The pronoun

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

it,he,she,they,we,himself

Kinds of the pronoun

Personal pronouns

1.Personal pronouns in their different forms show person,number,gender(whether male,female or neuter-whose gender is common like articles)and case(the relationship of a word with other words).

I,we,us;you,your,yourself;they,them,themselves

The possessive pronoun
Possessive pronouns are forms of personal pronouns.They show ownership or possession.

mine,yours,his,her,theirs,its

First person Second person Third person

Singular I,me(mymine) you(your,yours) he,him(his,she,her(her,hers),it(its)

Plural we,us(our,ours) you(your,yours) them,they(their,theirs)

2.Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people,places or things in general.

Most common indefinite pronouns

all anybody anyone anything each

either everybody everyone everything few

many most much neither nobody

none no one nothing one others

several some somebody someone something

3.Demonstrative pronouns

These pronouns tell which one or which group of persons,places or things are referred to.

this,that,these,those

4.Relative pronouns

These pronouns refer to an earlier noun,sentence or part of a sentence.

who,whom,which,whose,what

5.Interrogative pronouns

These pronouns introduce questions.

who,whom,which,whose,what

Forms of the personal pronoun

Personal pronouns are i the first,second and third person.The first person pronoun refers to yourself like I,me.The second person addressed like you,yourself.The third person refers to the person,place,thing or idea spoken about like she,them.

First person Second person Third person

I,me,myself;we,us,ourselves you,yourself,yourselves;thou,thyself he,himself;she;herself;they,them,themselves;it;itself.

1.Firstly,note the common use of possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns:

That is my table.That table is mine.
Who came to our house?Sami came to ours,Niza went to theirs.Others went to a house that is his.The fame is hers alone,mine are the honors.
Which pen is yours?It is perhaps theirs.No,it is mine.(No,it is my pen)
Was this car his last year?Yes,it was his;now it is Sumaira's.

2.Secondly,the pronoun "it" is used to indicate position,situation,etc. in sentences like the following.

"Who is there?""It is I."
"What time is it?""It is 5 o'clock."
It is raining all around.It is cool now.
It was you who told me it was time to play the piano."No,it wasn't I."
"Who will sing?""It is expected of you."
"It looks strange an old woman singing songs of love."

3.One-It is used when any or every person is meant;

One should know one's duties(Every person should know his duties.)

One,onesaccording to the singular or plural nouns:

He writes a book every year;the one he is writing now is about the Moghuls.
Some students are present;the ones you want to see are absent.

Also note;Everyone of them has his (or her) problems.

Anybody who goes to Swat may please send me his (or her) address.

WhenWhen we talk of both men and women,we use the masculine pronoun;

Everyone should do his best in life.

4.Interrogative pronouns and adjectives-"which,""what"
"Which" is used when selection is made from a given set of things or persons;

Which of these movies is historical?Which fruit do you like best?

"What" is used when the selection is in a general way from an unknown set:

What cities have you seen?What movies do you like to watch in your leisure time.

5.Relative pronouns
A relative pronoun refers to an earlier noun,sentence or part of a sentence.

(a)The students who(or that) have passed are here.
(b)Was the Iraq-American war,which(or that)the world tried to stop,the result of Muslim disunity?
(c)Have the guests that(or whom)we had invited arrived?
In (b) and (c) which,that,whom,may or may not be used.Was the Iraq-American war the world....

But note:
(a)"That"is better used when the words after it explain or restrict the position or action of the person or subject before it:

Leasers that rise through corruption should soon fall.Sorrows that come late are more troublesome.

(b)"Who" or "which" is used when "that" does not explain or restrict the position or action of the person or subject before it.

Our teacher,who is a foregner,know several languages.The books,which are lying here,are on the forward and backward march of history.

(c)"Who" or "which" should not be used after third-degree adjectives and "little,""much,""all,""none,""everything,""no":

This is the best book that you can read on the subject.I tell you that I know of the accident.All the glories that we have achieved are short-lived.

(d)"That" is used when a person or animal or thing,etc.occurs at te begining of the sentence:

Rahil and the car that had been in the police station are now with the magistrate.

6.Whom,who or that
"whom" or "that" is used as an object to the verb in a sentence.But "who" is also correctly used thus.After prepositions,"whom"as pronoun is used.

She is the girl whom everyone liked for her good manners.(or)She is the girl whom(or who) everyone liked.(or)She is the girl that everyone...(or leave out whom,who or that.)With whom were you walking?

However,the relative pronoun "whom" takes the preposition before it in written English.Our teacher from whom I got the book is a man of learning.(or)Our teacher whom(or who) I got the book from...(or)Our teacher that I...(or)Our teacher...I got the book from is a man of learning.)

The order of personal pronouns

Note that we use personal pronouns in his order:2nd person+3rd person+1st person.But to emphasize or focus this order can be changed.

You,he and I study and play together.Your house,Nelson's house and mine are all new.I,you and they were observers of the happening.

Our national language

Our national language should be at least two,Urdu and English,if we want to progress well.It was a mistake of vast proportions not to give English the status of a national language in our Constitution.

Urdu will be able to grow and develop if it is used together with English in all fields of national life and activity.More and more English words and terms will join Urdu in new combinations as we embrace English with a fresh passion and will.

It is argued that other advanced countries like Japan,France,Germany and Italy have their own national languages,which have caused their progress.It does not hold good at all in the case of English,as it is not foreign to us at all.

Firstly,the Urdu sentence has almost the same structure as the English sentence.Urdu is the nearest to English.Secondly,a very large number of English words are already part of Urdu, and these are commonly used by all the people.Thirdly,English is already in use in all our offices,courts,educational institutions,trading centers,hospitals,communication networks,the mass media,etc. and even in many of our homes.All our professional work in medicine,engineering,aviation(flying),building construction,imports and exports,foreign affairs,etc. depends on English.The continuation of English as a national language is our need and is in our best interests.Fourthly,everyone in the four provinces,Azad Kashmir and the northern and tribal areas can learn English at ease and in comfort.Everyone is proud of learning,and rightly so.Fifthly,English is a very convenient link language for all parts of the country,to bring them together like a loving mother,to make them work together in unity like a wise father and to bring all the knowledge and ways of the world home to them like an able teacher.English is with us to promote our provincial and regional languages,too,in the friendly company of Urdu.Its existence as a uniting and commenting force will help in the evolution or development of a common culture.

Lastly,and most importantly,English is not a foreign language.According to modern research scholars,English is an Indo-Aryan language and has deep connections with Sanskrit.Urdu,Punjabi and some other regional languages of ours come from Sanskrit.Hindi and quite a few Indian languages arise out of Sanskrit.So,all in all,English is related to and connected with our languages like the palm joined to the fingers.It is,by all standards,our national language,part of our life and culture and a sure and safe means of our progress.It should be a declared national language,together,together with Urdu,when it already is a national language for all practical purposes.

The place of english in pakistan

English is our own language, and more it is international in its significance(importance). It is rightly taken as the lingua franca,the common language,for all parts of the world today.

Firstly,English is spoken,read or understood in most parts of the world.Wherever you may go,in Europe,Asia,Africa or in the Americas,in Australia or the North or South poles,you will find someone or the other communicating with you in English.What is more useful than this for a student,politician,a man of science,trader,tourist or artist?

Secondly,English is truly the language of science and technology.All the latest inventions and developments in science are to be found well explained in English.Libraries and bookshops are full of valuable textbooks and reference books in English on all the sciences.Then translations of science books in English are continuously pouring in, and are being made available everywhere.

Thirdly,English offers us treasures of knowledge in all the social sciences like history,political science,economics,archaeology(the study of buried remains of ancient things),anthropology(the scientific study of the human race),sociology,philosophy and all the fine arts like music,painting and sculpture.All sorts of books, and now CDs and DVDs and movie films,are available in English on all forms of intellectual,social and artistic activities.

Fourthly,modern medicine and surgery,developed from worldwide studies and researches in different countries and languages,now make a tremendous storehouse of medical knowledge in English.Originally written and translated,medical and surgery books and magazines in English are constantly printed around the world,readily available to every country.Fifthly,English is truly a language of business,commerce and banking.Most world trade is carried on in English,and a good knowledge of it puts one to a great advantage.

Lastly,religious and spiritual writings and translations in English are in plenty.

English,then,enshrines(keeps in it) the best of what has been thought and written in the world,the best of the sweetness and light of knowledge and the best of emotion and passion.Just as all positive knowledge is power,English is power today.It should be declared national language besides Urdu.

Fashions and the modern youth

Students are generally fond of fashions.They try to be as fashionable as possible.

There are different popular fashions among the youth.These fashions are mostly of clothes,shoes,hair and make-up.There are also the "fashions" of walking,talking,laughing or behaving in definite ways.However,all these fashions change with them.Girl swear,long or short shirts and "shalwars" or "saris".They like to wear tight or loose clothes according to the fashion.A number of girl shave their hair cut or specially dressed in fashionable ways.

Boys also try to wear clothes according to the latest fashions.They wear tight or loose pants,shirts having collars and sleeves of one shape or the other and specially sewn coats.They wear shoes with pointed or flat toes.They have their hair cut in the most fashionable ways.Those students who have their faces shaven sometimes begin keeping moustaches.Now the "awami suit" is much in fashion.

New fashions among the students come into being for different reasons.Firstly,rich and well-to-do students generally like to have changes in their fashions of the dress.Some of these students begin wearing clothes in new ways to become prominent.Others also begin copying their new fashions.Thus,fashions are the result of the desire for newness in the ways of wearing different kinds of clothes.Second,students watching films often try to copy the fashions of actors.

Those parents,who are not rich or well-to-do,find it very difficult to provide new fashionable clothes to their children.If students are not so fond of fashions,they can save their parents much worry and trouble.

Fashions can affect our social attitudes for the worse.Fashionable people,at times,begin hating those who are poor and cannot dress themselves in so modern a manner.

In fact,our students should be as simple as possible.They should try to attend to their studies more and to fashions less and make the best use of their time.

The noun

A noun is the name of a person,place or thing,quality,action,etc.

rainbow,Tokyo,students,Mars,honesty,warfare,Rebecca,protest.

Five kinds of nouns

1.Proper noun

It is the name of a particular person,place or thing.

Multan,Shahnaz,Asia,Mars,Iceland,Hercules.

2.Common noun

It is a name which is common to any person,palace or thing of the same kind.

village,boy,car,country,theater,platform,market or bazaar,square,tree,ocean,city-cities,village-villages,etc.Some do not have plurals:sheep-sheep;deer-deer.Some have one meaning in the singular and another meaning in the plural:

fish-fishes.Fishes=kinds of fish.Today we caught the best fishes in the sea.

Persons Places Things Ideas

Common poet country newspaper religion

Proper Ghalib Russia Dawn Islam

Common inventor statue tv channel airline

Proper Instein The Statue of Lenin BBC News PIA

3.Collective or group noun

It is the name of a number of things or animals or persons taken together.It is used as a common noun.

team,army,nation,class,committee,fleet,bundle,flock,council,mob,crowd

4.Material noun

It is the name of a material of which things are made.

silver,iron,wood,flour,milk,cement.(Materials like plastic,wood and iron with which things of daily use are made,materials like butter,flour,wheat,water,milk and meat with which foods are prepared and materials like tincture,chloride and bromide with which medicines or industrial goods are produced are all material nouns.)

5.Abstract noun

It is the name of a quality,condition or action which cannot be seen or felt through the five senses(or which can be imagined or thought of).

foolishness,wisdom,understanding,strength,weakness,childhood,quickness,slowness,etc.

(Most of the material and abstract nouns are uncountable,whose plural cannot be had.Uncountable nouns are also called mass nouns.)

Also note that there are material nouns like "glass" and "iron",which can also be common nouns(glasses for drinking water in;irons for ironing clothes with).Abstract nouns like "reality","fact","advantage" and "indecency" are countable like common nouns.

The realities of the situation,the facts of the case,the idiocies of the leader,the hopes of the people.

Group(collective) nouns can take singular or plural verbs and pronouns.

The committee has its meetings daily.(that is,the committee as a whole.)

The committee have written the reports.(that is,the members of the committee separately)

The jury sits in the room next to the court room.(ads a whole)

The jury are sure of their opinions on the case of honor killing before them.(the members separately)

Compound nouns

A compound is made up of two or more words.Compound nouns are written as single words,separate words or words separated by hyphens.

• single words:fuitstall,heartbeat,mountaintop,moonshine.
• separate words:zero hour,carbon paper,subject matter.
• hyphens:trouble-maker,short-sighted,one-piece.

Countable & uncountable nouns

1.Nouns whose plurals we can have are countable nouns.

Most common nouns(like tree,friend) and collective nouns(like team,class,army)are of this kind.

2.Nouns whose plurals we can't have are uncountable nouns.

Most material nouns(like zinc,blood,sugar) and abstract nouns(like anger.peace.simplicity) are of this kind.

The parts of speech

Every word is one part of speech or the other.The parts of speech are eight in number:

1.The noun

It is a word used to name a person,place,thing or idea.

child,Qadeer,city,Rawat,square,radium,fairy,struggle,honesty,achievement

The stranger comes from Abadan.A sage(wise man) in rags is better than a fool in robes.

2.The pronoun

It is a word used in place of a noun.

I,me,you,she,them,it,which,who.

3.The adjective or modifier

It is a word used to describe or add to the meaning of a noun or a pronoun.

great,small,beautiful,weak,upper,lower,strongest,better.

He is our great leader.We are his strongest supporters.

4.The verb

It is a word that says something about a person,place or thing.

sit,jump,is,fail,rise,think,decide.

She has confidence in me.The society can move towards better destinations.

5.The preposition

It is a word that shows the connection of a noun or pronoun with another word.

on,in,under,above,toward or towards.

6.The conjunction

It is a word that joins words or sentences.

and,or,but,through,yet,so,either,neither,nor.

Rise,or you will fall.I helped the sick man though I was very tired.

7.The adverb or modifier

It is a word that adds to the meaning of adverb,adjective or another adverb or any part of speech except a noun or pronoun.

quick,honesty,fast,quite,dramatically,critically

An adverbial is a word,phrase or clause that functions like an adverb.

8.The Interjection or exclamation

It is a word or sound that shows feeling or emotion.

Ah!Alas!Oh!Hurrah!Pooh!(for disapproval)

Ah!It is the same book I needed.Alas!Our great leader is dead.What a fine plan indeed!