother‟s advice is to postpone
the wedding.

*If they are used together to indicate

separate ownership, attach the possessive
sign to both nouns.
 Bob‟s and Bill‟s restaurants attract different
types of customers.
 Her father‟s and mother‟s advice contradict each
other.
2.4 Inanimate objects use “of phrase” or
“noun-noun” compounds to show
possession.
 The customers were turned off by the taste of
the food.
 Everyone should see the design of the building.
 Mr. Santos needs to see the branch manager.
 2.5 Certain nouns denoting time,
distance, measure and value use the
possessive form of nouns.

 After a year‟s leave, Tom went back to work.

 A week‟s wage is not enough to pay off his
debts.
 The men really got exhausted after a day‟s
work.
Nouns and Pronouns

Lesson 3:
Kinds and Uses of
Pronouns
 3.1 Personal pronouns are used
refer to a person or a thing.
 I saw you at your store.
 She always gets angry at me.
 He ran after his dad.
 We went to the movie.
 They played until dark.
 You must show your ID’s at the entrance.
 Singular Nominative Objective Possessive

First Person I me my - mine

Second You you your-yours

Person

Third He, She, It him, her, it his, her-

Person hers, its

I saw you at your store.

She always gets angry at me.
He ran after his dad.
 Plural Nominative Objective Possessive

First Person We us our - ours

Second You you your-yours

Person

Third They them their-theirs

Person

We went to the movie.

They played until dark.
You must show your ID’s at the entrance.
 Uses of the Nominative Case

• As subject
– She is our mentor.
– He was our tour guide.
– You are my manager.

• As subjective complement
– Our mentor is she.
– Our tour guide was he.
– My manager is you.
 Uses of the Objective Case

• As direct object
– The principal trusts him.
– Her friends visited her at home.
– The visitors like them.

• As indirect object
– My cousin gave me a box of perfumes.
– Her parents provide her monthly allowance.
– The bride’s parents awarded them a rest
house.
 Uses of the Objective Case

• As object of the preposition

– This book is for him.
– The orphan slept with them.
– The manager accepted the offer from her.

• As object of the infinitive

– I need to see them before they go.
– The guest brought the gift to the store to wrap
it.
– The campers are going to the forest to find her.
 3.2 Demonstrative pronouns are
used to point to or identify a noun.

 Singular
 This computer performs a lot of operations.
 That is a new store over there.

 Plural
 These are samples of her study.
 The bank manager needs to sign those papers.
 3.3 Indefinite Pronouns function as
nouns in a sentence but do not take the
place of a specific person or thing. They
refer to no one in particular.
 Singular
anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody,
something, everyone, everybody, everything, one,
either, neither
Examples:
• Nobody wants to give up his seat in the theater.
• Something is wrong with this essay.
• Everybody should stand when the national anthem
is played.
 3.3 Indefinite Pronouns function as
nouns in a sentence but do not take the
place of a specific person or thing. They
refer to no one in particular.
 Plural
few, several, both, most, all, some

Examples:
• Only a few stayed after the speech of the president.
• Several could be recycled.
• Both are equally competent and deserving of the
award.
 3.4 Relative Pronouns introduce
adjective clauses and are used to refer
to nouns or pronouns they follow.

what, who, where, when, why, which, that

Examples:
• This is the area where they buried the chest.
• The company hires applicants who have good
communication skills.
• The financing scheme that the manager approved
is beneficial to the company.
3.5 Interrogative Pronouns are used
in asking questions.
what, who, where, when, why, which,
how, how many, how often, how
(adjective), how much

Examples:
• Why is the traffic condition worsening in your city?
• How often does the father travel to Africa?
• How clear are his intentions?
• Who sponsored the bill?
• When is the deadline for the payment of taxes?
 3.6 Reflexive/Intensive Pronouns
end with –self for the singular and –
selves for the plural.
 Singular
 myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself

 Plural
 ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Examples:
• Laura fed herself when her parents were away.
• The dog took care of itself when its master died.
• Her parents themselves presented her to the
authorities.
• Paulo himself destroyed the lock.
Reflexive indicates that someone or something
named in a sentence acts upon itself and
functions as object in the sentence.
 Laura fed herself when her parents were away.
 The dog took care of itself when its master died.

Intensive emphasizes that no one or nothing

does the action except the noun or pronoun it
follows.
• Her parents themselves presented her to the
authorities.
• Paulo himself destroyed the lock.
Nouns and Pronouns

Lesson 4:
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
 Does the pronoun agree with its
antecedent?
 A dedicated musician should practice playing
their instrument every day.

 When a candidate runs for office, they must

expect to have their personal life scrutinized.

 According to tenets of the “new urbanism,”

everyone needs to consider the relationship of
their house to the surrounding community.
A pronoun is a word that is used in place
of a noun.
The president of the sorority informed her
members of their outreach activity.

An antecedent is a word (noun/pronoun)

that is referred to by the pronoun in the
sentence.
The male speaker started his speech with a
brief account of his good fortune.
 General Rule

A pronoun must agree in person and number with its

antecedent, the word to which the pronoun refers.
• Singular pronouns are used to refer to singular
antecedents.
• Mr. Santos sold his farm to his brother.
• Even though the party was fun, it was crowded.
• Because this dollhouse is almost 300 years old,
it is historically important.
• An astronaut conducts his or her experiments
during the flight.
 General Rule
A pronoun must agree in person and number with its
antecedent, the word to which the pronoun refers.

• Plural pronouns are used to refer to plural

antecedents.
• The brothers sold their farm to their uncle.
• People often like parties because they get to see
old friends.
• The furnishings are noticeably different from
their modern counterparts.
• Artists would like their creation to last for
hundreds of years.
 4.1 Compound Antecedents joined by
AND
Use a plural pronoun to refer to compound
antecedents joined by AND.

 The captain and his assistant were rescued on their

fourth day at sea.
 The boss and the employees found their office
heavily flooded.
 The tiny chest and dresser still have their original
hardware.
 4.2 Compound Antecedents joined by
OR/NOR
Compound antecedents joined by OR or NOR
use a singular pronoun when both of them are
singular.

 Either the president or the vice president gave his

or her approval on the project.
 Neither the driver nor the passenger gave his or her
money to the beggar.
 4.2 Compound Antecedents joined by
OR/NOR
Compound antecedents joined by OR or NOR
use a plural pronoun when both of them are
plural.

 Either the new students or the old ones will give

their consent to the tuition fee increase.
 Neither the union officers nor the supervisors affixed
their signatures on the new collective bargaining
agreement.
 4.2 Compound Antecedents joined by
OR/NOR
When one antecedent is singular and the other
one is plural, use a pronoun that agrees with
the nearer antecedent.

 Neither the astronauts nor NASA neglected

its duties.
 Neither NASA nor the astronauts neglected
their duties.
 4.3 Collective Nouns as Antecedents

When a collective noun refers to a group as a

single unit, use a singular pronoun, but when a
collective noun refers to a group‟s members or
individuals, use a plural pronoun.

 The family that owns the house loaned its

treasure to the library.
 The family wanted their friends to see the
house.
4.4 Indefinite Pronouns as Antecedents

Singular pronouns are used to refer to

singular indefinite pronouns used as
antecedents.

 Each member may claim his or her ticket

from the secretary.
 Anyone can send his or her question to my
email.
4.4 Indefinite Pronouns as Antecedents

Plural pronouns are used to refer to plural

indefinite pronouns used as antecedent.

 Some indicated their contact numbers on

the registration form.
 All want their refund to be paid on time.
4.4 Indefinite Pronouns as Antecedents

Some indefinite pronouns can be singular or

plural. Use the meaning of the sentence to
determine whether the indefinite pronoun is
singular or plural.

 Some of the equipment was still packed in

its containers. (singular)
 Some of the race teams were still looking for
their equipment. (plural)
4.5 Relative Pronouns as Antecedents

Use the relative pronoun WHO or WHOM

when the antecedent is a person or animal
with a name.

 The manager promoted the supervisor who always

submitted his report on time.
 The zookeeper provided Marty, who is the oldest
among the parrots, its own cage.
 The cashier whom the owner trusts was given a
considerable raise in her salary.
4.5 Relative Pronouns as Antecedents
Use the relative pronoun WHICH when the
antecedent is an idea, thing, or animal.
 The video which has been trending for three weeks
now was uploaded by a Grade 5 pupil.
 The OFW discovered that the contract which he
signed with the company is fake.

Use the relative pronoun THAT when the

antecedent is either a person, idea, or object.
 The house that Jack built was featured on TV.
 The guest speaker was impressed at the participant
that asked a challenging question.
 Nouns and Pronouns

Lesson 5:
Errors in Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
 Errors in Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement

Violations in pronoun-antecedent
agreement happen when a pronoun fails
to refer clearly to one clear noun called its
antecedent.
 Vague Pronoun Reference
A vague pronoun reference happens when a
sentence uses a pronoun without a clear noun
antecedent.
Example 1:
 After Ben took the radio out of the car, he sold it. (Did Ben
sell the radio or the car?)
 Ben sold the car after he took the radio out of it.

Example 2:
 Despite the long wait, they say that the new Thai restaurant is
excellent. (Who is “they?”)
 Despite the long wait, all my friends say that the new Thai
restaurant is excellent.
 A vague pronoun reference happens when a
sentence uses a pronoun without a clear noun
antecedent.
Example 3:
 Einstein was a brilliant mathematician. This is how he
was able to explain the universe.
 Einstein, who was a brilliant mathematician, used his
ability with numbers to explain the universe.
Example 4:
 Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment
than in economic development, he sometimes neglects it.
 Because of his interest in economic development, Senator
Martin sometimes neglects the environment.
 5.1 Too Many Antecedents

Example 1:
 Take the radio out of the car and fix it.
 Take the radio out of the car and fix the radio.

Example 2:
 The supervisors told the workers that they would receive a
bonus.
 The supervisors complimented the workers on receiving a
bonus.
 The supervisors told the workers to expect a bonus.
 The supervisors told the workers that they themselves are
expecting a bonus.
 5.2 Hidden Antecedents

Example 1:
 The candy dish was empty, but we were tired of eating it
anyway.
 The candy dish was empty, but we were tired of eating candy
anyway.
Example 2:
• Mark called Mary’s house all day, but she never answered the
phone.
• Mark called Mary’s house all day, but Mary never answered
the phone.
• Mark called Mary all day, but she never answered the phone.
• Mary never answered the phone although Mark called her all
day.
 5.3 No Antecedent at All

Example 1:
 The witness called the television station, but they didn’t
answer.
 The witness called the television station, but the
reporters didn’t answer.

Example 2:
• Although Mrs. Smith was wealthy, she made poor use of
it.
• Although Mrs. Smith was wealthy, she made poor use of
her wealth.
• Although Mrs. Smith had a lot of money, she made poor
use of it.
 5.3 No Antecedent at All

Example 3:
 It says in the paper that the legislation was passed.
 The paper says that the legislation was passed.
 According to the paper, the legislation was passed.

Example 4:
• I did not attend the rally, which was very
unpatriotic of me.
• I did not attend the rally. My actions were very
unpatriotic.
• By not attending the rally, I was very unpatriotic.
• Not attending the rally was very unpatriotic of me.
 Test I. Improve the following paragraph for
pronoun-antecedent agreement. Write C if the
statement does not have pronoun-antecedent error.

(1) One of the most popular sports worldwide holds their events in
stadiums, on city streets, and on mountain roads. (2) That sport is auto
racing. (3) Many of the drivers are professionals who earn his or her
living from competing. (4) Tens of thousands more, however, are
amateurs who participate at their own expense. (5) There are many kinds
of auto races, and almost anyone can test their abilities in one of them. (6)
For example, some of the drivers in kart races have only celebrated his or
her eighth birthday. (7) However, most of the people interested in racing
get their pleasure from watching others race. (8) Almost everybody in the
United States has heard of drag racing, even if they haven’t seen it. (9)
Several of the other well known races are known by its French name,
Grand Prix, which means “large prize.” (10) All of these races draw
hundreds of thousands of spectators to its course on roads in Canada, the
United States, Monaco, and other countries.
 Test II. Paragraph Writing

 Write a paragraph of 10 sentences on the following

topic: Legal Profession is a Challenging
Profession.

 Be sure to observe pronoun-antecedent rules in all

your sentences.