Module 1: Parts of Speech
Part 1: Pronouns & Antecedents
A pronoun is a word used in place of one or more nouns. The noun that gives the pronoun its meaning is called the antecedent.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Personal | I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, you, he, him, his, she, they... |
| Reflexive | myself, ourselves, yourself, himself, herself, themselves... |
| Indefinite | all, any, anyone, both, each, everybody, few, many, some... |
Can you identify all the pronouns in the sentences below?
1. Kim introduced me to her parents because I had never met them.
2. Each stamp is special because it is not printed anymore or it is from another country.
3. He has stamps from England, Italy, Egypt and many other countries.
4. Some of his stamps have famous people on them.
5. Miguel said that he spoke three languages fluently.
6. Did Kim leave her wallet on the bus?
7. Go across the bridge. It will take you into New York City.
8. Everyone brought their own lunch to the field trip.
9. The students prepared themselves for the difficult exam.
10. Who left this on the teacher's desk?
📝 Critical Thinking Task
Write a short paragraph featuring a Powerful Opening to introduce a historical figure. Use at least three different pronouns to avoid repetitive phrasing. Underline your pronouns, and draw an arrow connecting them to their specific antecedents to ensure clarity.
Part 2: Adjectives
An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or a pronoun. It adds specific details by telling you What kind?, Which one?, or How many?
⚠️ Note: The most frequent adjectives are a, an, and the. These are called articles. They are usually excluded when identifying descriptive adjectives.
1. Paul saw many medieval manuscripts in the local museum.
2. One manuscript, old and torn, was about a legendary hero.
3. Rodrigo was young, strong, and handsome.
4. He liked fast horses and vigorous activities, including fencing.
5. The blue water attracted us on a hot day.
6. A magnificent statue stood in the empty hall.
7. The second book was better than the first one.
8. Forty people waited for the slow bus.
9. We found green leaves on the tall tree.
10. A sudden, loud noise startled the sleepy dog.
📝 Analytical Writing Task
Construct a sentence utilizing Telling Details to describe a setting. Use at least three precise adjectives to modify your nouns, answering the questions What kind? or Which one? Share how these modifiers enhance the textual imagery.
Part 3: Crossover Words (Nouns/Pronouns as Adjectives)
Words can change their function depending on how they are used! A word that is typically a pronoun or a noun can function as an adjective if it modifies another noun.
Pronoun: "Take this." vs. Adjective: "Use this brush."
Noun: "I love autumn." vs. Adjective: "Look at the autumn leaves."
Identify how the highlighted words are functioning in these sentences!
1. Her birthday is next week.
2. Only some are electric.
3. Now she is cooking summer dishes, such as celery salad.
4. That recipe came from a Chinese cookbook.
5. Soon she will make heartier dishes for winter.
6. Neither person is home today.
7. Neither is home today.
8. Please take this to the office.
9. Use this brush for the painting.
10. The Navajo blanket was woven beautifully.
📝 Evidence & Application
Find a sentence in a current reading assignment that uses a noun as an adjective (e.g., water safety, New York bank). Document it as Compelling Evidence of this grammatical shift. Then, write an original sentence demonstrating the same technique.