DEMONSTRATIVE, INDEFINITE AND DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS
Consider the following sentences:-This is a present from my uncle.
These are merely excuses,
Both cars are good; but this is better than that Mumbai mangoes are better than those of Bangalore.
Make haste, that's a good boy. [Here that - one who makes haste.]
There is no period in ancient-Indian history so glorious as that of the Guptas. [Do not write, “as the Guptas”]
My views are quite in accordance with those of the University Commission.
I may have offended, but such was not my intention.
He was the representative of the King, and as such (= the representative of the King) they honoured him.
The stranger is welcomed as such.
That is the Red Fort.
This, that, etc. are (Demonstrative) Adjectives when they are used with nouns; as, This book is mine.
That pen is yours. These books are mine. Those pens are yours. What was that noise?
This horse is better than that horse., All such people ought to be avoided.
This refers to what is close at hand, and nearest to the thought or person of the speaker; that refers to what is 'over there', farther] away, and more remote.
This is better than that.
That, with its plural those, is used to avoid the repetition of a preceding Noun; as, The climate of Belgaum is like that of Pune.
The streets of this city are worse than those of Ahmedabad. Our soldiers were better drilled than those of enemies. The rivers of America are larger than those of Europe.
When two things which have been already mentioned are referred to, this refers to the thing last mentioned, that to the thing first mentioned; as,
Virtue and vice offer themselves for your choice; this (i.e., vice) leads to misery, that (i.e., virtue) to happiness,
Alcohol and tobacco are both injurious; this perhaps, less than that.
Consider the following sentences: One hardly knows what to do.
One does not like to say so, but it is only too true.
One cannot be too careful of one's (not, his) good name.
One must not boast of one's own success.
One must use one's best efforts if one wishes to succeed.
One must not praise one's self.
None of his poems are well known.
None but fools have ever believed it.
[None is a shortened form of not one; yet it is commonly used with plural verbs].
They (= people in general) say he has lost heavily.
They say that one of the local banks has stopped payment. [They say = it is said by some persons.]
All were drowned.
Some are born great.
Some say he is a sharper.
Somebody has stolen my watch.
Nobody was there to rescue the child.
Few escaped unhurt.
Many of them were Gurkhas.
We did not see any of them again.
One or other of us will be there.
Do good to others.
Did you ask anybody to come?
What is everybody's business is nobody's business.
His words are in everyone's mouth.
All these Pronouns in italics refer to persons or things in a general way, but do not refer to any person or thing in particular. They are, therefore, called Indefinite Pronouns.
Most of these words may also be used as Adjectives.
I will take you there one day.
Any fool can do that.
He is a man of few words.
Some milk was spilt.
In referring to anybody, everybody, everyone, anyone, each etc., the pronoun he or she is used according to the context; as,
I shall be glad to help everyone of my boys in his studies.
Note that today it is more usual to use a plural pronoun (they/ them/their) except in very formal English.
Anybody can do it if they try.
Each of them had their share.
Consider the following sentences:-
Each of the boys gets a prize.
Each took it in turn.
Either of these roads leads to the railway station.
Either of you can go.
Neither of the accusations is true.
Each, either, neither are called Distributive Pronouns because they refer to persons or things one at a time. For this reason they are always singular and as such followed by the verb in the singular.
Note:- Each is used to denote every one of a number of persons or things taken singly.
Either means the one or the other of two.
Neither means not the one nor the other of two. It is the negative of either.
Hence either and neither should be used only in speaking of two persons or things. When more than two are spoken of, any, no one, none should be used.
The position of the pronoun each should be noticed. It may have three positions.
1. Each of the men received a reward.
Each of these horses cost five thousand rupees.
I bought each of these mangoes for three rupees.
2. These men received each a reward.
These horses cost each five thousand rupees.
These horses cost five thousand rupees each. I bought these mangoes for three rupees each.
The third order is usual after a numeral. We do not say, 'The men received a reward each'; but we say, 'The men received five hundred rupees each'.
In the following sentences, each, either and neither are used as Adjectives; they are followed by nouns of the singular number:-
Each boy took his turn. Neither accusation is true.
At either end was a marble statue. (Here either = each or both.)
Study the following sentences :-
The two men hate each other.
They cheated one another.
If we analyse them, they mean-
The two men hate, each hates the other.
They cheated, one cheated another.
Each and one really belong to the subject, other and another are objects. But each other and one another have become in practice compound pronouns (called Reciprocal Pronouns) and are rarely separated even by a preposition. Thus we say:
The brothers quarrelled with each other.
They all gave evidence against one another.
Note - The one-time rule that each other should be used in speaking of two persons or things, one another in speaking of more than two is no longer strictly observed. 'The three brothers quarrelled with each other' is now accepted as idiomatic.
Consider the following sentences:-This is a present from my uncle.
These are merely excuses,
Both cars are good; but this is better than that Mumbai mangoes are better than those of Bangalore.
Make haste, that's a good boy. [Here that - one who makes haste.]
There is no period in ancient-Indian history so glorious as that of the Guptas. [Do not write, “as the Guptas”]
My views are quite in accordance with those of the University Commission.
I may have offended, but such was not my intention.
He was the representative of the King, and as such (= the representative of the King) they honoured him.
The stranger is welcomed as such.
That is the Red Fort.
It will be noticed that the Pronouns in italics are used to point out the objects to which they refer, and are, therefore, called Demonstrative Pronouns.
This, that, etc. are (Demonstrative) Adjectives when they are used with nouns; as, This book is mine.
That pen is yours. These books are mine. Those pens are yours. What was that noise?
This horse is better than that horse., All such people ought to be avoided.
This refers to what is close at hand, and nearest to the thought or person of the speaker; that refers to what is 'over there', farther] away, and more remote.
This is better than that.
That, with its plural those, is used to avoid the repetition of a preceding Noun; as, The climate of Belgaum is like that of Pune.
The streets of this city are worse than those of Ahmedabad. Our soldiers were better drilled than those of enemies. The rivers of America are larger than those of Europe.
When two things which have been already mentioned are referred to, this refers to the thing last mentioned, that to the thing first mentioned; as,
Virtue and vice offer themselves for your choice; this (i.e., vice) leads to misery, that (i.e., virtue) to happiness,
Alcohol and tobacco are both injurious; this perhaps, less than that.
Indefinite Pronouns
Consider the following sentences: One hardly knows what to do.
One does not like to say so, but it is only too true.
One cannot be too careful of one's (not, his) good name.
One must not boast of one's own success.
One must use one's best efforts if one wishes to succeed.
One must not praise one's self.
None of his poems are well known.
None but fools have ever believed it.
[None is a shortened form of not one; yet it is commonly used with plural verbs].
They (= people in general) say he has lost heavily.
They say that one of the local banks has stopped payment. [They say = it is said by some persons.]
All were drowned.
Some are born great.
Some say he is a sharper.
Somebody has stolen my watch.
Nobody was there to rescue the child.
Few escaped unhurt.
Many of them were Gurkhas.
We did not see any of them again.
One or other of us will be there.
Do good to others.
Did you ask anybody to come?
What is everybody's business is nobody's business.
His words are in everyone's mouth.
All these Pronouns in italics refer to persons or things in a general way, but do not refer to any person or thing in particular. They are, therefore, called Indefinite Pronouns.
Most of these words may also be used as Adjectives.
I will take you there one day.
Any fool can do that.
He is a man of few words.
Some milk was spilt.
In referring to anybody, everybody, everyone, anyone, each etc., the pronoun he or she is used according to the context; as,
I shall be glad to help everyone of my boys in his studies.
Note that today it is more usual to use a plural pronoun (they/ them/their) except in very formal English.
Anybody can do it if they try.
Each of them had their share.
Distributive Pronouns
Consider the following sentences:-
Each of the boys gets a prize.
Each took it in turn.
Either of these roads leads to the railway station.
Either of you can go.
Neither of the accusations is true.
Each, either, neither are called Distributive Pronouns because they refer to persons or things one at a time. For this reason they are always singular and as such followed by the verb in the singular.
Note:- Each is used to denote every one of a number of persons or things taken singly.
Either means the one or the other of two.
Neither means not the one nor the other of two. It is the negative of either.
Hence either and neither should be used only in speaking of two persons or things. When more than two are spoken of, any, no one, none should be used.
The position of the pronoun each should be noticed. It may have three positions.
1. Each of the men received a reward.
Each of these horses cost five thousand rupees.
I bought each of these mangoes for three rupees.
2. These men received each a reward.
These horses cost each five thousand rupees.
These horses cost five thousand rupees each. I bought these mangoes for three rupees each.
The third order is usual after a numeral. We do not say, 'The men received a reward each'; but we say, 'The men received five hundred rupees each'.
In the following sentences, each, either and neither are used as Adjectives; they are followed by nouns of the singular number:-
Each boy took his turn. Neither accusation is true.
At either end was a marble statue. (Here either = each or both.)
Study the following sentences :-
The two men hate each other.
They cheated one another.
If we analyse them, they mean-
The two men hate, each hates the other.
They cheated, one cheated another.
Each and one really belong to the subject, other and another are objects. But each other and one another have become in practice compound pronouns (called Reciprocal Pronouns) and are rarely separated even by a preposition. Thus we say:
The brothers quarrelled with each other.
They all gave evidence against one another.
Note - The one-time rule that each other should be used in speaking of two persons or things, one another in speaking of more than two is no longer strictly observed. 'The three brothers quarrelled with each other' is now accepted as idiomatic.
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