Get a Grip Lesson 4

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
GRAMMAR EXERCISE

For each sentence, choose the correct pronouns from the choice in parenthesis.

1. Please don’t call _A_ during work hours; _B_ can be reached after five o’clock.
A. (me) B. (I)

2. How many of __ are going to go trick-or-treating.
(us)

3. Ask Leanne to make _A_ for _B_; no one makes better sandwiches than _C_.
A. (them) B. (us) C. (she)

4. Did you know that __ five miles from my house to yours?
(it’s)

5. Dave is such a good actor that the crowd was not surprised at __ flawless performance.
(his)

6. Have Mr. and Mrs. Johnson been asked about __ staying with them this week?
(us)

7. The only new members of student council are Jackie and __.
(she)

8. The manager asked to see Jack and __.
(him)

9. The newspaper editor will help __ rookie reporters.
(us)

10. _A_ know the Chicago area better than _B_.
A. (I) B. (she)


WRITTEN EXERCISE
Review the dialogue piece you wrote for Lesson 3.

FIRST: check your own pronoun usage.

“Hey, Joe, what do you know? I haven’t seen you around lately. Is your family still having the flu problem?”
I am still looking in on my mother in the mornings and I eat with her at noon so I can fix her lunch. She is doing better, but is quite weak yet.
“It’s so pitiful the way you have to play nursemaid every time you turn around, Man.  Why don’t you open a private practice so you will collect payments for what you’re doing?”
“Brady, it’s not what you think. This is family and I don’t mind taking care of my family.”
“Still buddy, you need to have more down time just for you to enjoy.”
I walked on by these two as I was helping myself to the milk in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  It brought back memories of my earlier days working among the teens in my home town civic center. I would hear varied language barriers that at the time bothered me greatly, because I knew these kids were educated and they didn’t care to use what they had learned to better themselves. I am glad to hear that not every teen grows up with such bad habits.

SECOND: Attempt to rewrite the dialogue piece without using any pronouns.

“Hey, Joe, what do Joe know?  Brady’s not seen Joe lately.  Is Joe’s family still having the flu problem?”

Joe’s still looking in on Joe’s mother in the mornings and Joe eats with mother at noon so Joe can fix mother lunch.  Mother is doing better, but is quite weak yet.

“Is pitiful the way Joe has to play nursemaid every time Joe turns around, Man.  Why doesn’t Joe open a private practice so Joe will collect payments for what Joe’s doing?”

“Brady, Joe doesn’t think like Brady thinks.  Is family and Joe doesn’t mind taking care of Joe’s family?

“Still buddy, Joe needs to have more down time just for Joe to enjoy”
The narrator, walked on by Joe and Brady as the narrator was helping the narrator to the milk in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  The incident brought back memories of the narrator’s earlier days working among the teens in the narrator’s home town civic center.  The narrator heard varied language barriers that at the time bothered the narrator greatly. Because the narrator knew the narrator’s home town kids were educated and the kids didn’t care to use what the kids had learned to better the kids.  The narrator is glad to hear that not every teen grows up with such bad habits.