This document contains notes from a grammar and writing class. It discusses upcoming exams and events, examples of pronoun errors from student work, rules around pronoun agreement and reference, and exercises to practice these concepts. It also covers cause and effect paragraphs and the difference between "affect" and "effect". Students are asked to rewrite a paragraph applying the corrections around absolutes. Homework involves reading about comparison and contrast and completing related exercises.

1. November 29, 2010
Grammar and Writing

2. Housekeeping
• Exams are partially marked. My goal is to give
them back to you on Monday.
• Return Novel this week please!
(Erase all pencil markings first!)
• Make-up in-class paragraphs will be marked
and handed back when I get time.

3. Upcoming School Events
– Christmas Party, Monday, December 13th 12-2 pm in
Room 101
– Roberts Choir Christmas Concert, Tuesday, December 7th,
7:30 pm at St. Paul’s Church (Pendrell and Jervis). Free
Admission. Donations to food bank encouraged.
– Christmas Hamper Drive until December 10th. Bring new
or nearly new items of food, toys, clothing, etc. to
School. Drop them off in one of the red boxes in Room
101. Things collected will go to needy families in
Vancouver.

4. Student Sentences
1. I really wanted to move to a country where their
the first language is English.
2. The second problem is the money that drug
users need to buy drugs. A desperate person
who needs it drugs could commit a crime.
3. I need to write about my feelings and emotions
and to share them with others. In order to
express my feelings completely I need to
improve my English skills.

5. Pronoun Agreement and Reference, p. 470
Agreement
Pronouns must agree in number with the noun they replace
(its antecedent).
NOT: The student forgot their homework.
BUT: The student forgot his homework. (his/her, alternate
genders, s/he)
NOT: Sally eats lots of vegetables because she believes it is
really healthy.
BUT: Sally eats lots of vegetables because she believes they
are really healthy.

6. Activity 1, p. 472
Write the appropriate pronoun (their, they,
them, it) in the blank space in each of the
following sentences.
1. their - people
2. it - workout
3. their - partners
4. they - students
5. them - neighbours

7. Indefinite Pronouns
We’ve already learned that indefinite pronouns (-one
words, –body words, each, etc.) are always singular.
So, pronouns that replace or refer to them must also
always be singular.
Ex: Everyone must be in his seat before the instructor
takes attendance.
However, this is a bit unsatisfactory. Why?

8. Indefinite Pronouns
If the class contains both genders, you can write:
Ex: Everyone must be in his or her seat before the
instructor takes attendance.
Or, rewrite the sentence in the plural to avoid the
awkward “his or her”:
Ex: Students must be in their seats before the instructor
takes attendance.

9. Activity 2, p. 473
Underline the correct pronoun. Check your
answers against a classmate’s.
1. his
2. her
3. his
4. her
5. her
Make note of any disagreements to discuss.

10. Pronoun Reference, p. 473
Careless use of pronouns can result in confusing
sentences:
Ex: Joe almost dropped out of high school because
he felt they emphasized discipline too much.
• Who does “they” refer to?
• Replace “they” with a clear noun:
Ex: Joe almost dropped out of high school because
he felt the teachers emphasized discipline too
much.

11. Activity 3, p. 474
Review the other examples before doing this activity.
Then, rewrite each of the following sentences to make the vague pronoun reference
clear. Add, change, or omit words as necessary.
1. Maria’s mother let Maria wear her new earrings to school. (still unclear)
– Maria was wearing her earrings to school because her mother let her wear them.
– Maria was wearing her mother’s new earrings to school with her mother’s
permission.
– Maria got permission to wear her mother’s new earrings to school.
2. When I asked the examiner why I failed the driver’s test, he said I drove too slowly.
– When I asked why I failed my driver’s test, the officer said I drove too slowly.
– Because I drove too slowly, I failed the driver’s test.
– The officer said, because I drove too slowly, I failed the driver’s test.
– The officer said I failed the driver’s test because I drove too slowly.

12. Activity 3, p. 474
3. Dad ordered my brother to paint the garage because my dad didn’t
want to do it.
– Dad ordered my brother to paint the garage because my brother didn’t
want to do it.
– My brother didn’t want to paint the garage so my dad ordered him to
do it.
– Because my brother/dad didn’t want to paint the garage, my dad
ordered him to do it.
4. . . . because he thought the teachers assigned too much reading.
5. I love Parmesan cheese on veal, but dairy does not always digest well.
– I love Parmesan cheese on veal, but veal does not always digest well.
– I love Parmesan cheese on veal, but the combination does not always
digest well.
– I love Parmesan cheese on veal, but I do not always digest dairy well.

13. Cause and Effect Paragraphs
Absolutes (always, never, will, etc.)
• Avoid the use of “absolutes” unless you can
prove that something is certain without a doubt
or exception.
Ex: The negative impact of chatting online on
students is that it will might/could devastate
their future.
• Instead, use words that allow for more than one
possibility, like “might,” “may,” “sometimes,”
“often,” “hardly ever,” etc.

14. Cause and Effect Paragraphs
Absolutes (Cont’d.)
Ex: New immigrants always often/usually have
difficulty with language.
Ex: First of all, online chatting [could kill/may
harm/could have a bad effect on] our young
generation.

15. Cause and Effect Paragraphs
Affect/Effect (bottom of p. 571)
Affect (v.) – to influence
Effect (n.) – result
*Effect (v.) – to bring about something (make, create)
Ex: The HST is going to affect (v.) my budget.
Ex: The effect (n.) of the tough new drinking and driving laws is that
most people are afraid to even have a glass of wine at a restaurant.
Ex: What effect (n.) will this new law have on you?
*Ex: Some people get into politics for power; others really want to
effect (v.) change.
*This use is less common.

16. Re-write Cause and Effect Paragraph
• Review my corrections.
• Then rewrite the paragraph on a clean sheet of
paper, making the corrections indicated.
• If you’ve thought about it but still don’t know
how to make the correction, ASK ME!
• Staple the rewrite to the front of the original.
• Write your name on the top left corner.
Worth 3 possible marks (not bonus marks this
time).

17. Homework
• Read Ch. 11, Comparison or Contrast, p. 222-
230.
• Do Activity 1 (p. 226-227) and Questions (p.
229-230)
• Be prepared for discussion and in-class work
on “comparison or contrast” on Wednesday!!!