LESSON XLVII. GENDER FORMS OF PRONOUNS. 1. She surprised her friends. 2. He closed the book, and laid it upon the table. 3. Two of his brothers were with him. 4. The river overflowed its banks. Name the pronouns in these sentences, and tell which denote males, which denote females, and which denote things neither male nor female. Of what gender are nouns or pronouns that denote males? Those that denote females? Those that denote things neither male nor female? The masculine pronouns are he, his, him, and himself. The neuter pronouns are it, its, and itself. The masculine pronoun is generally used to refer to a noun which may denote a person of either sex; as, Every pupil must do his own thinking. The masculine pronoun is used in referring to animals or things that are supposed to possess masculine qualities, and the feminine pronoun is used in referring to animals or things that are supposed to possess feminine qualities; as, The lion springs upon his prey. The neuter pronoun is often used to refer to animals or to young children, in cases where the sex is of no importance; as, The camel kneels to receive its burden. The child closed its eyes. WRITTEN EXERCISE. Copy the following sentences, and underline the pronouns and the nouns to which they refer: 1. Earth with her thousand voices praises God. 2. Every person should strive to do his best. 3. The eagle soared above his nest. 4. "How glorious, through his depths of light, 5. The deer left her delicate foot-print in the soft mould. 7. 8. The sea is mighty, but a mightier sways His restless billows." "The merry lark, he soars on high, No worldly thought o'ertakes him; The nightingale is trilling; With feeling bliss, no less than his, LESSON XLVIII. NOMINATIVE FORMS OF PRONOUNS. 1. We walked to the beach. 2. She joined the children. 3. They are gathering pebbles. What word makes the assertion in the first sentence? What is the subject of the verb walked? Who joined the children? What is the subject of joined ? What does the third sentence tell? What is the subject of the verb? Name the pronouns above that are used as the subjects of verbs. The form of a pronoun that is used as the subject of a verb is called the nominative form. WRITTEN EXERCISES. I. Copy the following sentences, and underline the verbs and the pronouns which are used as the subjects of verbs: 1. We came to a point where four paths met. 2. You surprised us. 3. He stood before the fire. 4. They listened to his story. 5. O silvery streamlet of the field, thou flowest full and free. 6. It stands in an open field. 7. She gathered the flowers in the garden. 8. Ye are of more value than many sparrows. II. Use each of the following pronouns in a sentence, as the subject 1. The flowers were sent to Alice and me. 2. The flowers were sent to us. 3. Margaret reached the door before we saw her. What does the first sentence tell? For whose name is me used? What is the object of to in the second sentence? To what does her refer in the third sentence? Of what is her the object? 1. Henry stepped softly, but we heard him. What is the subject of the verb heard? What is its object? What is the subject of the verb called? Name the subject of the second verb. Name its object. To what does them refer? The form of a pronoun used as the object of a verb or of a preposition is called the objective form. Mention the pronouns in the foregoing sentences that have the objective form. WRITTEN EXERCISES. I. Use each of the following pronouns in a sentence, as the object of a verb or of a preposition: Write five sentences containing pronouns used as the subjects of verbs. LESSON L. POSSESSIVE FORMS OF PRONOUNS. Read the following sentences, and point out the words that denote possession. Tell which forms are used with nouns, and which forms are used when no noun follows the possessive: 7. Her picture did not come. 8. This package is hers. 9. Fred went with his father. 10. Just here the boat made its appearance. |