Written Expression: Subject and Object Pronoun (Skill 21)

 Previous Skill: Countable and Uncountable Noun (Skill 21)

Pronouns are words such as he, she, or it that take the place of nouns. One common problem with pronouns on the TOEFL test is that subject and object pronouns are confused, so you should be able to recognize these two types of pronouns.

A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a verb. An object pronoun can be used as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition. Compare the following two sentences.

In the second sentence, the subject pronoun she is replacing the noun Marie. The object of the verb it is replacing the noun phrase the film, and the object of the preposition him is replacing the noun Barry.

The following are examples of the types of subject or object pronoun errors that you might see on the TOEFL test.

Me* and my friend are taking a trip.

Our neighbors are going with you and I*

1. In the first example, the object pronoun me is incorrect because this pronoun serves as the subject of the sentence. The object pronoun me should be changed to the subject pronoun I. It can be difficult to recognize that me is the subject because the verb are has a double subject, me and my friend.
2. In the second example, the subject pronoun I is incorrect because this pronoun serves as the object of the preposition with. The subject pronoun I should be changed to the object pronoun me. It can be difficult to recognize that I is the object of the preposition with because the preposition with has two objects: the correct object you and the incorrect object I.

EXERCISE 21: Each of the following sentences contains at least one subject or object pronoun. Circle the pronouns. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. You should do it for her. (C)

    Analysis:

• It is correct it functions as Object pronoun

2. They helped she with the work. (I)

    Analysis:

• She is Subject Pronoun.
• But, the sentence needs Object Pronoun "her". So, the correct sentence is They helped her with the work. 

3. Her and Bob came over to visit me. (I)

    Analysis:

• Her is Object pronoun.
• It should be Subject Pronoun " She". So, the correct sentence is She and Bob came over to visit me

4. I brought it for you and them.

    Analysis:

• Subject Pronoun "I" is correct.
• Object pronoun "You and Them" is correct too.

 5. He opened the refrigerator and took some food from it. (C)

    Analysis:

• Subject pronoun "He" is correct and Object pronoun "it" is correct, too.

 6. She lent it to you and I. (I)

    Analysis:

• Subject pronoun "She" is correct.
• Object pronoun "I" is incorrect. It should be "me" as object pronoun.
  

7. She spent all the money on them.(C)

    Analysis:

• Subject pronoun "She" is correct.
• Object Pronoun "Them" is correct, too

 8. You forgot to give it to they. (I)

      Analysis:

• Object pronoun "it" is correct.
• Subject pronoun "they" is incorrect. It should be Object pronoun "them". So the correct sentence is You forgot to give it to them.

 9. We offered she a place to stay. (I)

     Analysis:

• Subject pronoun "she" is incorrect. It should be object pronoun "her"

10. They watched us play with it. (C)

      Analysis:

• Object pronoun "us" and " it" is correct

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Next Skill 22: Possessive

Agreement after prepositional phrase (Skill 11)

Previous Article: Strategy for written expression


Subject/verb agreement is simple: if the subject of a sentence is singular, then the verb must be singular; if the subject of the sentence is plural, then the verb must be plural. An s on a verb usually indicates that a verb is singular, while an s on a noun usually indicates that the noun is plural. (Do not forget irregular plurals of nouns such as women, children, and people.)

The dog barks at night.

The dogs bark at night.

In the first example, the singular subject dog requires a singular verb, barks. In the second example, the plural subject dogs requires a plural verb, bark.

Sometimes prepositional phrases can come between the subject and the verb on the TOEFL test, and this can cause confusion. If the object of the preposition is singular and the subject is plural, or if the object of the preposition is plural and the subject is singular, there can be a problem in making the subject and verb agree.

In the first example, you might think that rooms is the subject because it comes directly in front of the verb are. However, rooms is not the subject because it is the object of the preposition to. The subject of the sentence is door, so the verb should be is. In the second example, you might think that room is the subject because it comes directly in front of the verb is. You should recognize in this example that room is not the subject because it is the object of the preposition to. Because the subject of the sentence is doors, the verb should be are.

The following chart outlines the key information that you should understand about subject/verb agreement with prepositional phrases.

EXERCISE 11: Each of the following sentences has one or more prepositional phrases between the subject and verb. Put parentheses around the prepositional phrases. Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. The subject (of the lectures) was quite interesting. (C)

    Analysis:

•  The subject is SUBJECT  and was is VERB. (Correct)
•   "Lectures" is not SUBJECT, it is object after preposition "OF".

2. The supplies (for the camping trip) needs to be packed. (I)

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is The supplies and VERB is needs.( incorrect).
• Needs should be Need because The supplies is plural
• "the camping trip" is only object after prepositional "FOR".

3. The chairs under the table in the dining room is quite comfortable. (I)

     Analysis:

• SUBJECT is "The chairs" and VERB is  "is". (Incorrect).
• "is" should be "are" because "The chairs" is plural.
• "the dining room" is only object after prepepostion    

4. The players on the winning team in the competition were very talented. (C)

     Analysis:

• SUBJECT is The players and VERB is were. (correct)

5. The food for the guests at the party are on the long tables.

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is The food and VERB is are. (Incorrect)
• "are" should be "is" because The food is uncountable noun/singular

6. The cost of the clothes was higher than I had expected. (C)

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is The cost and VERB is was. (Correct)

7. The rugs in the front rooms of the house are going to be washed today.(C)

     Analysis:

• SUBJECT is The rugs and VERB is are. (Correct)

8. The servers in this restaurant always does their job efficiently. (I)

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is "The servers" and VERB is "does". (incorrect).
• "does" should be "do" because the servers is plural.

9. The lights in the corner of the room need to be kept on all night.(C)

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is "The lights" and VERB is "need". (Correct)

10. The meeting of the members of the council begins at 3:00 in the afternoon. (C)

    Analysis:

• SUBJECT is "the meeting" and VERB is "begins". (Correct)

Next problem/skill: Problem/skill with Agreement after expression of quantity (some, all, half, most and part).

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns (Skill 20)

Previous Written expression problem: Singular ad Plural nouns (Skill 19)

In English, nouns are classified as countable or uncountable. For certain questions on the TOEFL test, it is necessary to distinguish countable and uncountable nouns in order to use the correct modifiers with them.

      As the name implies, countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. Count able nouns can come in quantities of one, or two, or a hundred, etc. The noun book is countable because you can have one book or several books.

     Uncountable nouns, on the other hand, are nouns that cannot be counted because they come in some indeterminate quantity or mass. A noun such as milk or happiness cannot be counted; you cannot have one milk or two milks, and you cannot find one happiness or two happinesses. Uncountable nouns are often liquid items such as water oil, or shampoo. Uncountable nouns can also refer to abstract ideas such as security, friendship, or hope.

     It is important for you to recognize the difference between countable and uncountable nouns when you come across such key words as much and many.

They have taken much* trips recently.

There was not many* water in the pool.

In the first example, much is incorrect because trips is countable. This sentence should say many trips. In the second example, many is incorrect because water is uncountable. This sentence should say much water.

The following chart lists the key words that indicate to you whether a noun is countable or uncountable.

EXERCISE 20: Each of the following sentences contains at least one key word to tell you if a noun is countable or uncountable. Circle the key words. Draw arrows to the nouns they describe. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. She will visit in a few months. (C)

    Analysis:

• a few is followed by countable noun and months is countable noun, too.
• So, a few months is correct.

2. Many are unnecessary. (I)

    Analysis:

• There should be countable noun object after Many.

3. You need to show a little kindness. (C)

    Analysis:

• little is followed by uncountable noun and kindness is uncountable noun, too.
• So, a little kindness is correct.

 4. You have a number of choice.(I)

     Analysis:

• a number should be follow by plural of countable noun. choice should be choices. So it should be a number of choices.

 5. There was a large amount of apples in the bowl. (I)

    Analysis:

• apples is countable noun
• amount is followed by countable noun 
• So, it should be a number of apples, not amount of apples.

6. We have fewer opportunities now.(C)

    Analysis:

• fewe is followed by countable noun and opportunities is countable noun.
• So, fewer opportunities is correct

7. How much money is left? (C)

    Analysis:

• much is followed by uncountable noun and money is uncountable noun, too.
• So much money is correct.

8. He caused less problems this time. (I)

    Analysis:

• less is followed by uncountable noun
• problems is countable noun. So less problems is incorrect. It should be fewer problems.

9. They need a little times to finish their work. (I)

    Analysis:

• little is followed by uncountable noun
• time is uncountable noun and should be time (no S). So a little times is incorrect. It should be a little time.

10. He visited many exotic places.(C)

Analysis:

• exotic places are countable noun 
• many should be followed by countable noun, too. So many exotic places is correct.

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Next Skill 21: Subject and Object Pronoun

Written Expression: Possessive (Skill 22)

Previous Skill: Subject and Object Pronoun (Skill 21)


Possessive adjectives and pronouns both show who or what “owns” a noun. However, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns do not have the same function, and these two kinds of possessives can be confused on the TOEFL test. A possessive adjective describes a noun: it must be accompanied by a noun. A possessive pronoun takes the place of a noun: it cannot be accompanied by a noun.

Notice that in the first example the possessive adjective her is accompanied by the noun television. In the second example, the possessive pronoun hers is not accompanied by a noun.

The following chart outlines the possessives and their uses.

These examples show the types of errors that are possible with possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns on the TOEFL test.

The students turned in theirs* papers.

I would like to borrow your*.

• In the first example, the possessive pronoun theirs is incorrect because it is accompanied by the noun papers, and a possessive pronoun cannot be accompanied by a noun. The possessive adjective their is needed in the first example. 
• In the second example, the possessive adjective your is incorrect because it is not accompanied by a noun, and a possessive adjective must be accompanied by a noun. The possessive pronoun yours is needed in the second example.

EXERCISE 22: Each of the following sentences contains at least one possessive pronoun or adjective. Circle the possessives in these sentences. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. She cut hers hair recently. (I)

    Analysis:

• Hers should be her.

2. We will take our car or theirs. (C)

3. Please lend me yours notes from the history lecture. (I)

    Analysis:

• Yours should be your

 4. I like his ideas and hers. (C)

5. The tree fell on its side during the storm. (C)

6. My desk is located near hers. (C)

7. Theirs suggestion was unrealistic. (I)

    Analysis:

• Theirs should be their

8. Our appointment is just after your. (I)

    Analysis:

• your should be yours

9. Your friends and my friends are coming to our party. (C)

10. You don’t have yours gloves with you, but I have mine. (I)

     Analysis:

• yours should be your

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Next Skill 23: Pronoun Reference