P r o n o u n s Less

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A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, often to
avoid the need to repeat the same noun over and over.
Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, things,
concepts, and places. Most sentences contain at least
one noun or pronoun.
.
What Is a Subject Pronoun?

 A subject pronoun is a word that is used in the place of a noun. It plays the role of
a subject in the sentence. Subject pronouns are usually placed in the first part of a
sentence, just before the verb, to indicate the doer of the action.
Definition of a Subject Pronoun

 According to the Collins Dictionary, a subject pronoun is “a pronoun which

takes the place of a subject in a sentence, such as (in English) ‘I’, ‘you’, or ‘we’.”
Examples of Subject Pronouns
 I go to school every day. (The pronoun ‘I’ is doing the action of going to school
every day and is the subject in the sentence)
 We are travelling to Paris next week. (The pronoun ‘we’ refers to the subject who
is currently doing the action of travelling to Paris)
 He will be meeting Nina tomorrow. (The pronoun ‘he’ is the subject who will be
performing the action of meeting Nina the next day)
 She is writing a letter to her cousin. (The pronoun ‘she’ is the subject in the
sentence that is currently performing the action of writing a letter to her cousin)
 Did you get the book you were looking for? (The pronoun ‘you’ is the subject
pronoun in the sentence)
 They will be playing the final match in Australia. (The pronoun ‘they’ is the
subject who will be playing the final match in Australia).
Identifying Object Pronouns
 In order to identify the object pronoun in a sentence, you should find out the
noun that receives the action. The receiver of the action is called the object.
 Object pronouns can act as indirect and direct objects. When used as a direct
object, it answers the question ‘who’; and it answers the question ‘whom’ when
used as an indirect object in a sentence.
Examples of Object Pronouns Used in Sentences

 Barry bought a canvas sheet.

Barry bought it.
The object here is ‘a canvas sheet’, and it can be substituted by the object pronoun ‘it’.

 Jessica and Lorraine met Kelly in the evening.

Jessica and Lorraine met her in the evening.
The object here is ‘Kelly’. It can be substituted by the object pronoun ‘her’.

 Did you like the movie?

Did you like it?
‘The movie’ is the object in the sentence and can be substituted by the object pronoun
‘it’.

 When can we meet Nick and Jess?

When can we meet them?
‘Nick and Jess’ are the objects in the sentence and can be substituted by the object
pronoun ‘them’.
What Are Possessive Pronouns?
 Possessive pronouns are pronouns that are used to show your
possession or ownership of someone or something. They indicate that
they belong to that particular person and no one else. Possessive
pronouns can be used instead of a noun phrase to avoid any repetition.
Understanding How to Use Possessive Pronouns in Sentences
 A noun can generally be used as a possessive noun just by adding an apostrophe and an ‘s’ at the end
of the noun. Similarly, pronouns can be used to show possession too. It is not by adding an apostrophe
or an ‘s’. There are pronouns that exclusively function in order to show that a particular person, animal
or object belongs to a particular someone.
 For the personal pronoun, ‘I’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘mine’.
For example, to indicate that ‘I own that blue car.’, it can be written as ‘That blue car is mine.’
 For the personal pronoun ‘we’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘ours’.
For example, to indicate that ‘the project that won the first prize belongs to us’, it can be written as ‘The
project that won the first prize was ours.’
 Similarly, for the personal pronoun, ‘he’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘his’.
For example: It is Kim’s pet cat.
It is his pet cat.
 For the personal pronoun, ‘she’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘hers’.
For example: The flowers Vanessa brought were better than the flowers Sheena brought.
The flowers Vanessa brought were better than hers.
 For the personal pronoun, ‘you’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘yours’.
For example: Do you think my handwriting is better than your handwriting?
Do you think my handwriting is better than yours?
 For the personal pronoun, ‘they’, the possessive pronoun would be ‘theirs’.
If something belongs to a group of people, it is indicated by the possessive pronoun ‘theirs’.
For example: The musical performance of the second group was more innovative than the fourth group.
The musical performance of the second group was more innovative than theirs.
 Possessive adjectives
Subject Object Possessive adjective

I me my

you you your

he him his

she her her

it it its

we us our

they them their

We use possessive adjectives:
•to show something belongs to somebody:
That's our house.
My car is very old.

•for relations and friends:

My mother is a doctor.
How old is your sister?

•for parts of the body:

He's broken his arm.
She's washing her hair.
I need to clean my teeth.
What Is a Reflexive Pronoun?
 The word ‘reflexive’ means something that is directed towards the self. A reflexive pronoun,
therefore, is expected to do the same thing. It reflects back on the pronoun. It takes the place of
a subject pronoun and an object pronoun in a sentence.
 Definition of a Relative Pronoun
According to the Collins Dictionary, “a reflexive pronoun is a pronoun such as ‘myself’ which
refers back to the subject of a sentence or clause. For example, in the sentence ‘She made herself a
cup of tea’, the reflexive pronoun ‘herself’ refers back to ‘she’.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines a reflexive pronoun as “a pronoun referring to the subject of the sentence, clause, or verbal
phrase in which it stands.”
 Example 1: They looked at them.
They looked at themselves.
In the above example, there is a slight ambiguity with the usage of ‘them’ in the first
sentence. We cannot be sure if ‘them’ refers to some other people or themselves. This
is where the reflexive pronoun turns out to be extremely helpful in providing complete
meaning.

 Example 2: I learnt to drive a car by myself.

I learnt to drive a car.
In example 2, it is understood from the first sentence that the action of learning to
drive a car is done alone and without any help, whereas the second sentence can let
the reader think that the subject could have taken someone’s help to learn to drive.
What Is a Relative Pronoun?
 A relative pronoun is a word that is used to connect an independent clause to a
relative clause.
 Relative pronouns are meant to provide more information about the subject
(noun or pronoun) it relates to. These relative pronouns function exactly
like adjectives, and so the clauses they form can also be called adjective clauses.

 Definition of a Relative Pronoun

According to the Collins Dictionary, ‘a relative pronoun is a word such as ‘who’,
‘that’, or ‘which’ that is used to introduce a relative clause.’ The Macmillan
Dictionary gives a similar definition. According to it, a relative pronoun is ‘a
pronoun such as ‘who’, ‘that’, or ‘which’ that introduces a relative clause in a
sentence.’
Examples of Relative Pronouns
 Relative pronouns are used to form complex sentences. Examples of relative pronouns include who,
whom, whose, which and that.
 Who – Refers to a person (the noun/pronoun/subject which does the action)
 Whom – Refers to the object (the noun or pronoun that receives the action)
 Whose – Used to show possession of something or someone
 That – Used in a defining clause that refers to a person, animal or thing
 Which – Used in a non-defining clause that refers to a person, animal or thing

Here are some examples of how relative pronouns can be used in sentences:

• Sheela, who is a teacher, also works as a social worker.

• The car that was stolen last month was found in a river.
• Susan is the girl whom I was talking about.
• The boy, whose sister is a renowned orator, is an orator himself.
• The girl, who saved the little boy, was appreciated by everyone.
• There is another category of relative pronouns called compound relative
pronouns, formed by the addition of ‘-ever’ or ‘-soever’.

• Whatever, whatsoever, whoever, whosoever and whichever are some of the

compound relative pronouns. Look at the following examples to understand how
they are used in sentences.

Whoever is ready can speak first.

You can take whichever sweet you like.
Whatever he takes up, he finishes it in time.
Whatsoever you do to others, it will be done to you.
Whosoever runs the fastest will win the race.
What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?

 Everyone might be familiar with the word ‘demo’. The word demo is most
commonly used as an acronym for demonstration. Demonstration means to indicate,
identify, point out, exhibit or explain something to someone. A demonstrative
pronoun is used to do the same thing. It demonstrates or represents the nouns that
act as the subject or object in a sentence.

 Definition of a Demonstrative Pronoun

The Cambridge Dictionary defines demonstrative words as ‘words, for example “this”,
“that”, “these”, and “those”, that show which person or thing is being referred to.’ The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as a word that is used for ‘pointing out the one
referred to and distinguishing it from others of the same class.’

 How to Use Demonstrative Pronouns – Rules and Examples

A demonstrative pronoun is used to represent or identify a person, place, animal or
thing. Demonstrative pronouns are used in the singular and plural forms. The only
thing that you need to take into account when using demonstrative pronouns is to use
verbs that agree with the particular singular or plural form of demonstrative pronouns.
What Is an Interrogative Pronoun?

 An interrogative pronoun, like the name suggests, is used to ask questions. It refers
to something or someone. What, which, who, whom and whose are the five
interrogative pronouns in the English language.

 Definition of an Interrogative Pronoun

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term ‘interrogative’ as ‘a word or sentence used
when asking a question.’ According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word
‘interrogative’ is a ‘word (such as who, what, which) used in asking questions. So, in a
nutshell, an interrogative pronoun is a pronoun that is used to substitute a person or an
object when asking a question.
 Example 1: Who was the keynote speaker?
Nick was the keynote speaker.
In the above example, Nick is the subject and the interrogative pronoun ‘who’ can
therefore be said to be the subject pronoun.

 Example 2: Whom did you speak to?

I spoke to Ms Claire.
In the above example, ‘Ms Claire’ is the object that the subject ‘I’ has spoken to. So it
can be said that the interrogative pronoun ‘whom’ is an object pronoun.

 Example 3: Whose is this black bag?

It is mine.
In the above example, the pronoun ‘it’ refers to the black bag, and so it can be said that
the interrogative pronoun ‘whose’ is an object pronoun.
 The interrogative pronouns ‘what’ and ‘which’ can be used in multiple ways to
refer to both people and things.

For example:

• What do you want? (Referring to an object)

• What do you prefer? Tea or coffee? (Referring to an object)
• What did you find on the porch? (Referring to an object)
• What is your name? (Referring to a person)
• Which is your favourite story? (Referring to an object)
• Which is the guy you were talking to yesterday? (Referring to a person)
• Which one of you did not do your homework? (Referring to a person)
• Which one do you like better? The red one or the yellow one? (Referring to an
• object)
What Is an Indefinite Pronoun?
 An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that is used to substitute nouns that are not
specific. Indefinite pronouns can be used in the singular and plural forms.

Definition of an Indefinite Pronoun

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an indefinite pronoun as “a pronoun that does
not refer to a specific person or thing.” According to the Oxford Learners’ Dictionary, an
indefinite pronoun is defined as “a pronoun that does not refer to any person or thing in
particular, for example, ‘anything’ and ‘everyone’.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines an
indefinite pronoun as “
a pronoun that does not refer to any particular person or thing, for example, ‘anybody’,
‘everyone’, or ‘anything’.”

Points to Remember when Using Indefinite Pronouns with Examples

Before you start using indefinite pronouns, make sure you keep this in mind. Like all other
pronouns, singular pronouns take the singular form of the verb, and plural pronouns take
the plural form of the verb.
Indefinite Pronouns Examples

Each The teacher asked each to present their projects.

Another Another one of them entered the house.

Anyone Is there anyone who likes a pretzel?

Everyone Can everyone sit down, please?

Anything Anything would be fine for me.

Everything I found everything I was looking for.

Everybody Everybody reached here on time.

Nobody Nobody was okay with what was happening around them.

Allison had invited all of her cousins, but none had come
None yet.

Nothing Nothing happened yesterday.

Other They wanted to find out who the other was.

Somebody Somebody took my bag from the shelf.

Could someone tell me where to find a

Someone doctor?

I do not like that there should always

Something be something to do.

Both I think I love both.

Many have been asked to come for the

Many audition.

Did you look at the options? There

Several are several.

Any I was looking for a pencil. Is there any left?

All All have arrived on time.

Some I have a lot of chocolates. Do you want some?

What Are Personal Pronouns?

Personal pronouns are monosyllabic words that are used to substitute proper nouns
that repeat itself in a particular context. A personal pronoun indicates the number
and gender of the corresponding noun.

Definition of a Personal Pronoun

 The Cambridge Dictionary defines a personal pronoun as ‘a word such as “I”,

“you”, and “they”, that refers to a person in speech or in writing’; and according to
the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a personal pronoun is ‘a pronoun (such as I, you,
or they) that expresses a distinction of person’.

 The Collins Dictionary provides a more elaborate definition of personal pronouns.

According to them, ‘a personal pronoun is a pronoun such as ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘she’, or
‘they’ which is used to refer to the speaker or the person spoken to, or to a person
or thing whose identity is clear, usually because they have already been
mentioned.’
 Definition of a Reciprocal Pronoun
The term, ‘reciprocal’ is defined as “involving two people or groups who agree to
help each other or behave in the same way to each other”, according to the
Oxford Learners’ Dictionary. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a
reciprocal pronoun is defined as “a pronoun (such as each other) used when its
referents are predicted to bear the same relationship to one another.”

 Examples of Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate that the actions in a sentence are
reciprocated. Have a look at the following examples of reciprocal pronouns and
how to use them in sentences.

Reciprocal Pronouns Examples

Each other Rachel and Ross love each other.

My brother and my cousin were

One another blaming one another
What is an Intensive Pronoun?
 An intensive pronoun is so similar to a reflexive pronoun that it mostly confuses all second language
learners. It would become a lot easier if you understood how each of the pronouns functioned
differently. An intensive pronoun is a pronoun that is used to provide emphasis on the action the
subject does in a sentence.

Definition of an Intensive Pronoun

 The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an intensive pronoun as “a pronoun that emphasises a
preceding noun or another pronoun (as itself in “borrowing is itself a bad habit”)” and also as
“a personal pronoun compounded with -self and used in apposition with a noun or pronoun or as
pronominal adjunct (as itself in “the cat looked innocence itself” or himself in “he made it himself”)”.
According to the Collins Dictionary, an intensive pronoun is used in “denoting or belonging to a
class of pronouns used to emphasise a noun or personal pronoun, such as himself in the sentence John
himself did it. In English, intensive pronouns are identical in form with reflexive pronouns.”
Difference between Intensive Pronouns and Reflexive Pronouns

 Though the same words are used as intensive pronouns and reflexive pronouns,
they have slightly different grammatical functions. Intensive pronouns are used in
order to emphasise the subject in a sentence by repeating it.
For example, Rency herself solved the puzzle.

 Reflexive pronouns are words that are used when the subject and object in a
sentence are one and the same.
For example, Trinita introduced herself to the new neighbours.

 Another difference is that the sentence would still make sense even if the intensive
pronoun is removed from the sentence, whereas the reflexive pronoun ought to be
there in the sentence as it acts as the object, and only then does it make complete
sense.
For example, Rency solved the puzzle. (Still means she solved the puzzle by herself)
Trinita introduced to the new neighbours. (Incomplete sentence as the object is
missing).
Intensive Pronouns Type of Intensive Pronoun Examples of Intensive Pronouns

Myself Singular Intensive Pronoun I myself did not do it.

Yourself Singular Intensive Pronoun Did you yourself finish the whole lasagna?

Nobody could believe that he himself would

Himself Singular Intensive Pronoun break his own door.

She herself found the solution to the never-

Herself Singular Intensive Pronoun ending conundrum.

The parrot itself somehow opened the cage

Itself Singular Intensive Pronoun and flew away.

I do not know what to do with you.

You yourselves go and talk to the concerned
Yourselves Plural Intensive Pronoun authorities about what you have done.

We ourselves have to find a way out of this

Ourselves Plural Intensive Pronoun mess.

They themselves took care of it and informed

Themselves Plural Intensive Pronoun the police about the theft in their house.