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Question
We often use pronouns to make links between sentences and to avoid
repetition.
Read the following extract from the story 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'.
| "Of course, everything is so difficult now, food so scarce and dear, we could not keep going unless we charged a fee. But every week, Lucia's brothers have made their payment." She added simply, "I do not know what they do, I do not ask. Work is scarce in Verona. But whatever it is, I know they do it well." |
Work with your partner and answer these questions.
1. In the first line 'everything' refers to?
___________________________
2. The phrase 'their payment' (line 3) refers to?
___________________________
3. 'They' in the third line refers to?
___________________________
4. The speaker says, 'I do not ask'. What does the speaker not ask? Whom?
___________________________
5. 'Whatever it is.' (line 4)Here 'it' refers to?
___________________________
6. Who do the pronouns 'I' and 'She' refer to?
___________________________
Solution
- In the first line ‘everything’ refers to ‘the things that are to be bought’.
- The phrase ‘their payment’ refers to ‘the payment due to Lucia’s brothers.’
- ‘They’ refers to ‘Lucia’s brothers.
- The speaker does not ask Lucia’s brothers what they do to earn the money.
- ‘It’ refers to the work Lucia’s brothers do.
- Both T and ‘She’ refer to the speaker.
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Substitution in formal writing
Look at this piece of formal writing
The Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police were the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour respectively. The former delivered the key note address and the latter gave away the prizes to the winners.
- Complete the following table using information from the text above.
The Deputy Commissioner= the Chief Guest
The Commissioner of Police = ___________
The former = _____________
The latter = ____________
- Study the use of the words underlined in the text.
a. Why are they used?
______________________
b. Why do you think they are not commonly used in spoken English?
______________________
- Rewrite the following texts. Use the former, the latter, and respectively to avoid repetition.
1. Anand likes History and Joel likes Mathematics. It is interesting to note that Anand is the son of a Mathematics teacher while Joel's father is a teacher of History.
_________________________
___________________________
2. Seema, the monitor of class IX and Ramesh, the monitor of class X were asked to meet the Principal before they went home.
____________________
| • The Bunsen burner broke last week. So we ordered a new one. (One= Bunsen burner) • He eats a lot less than he once did. (Did=ate) • The mother asked the daughter to tidy her room and she did so. (Did so=tidied her bed room) • A: I don't think it'll rain tomorrow. B: I hope not (N ot=that it will not rain tomorrow) • There are a number of books in the library. You should use some of these. (These= books) • Unconventional sources of energy are becoming popular. Such sources help us to preserve our environment. (Such= unconventional sources of energy) • 'Who ate all the rice?' 'I did.' (Did= ate all the rice) • Govind was delighted with the exam results. So was Gafur. (So=delighted with the exam results) |
Use any of the above types of substitution to improve the following
sentences.
1.Flendian Whalers killed more minkes in 2010 than they killed in 2000.
_______________________________
2. The fishermen were condemned for catching so many small fish. They said they caught so many small fish because they had to earn a living.
________________________________
3. The light racquet was ineffective but the heavy racquet was difficult to handle.
________________________________
4. The rains are very unpredictable in Shillong. We were advised to come
prepared for rainy weather conditions.
________________________________
5. Mr. Chopra entertained the guests very well. Mrs. Chopra also entertained the guests very well.
________________________________
6. What is lying outside in the garden? It's one of the two umbrellas we bought yesterday. Didn't you see the umbrella in the lobby?
________________________________
7. A: "lwon'tstayawayfromschool tomorrow."
B: "I should hope you will not stay away from school tomorrow."
________________________________
Sometimes we can avoid repetition by omitting certain words and phrases. Which words or phrases have been left out in the following examples? Is the meaning in all of them clear in spite of the omission?
| Oil is not found in the north but copper is. is = is found in the north |
What has been omitted in the following sentences?
1. A: Did she find out who had stolen her purse?"
B: "No, she didn't." didn't = ________________________
2. You takemybookand l'll takelndu's when she gets back.
Indu's= ----------------------~
3. Ifl don't get it to you tomorrow, I'll send it the day after.
Thedayafter=-------------------~
4. Firstly, add four grams, then another four, then another four until the mixture has solidified. Another four/ another= _________________ _
5. There were a number of graduates who were earning more than I was.
was=-----------------------~
6. I think we need coaching more than they do.
do= ________________________ _
7. A: "I can tellyou what I know."
B: "Youneedn't. I'mnotaskingyou to."
needn't = __________________
to = _____________________
8. A: "Do you visit the doctor regularly?"
B: "No, I can1tafford to.11
to = ____________________
(A) Match the sentences in A and B and write them together in the spaces below.
| A | B |
| 1. Both Ajay and Sahir are good players. | a. Few reach their destination. |
| 2. Thousands of baby turtles set out on the longjourney. | b. Either would be suitable as a captain. |
| 3. Some like to eat fish raw. | c. Those who do have to study hard. |
| 4. No one knows who did it. | d. Others prefer it cooked. |
| 5. Not many people get to university. | e. It could be anyone. |
- ______________________
- ______________________
- ______________________
- ______________________
- ______________________
(B) Now underline the substitution word in each of the sentences written above and decide what each of the words refers to.
| Substitution Word | What does it refer to? |
| 1. | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. |
In the following paragraph, one word has been omitted in each line. In your answer sheets, remember to write the missing word along with the word that comes before and after it, as shown below. The first one has been done as an example.
| No. | Text | Word before | Omission | Word after |
| e. g. | Ever wondered sleep deficit? Well, | wondered | about | sleep |
| i. | sleep deficit a common problem among | |||
| teenagers today, with many staying up late | ||||
| ii. | to use electronic devices. This lead to | |||
| iii. | difficulty in concentrating, mood swings, even | |||
| iv. | It's important for teens to prioritize sleep | |||
| to ensure their overall health and well-being. |
