A-Z Grammar Old

What Are Absolute Possessive Pronouns

Examples of Absolute Possessive Pronouns

Here are some examples of absolute possessive pronouns:

• Theirs are in the garage.
• They say female canaries can't sing. Well, hers can.
• We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them. (Evelyn Waugh, 1903-1966)

What Is the Accusative Case?

You can find the direct object by finding the verb and asking "what?" (or "whom?"). For example:

Examples of the Accusative Case

Here are some examples of the accusative case with an explanation of how to find the direct object:

• She stroked the cat.
Step 1. Find the verb = "stroked"
Step 2. Ask "What?" = "the cat"

Therefore, the direct object is the cat. The words the cat are in the accusative case. Luckily for us, nouns do not change their forms in the accusative case. Some pronouns do though.


• Barney will draw him tomorrow.
Step 1. Find the verb = "will draw"
Step 2. Ask "What?" = "him"

Therefore, the direct object is him. The pronoun him is in the accusative case. It has changed from he to him.

The Accusative Case Is the Objective Case

More Examples of the Accusative Case

Here are some more examples of nouns and pronouns as direct objects (i.e., in the accusative case):

• Anteaters prefer termites.
• Hollywood is a place where people from Iowa mistake each other for stars. (Fred Allen, 1894-1956)
• I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn't like it. (Samuel Goldwyn, 1882-1974)
• Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. (Groucho Marx, 1890-1977)
(This is an example of a pun. In the first sentence, flies is an intransitive verb (i.e., one that does not take a direct object), and like is a conjunction meaning as if. In the second sentence, flies is the subject, and like is a transitive verb (i.e., one that can take a direct object). In this case, the direct object is a banana. So, a banana is in the accusative case.)
• Give the large parcel to the lady next door.
(In this example, we have a recipient of the direct object. The recipient is known as the indirect object. In a sentence, the indirect object is shown by the dative case. Again, this is a term you are more likely to encounter when studying a language other than English.)

Prepositions Can Take the Accusative Case

What Are Acronyms?

An acronym is an abbreviation spoken like a word. For example:

• NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
• NAAFI
(Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes)

• Laser
(Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) (Note: Some acronyms are so common, they are often treated like normal words and are written in lowercase letters.)

Be Careful with the Word "Acronym"

• BBC
(British Broadcasting Corporation)
• LRS
(Linear Recursive Sequence)
• M.O.T.
(Ministry of Transport)
• e.g.
(Latin: exempli gratia)

What Is an Active Sentence?

An active sentence is the opposite of a passive sentence. Examples:

• The dog ate all the biscuits.
(In this example, The dog is the subject of the sentence. The dog is the subject of the verb to eat. The dog is performing the action of the verb; i.e., it is the thing doing the eating.)

Compare this to a passive version:

• The biscuits were eaten by the dog.
(In this example, the biscuits did not perform the action of the verb. In fact, it was done to them. Therefore, this is a passive sentence.)

More Examples of Active Sentences

Here are some more examples of active sentences:

• Tony is trimming the hedges all week.
(Tony is doing the action (trimming))
• Hammerhead sharks will pester you as you approach the reef.
(Hammerhead sharks doing the action (pester))

Here are some interactive examples:

What Is Active Voice?

Look at this example of the active voice:

Look at this example of the passive voice:

Examples of Verbs in the Active Voice

Examples of active verbs (active verbs shaded):

• Curiosity killed the cat.
Step 1: Find the subject.
(In this example, it's Curiosity.)
Step 2: Did the subject perform the verb?
(In this example, the verb is to kill, and Curiosity did perform the action of the verb. Therefore, killed is a verb in the active voice.)
• All power corrupts.
Step 1: Find the subject.
(In this example, it's All power.)
Step 2: Did the subject perform the verb?
(In this example, the verb is to corrupt, and All power did perform the action of the verb. Therefore, corrupts is a verb in the active voice.)
• Some weasel removed the cork from my lunch. (W. C. Fields, 1880-1946)
Step 1: Find the subject.
(In this example, it's Some weasel.)
Step 2: Did the subject perform the verb?
(In this example, the verb is to remove, and Some weasel did perform the action of the verb. Therefore, removed is a verb in the active voice.)

• The boy tripped while running.
Step 1: Find the subject.
(In this example, it's The boy.)
Step 2: Did the subject perform the verb?
(In this example, the verb is to trip, and The boy did perform the action of the verb. Therefore, tripped is a verb in the active voice.)
• The boy was seen tripping while he ran.
Step 1: Find the subject.
(In this example, it's The boy.)
Step 2: Did the subject perform the verb?
(In this example, the verb is to see, and The boy did not perform the action of the verb. Therefore, was seen is a verb in the passive voice.)

More examples of active sentences:

• The kite soared high in the air.
• The children shielded their eyes from the bright sun.
• A squirrel quickly ran across the grass to climb a giant tree.
• Paul imagined the animals different cloud shapes could form.
• The ants swarmed the picnic with military precision.
• Suzy chased the butterfly with a net.
• He is happy.
(Remember, the verb to be is the most common verb in every language.)
• They are late.