What are demonstratives?
Demonstratives are words that show which person or thing is being referred to. In the sentence:
'This is my brother',
'this' is a demonstrative
The demonstratives in English are this, that, these, and those
Demonstrative pronouns vs demonstrative adjectives
A distinction must be made between demonstrative adjectives (or demonstrative determiners) and demonstrative pronouns (or independent demonstratives).
A demonstrative adjective modifies a noun:
This apple is good. I like those houses. (This modifies 'apple' and those modifies 'houses')
A demonstrative pronoun stands on its own, replacing rather than modifying a noun:
This is good. I like those. (This and those don't modify any nouns they stand alone and replace other nouns)
Use of demonstratives
Demonstratives differ according to:
distance: near or far,
or number: singular or plural.
Here are the main distinctions:
This modifies or refers to singular nouns that are near to the speaker.
That modifies or refers to singular nouns that are far from the speaker.
These modifies or refers to plural nouns that are near to the speaker.
Those modifies or refers to plural nouns that are far from the speaker.
| Demonstratives | Singular | Plural | Near | Far |
| This | 
| - |
| - |
| That |
| - | - |
|
| These | - |
|
| - |
| Those | - |
| - |
|
Exercise on demonstratives.
Relative Pronouns
What are relative pronouns?
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause within a complex sentence.
In the example:
Mike found the keys that he had lost.
that is a relative pronoun which introduces the relative clause that he had lost.
In English the relative pronouns are who, whom, which, whose, and that.
Relative pronouns
who -subject or object pronoun for people
They caught the lady who killed her baby.
I know the man who you met.
which -subject or object pronoun
I read the book which is on the table.
I visited the town which you told me about.
which -referring to a whole sentence
They were unsuccessful which is disappointing.
whom -used for object pronoun for people, especially in non-restrictive relative clauses (in restrictive relative clauses use who)
The boy whom you told me about got the best grades in mathematics.
that -subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in restrictive relative clauses (who or which are also possible)
I like the vase that is over there.
) ij:
The English Verb
Verbs in English
A verb in syntax is a part of speech which conveys
1. action (bring, read, walk, run, learn)
2. or state of being (exist, stand)
Sentences in English have a main verb which is stated in a tense (simple present, simple past, simple future...)
Inflections
Verbs are inflected, modified in form, when conjugated. For example, verbs take s, ed or ing in some of its forms depending on the tense and the subject-verb agreement.
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Agreement
In English a verb may agree with the person and number of its subject. For example, verbs take s in the third person singular of the simple present:
| Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
| play | he she it plays |
| work | he, she, it works |
When the verb to have conjugates in the third person singular of the simple present, the right inflection is has NOT haves
The verb to be has different inflections:
| to be | |
| I | am |
| he, she, it | is |
| we, you, they | are |
