Grammar Lesson | Pronoun

 

 Pronouns  

In the world of English grammar, few parts of speech are as essential and varied as pronouns. These small but powerful words form the backbone of clear and natural communication. They help avoid awkward repetition and make your sentences flow better.  

What is a Pronoun?  

The pronoun is a word used instead of a Noun Phrase or Noun itself. The Noun or Noun Phrase that the pronoun refers back to is called the antecedent.  

Example:  

Without pronoun: Sarah went to the store. Sarah bought an apple. With pronoun: Sarah went to the store. She bought an apple. (The antecedent of she is Sarah).  The main job of pronouns is to make language less repetitive and more concise. The Major Types of Pronouns.  

Pronouns are divided into different categories based on their role in a sentence.  

1. Personal Pronouns  

These are the most common type and refer to specific people or things. They change form based on person (first, second, or third), number (singular or plural), and case (subject or object).  

First	Subject	I	We
	Object	me	us
Second	Subject	you	you
	Object	you	you
Third	Subject	he, she, it	they
	Object	him, her, it	them

Subject Pronoun: Performs the action. (Example: She is reading.)  

Object Pronoun: Receives the action. (Example: Mark called her.)  

2. Possessive Pronouns  

Possessive pronouns show ownership and replace a possessive noun. They do not use an apostrophe.  

Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

That book is mine.  

Is this jacket yours?  

Note: Do not confuse possessive pronouns with possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, them. Possessive adjectives must be followed by a noun (my book), while possessive pronouns stand alone.  

3. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns  

These pronouns end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).  

Singular	Plural
myself	ourselves
yourself	yourselves
himself, herself, itself	themselves

Reflexive Pronouns: Used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or thing. The action "reflects" back to the subject.  

She baked the cake for herself. (If you remove herself, the sentence is incomplete.)  

Intensive Pronouns: Used to emphasize a preceding noun or pronoun. They are not primary to the sentence's meaning and can be removed.  

The mayor himself attended the meeting. (The sentence still makes sense without himself.)  

4. Demonstrative Pronouns  

These pronouns point to specific things and show whether they are near or far in space or time.  

Near	Far
Singular	this	that
Plural	these	those

I like this. (Referring to something close.)  

Those are the best cookies. (Referring to things farther away.)  

5. Interrogative Pronouns  

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.  

Examples: who, whom, whose, what, which  

Who is at the door?  

Which one did you choose?  

Whose is this wallet?  

Tip: Use who for the subject of a question, and whom for the object.  

6. Relative Pronouns  

Relative pronouns introduce a dependent clause that adds extra information to a sentence.  

Incorrect Agreement	Correct Agreement
The student forgot their book.	The students forgot their books.
The girl brought his lunch.	The girl brought her lunch.
A dog wagged their tail.	A dog wagged its tail.

Examples: who, whom, whose, which, that  

The book that I lent you is due back today.  

Sarah, who is my best friend, is moving away.  

7. Indefinite Pronouns  

These of pronouns referring to an unspecified places, things or persons. Singular Indefinite Pronouns (require a singular verb): anyone, everybody, nothing, someone, each, neither  

Everyone is ready for the test.  

Plural Indefinite Pronouns (require a plural verb): many, few, both, several  

Few are willing to help.  

Both Singular and Plural (depending on the context): all, any, none, some, most  

All of the cake is gone. (Singular—refers to a single mass, cake.)  

All of the students are here. (Plural—refers to many individuals, students.)  

Key Grammar Rule: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement  

A pronoun must always agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, or neutral).