123. Words
like book, table, flower and apple are “countable nouns”: they are things that
can
be counted. Such nouns can have' plural forms and are used with a/an.
Words like
ink, milk, gold and wisdom are “uncountable nouns”: they are things that
cannot be
counted. Normally uncountable nouns do not have plural forms and cannot be
used with
a/an.
Note that
the following nouns are usually uncountable in English: advice, news,
information,
furniture, luggage, work, business, weather, traffic, scenery, paper (= writing
material),
bread. Most of these are countable in Indian languages and therefore Indian
students
often wrongly use them with a/an and in the plural.
Wrong: --
He gave me an advice.
Right: --
He gave me some advice (or: a piece of advice).
Wrong: --
The sceneries here are very good.
Right:
-- The scenery here is very good.
If you are
thinking of one separate item or unit of an uncountable thing, you may say a
piece of/a
bottle of, etc.
a piece of
advice,
a piece of
work,
a
piece/bar of soap,
a
bottle of milk
124. The
use of the Possessive (or Genitive) Case should be confined to the following :-
(1) Names
of living beings and personified objects; as,
The
Governor's bodyguards; the lion's mane; Nature's laws; Fortune's favourite.
(2) A few
stereotyped phrases; as,
For
conscience' sake, for goodness' sake, at his fingers' ends, out of arm's way,
the boat's
crew.
(3) Nouns
of space or time denoting an amount of something; as,
A
day's work, a hand's breadth, in a year's time.
125. When
two nouns in the possessive case are in apposition the apostrophe with s is
added
to the last only; as,
This is my
uncle, the engineer's office.
My brother
Harry's watch.
For
thy servant David's sake.
125A. When
one noun is qualified by two possessive nouns both must have the
possessive
sign, unless joint possession is indicated.
The King
and Queen's journey to India.
Huntley
and Palmer's biscuits.
126.
Grammarians formerly recommended that the complement of the verb to be, when it
is expressed
by a pronoun, should be in the nominative case. Today the use of the
nominative
form is considered extremely formal and over-correct. We usually use the
objective
form.
It is me.
(Rare: It is I.)
It
was him.
127. The
Object of a verb or of a preposition, when it is a Pronoun, should be in the
Objective
form; as,
Between
you and me (not I) affairs look dark.
There is
really no difference between you and me.
Let you
and me (not I) do it.
Please let
Jack and me go to the theatre.
Her (not
she), who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to regard with something
like
distrust.
Him (not
he), who had always inspired in her a respect which almost overcame her
affection,
she now saw the object of open pleasantry.
He
has given great trouble to my father and me (not I).
128. A
pronoun directly after than or as is usually in the objective case unless there
is a
verb after
it. If a verb follows it, the nominative form is used.
He is
taller than me.
Or: He is
taller than I am. (More formal)
I swim
better than him. Or: I swim better that he does. (More formal)
I am as
tall as her.
Or; I am
as tall as she is. (More formal)
The
nominative form without a verb after it (e.g. 'He is taller than I') is
old-fashioned.
129. A
Pronoun must agree with its Antecedent in person, number and gender.
All
passengers must show their tickets.
Every man
must bear his own burden.
Each of
the girls gave her own version of the affair.
I
am not one of those who believe everything they (not I) hear.
130. In
referring to anybody, everybody, everyone, anyone, each, etc., the pronoun of
the
masculine
or the feminine gender is used according to the context; as,
I
shall be glad to help everyone of my boys in his studies.
What
pronoun should be used to refer back to anybody, everyone, each, etc. when the
sex
is not
determined? Some grammarians recommend that the pronoun of the masculine
gender
should be used, as there is no singular pronoun of the third person to
represent
both male
and female, e.g.,
Anybody
can do it if he tries.
Everyone
ran as fast as he could.
In
present-day English, anybody, everyone, etc. are often followed by a plural
pronoun
(they/them/their)
except in very formal speech or writing.
Anybody
can do it if they try.
Everyone
ran as fast as they could.
Each
of them had their share.
131. The
indefinite pronoun one should be used throughout, if used at all.
One cannot
be too careful about what one (not he) says.
One cannot
be too careful of one's (not his) good name.
One does
not like to have one's word doubted.
One must not
boast of one's own success.
One must
use one's best efforts if one wishes to succeed.
Cannot
one do what one likes with one's own?
It
is better to change the form of the sentence than to keep on repeating one.
132. None
is construed in the singular or plural as the sense may require; as,
Did you
buy any mangoes?
There were
none in the market.
Have you
brought me a letter?
There
was none for you.
When the
singular equally well expresses the sense, the plural is commonly used; as,
None of
these words are now current.
None of
his poems are well known.
None
but fools have believed it.
133.
Anyone should be used when more than two persons or things are spoken of; as,.
She
was taller than anyone (not either) of her five sisters.
134. Each,
either, and neither are distributive pronouns calling attention to the
individuals
forming a
collection, and must accordingly be followed by verbs in the singular.
Each of
the scholars has (not have) done well.
Each
of the men was (not were) paid Rs. 20.
Neither of
them was invited to the party. Neither of the accusations is true.
Either of
the roads leads to the railway station.
He
asked whether either of the brothers was at home.
135. Be
careful to use who (Nominative) and whom (Objective) correctly.
There's
Mr. Dutt, who (not whom) they say is the best portrait painter in the town.
Who (not
whom) they were I really cannot specify.
I was the
man who (not whom) they thought was dead.
He was the
man who (not whom) they determined should be the next mayor.
There are
some who (not whom) I think are clever.
There
are many who (not whom) we know quite well are honest.
One
evening of each week was set apart by him for the reception of whosoever (not
whomsoever)
chose to visit him.
Who (not
whom) did you say was there?
Who (not
whom) do you think she is?
They were
a people whom it was not advisable to excite.
The
student, whom (not who) you thought so highly of, has failed to win the first
prize.
Whom do
you wish to see?
Who
(not whom) do you believe him to be?
Note that
today whom is not usual except in formal English. Who replaces whom in
spoken
English.
Who did
you meet?
Who are
you going with?
This
is the man who I talked about this morning.
As
a relative pronoun who replaces whom only in defining clauses.
136. When
the subject of a verb is a relative pronoun care should be taken to see that
the
verb
agrees in number and person with the antecedent of the relative; as,
This is
one of the most interesting novels that have (not has) appeared this year.
[The
antecedent of that is novels, not one.]
He is one
of the cleverest boys that have passed through the school.
One of the
greatest judges that have ever lived laid this down as law.
It was one
of the best speeches that have ever been made in the Parliament.
This is
the only one of his poems that is (not are) worth reading.
[Here the
antecedent of that is one. "Of his poems this is the only one that is
worth
reading."]
137. A
definite word, as the antecedent of the relative pronoun which make the
sentences
easier to
understand than is possible otherwise. Thus the sentence, "His foot
slipped,
which
caused him to fall heavily," would be easier reading, and hence better, as
;
His
foot slipped, and this caused him to fall heavily.
Similarly
we should say :-
I went
home for my umbrella, and this (rather than which) prevented me from being in
time.
I gave him
a sovereign, and this left me penniless.
He
fell heavily, and this caused him great pain.
138. And
which, but which - The relative itself fulfils the purpose of a conjunction;
hence
no
conjunction should be placed before it except to join together two relative
clauses
referring
to the same antecedent; as,
He
possessed a sandalwood table which was of excellent workmanship, and which had
been
in his family for generations.
But the
following sentences are incorrect:-
He has a
wardrobe of wonderful carving, and which has been in his family for
generations.
They
wished me to drink with them, but which I declined.
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