I recently heard Prince Harry give an interview about why he and his wife had moved to Canada. His elocution seemed flawless, and I usually love hearing him or any other Brit speak. However, when he said, “This was the best decision for Meghan and I,” I cringed. I’m sorry, but I cringed.
I truly want Prince Harry and every other human on earth to live a happy life; so whatever decision they need to make is their business.
Proper grammar, on the other hand, is one of my fields of interest.
I had a great response earlier in the year when I shared some homeschooling help on comma rules. Some of you indicated you would like to see more grammar help; so this is my attempt to accommodate your requests.
Today’s “Language Lesson with the Literary Lyonesse” covers pronoun usage. If you would like help with other specific areas of need, please feel free to make comments to this post; and I will address those areas in future lessons.
First, take a moment to watch Bill Flanagan’s explanation of the pronoun problems I’ve addressed in these exercises. Interestingly, this clip first aired on CBS Sunday Morning in 2014, but it’s still a major issue.
The problem with pronoun usage lies in not knowing the function of the cases. For handy reference, I have created a pronoun chart which explains the three cases and their functions.
Using this chart, you may be able to identify the errors in this pronoun quiz found in “The Tale of the Baby Bats.” A pdf answer sheet is also available.
After you have studied the chart, see if you can identify the correct pronoun in each of the following references to Aesop’s fables.
- A lion asked his friends to tell him if his breath smelled bad.
[The sheep thought, “The lion has asked the wolf and (I or me) for an honest answer.]
“The fox gave a hollow cough, then cleared his throat. ‘Your majesty,’ he whispered, ‘truly, I have such a cold in the head that I cannot smell at all.’”
The fox knew he should say nothing at all if he couldn’t say anything nice!
- A lion and a goat arrived at a mountain spring at the same time.
[The goat said, “The lion or (I or me) might be eaten by vultures.”]
The lion and the goat both learned not to be greedy.
- One day a fox met a lion, a creature he had never seen before.
[“I hope this lion will be friendly to the other animals and (I or me),” declared the fox.]
The fox learned the lion was not a danger to him.
- Once upon a time, a lion fell in love with a woodman’s daughter.
[The woodman shouted, “You make her mother and (I or me) afraid”!
Even a wild lion in love can be tamed.
- A hungry lion and a hungry bear fought over a dead carcass.
[The lion watched as a fox stepped boldly between the bear and (he or him) and dragged the carcass away.]
The lion and the bear learned not to fight over their food.
I hope you enjoyed this “Language Lesson with the Literary Lyonesse.” Stay safe, and stay tuned for a future lesson on verb conjugation.
Matthew 6:26
J-thanks,I made a 100.bb
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