Introduction to Pronoun: Understanding Pronouns in English

Definition for Pronoun

A pronoun is a term that substitutes something that functions as a noun. To further understand pronouns, we can view the definition of pronouns as listed by three top dictionaries.

Merriam-Webster:

• Pronoun: "A word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase. Pronouns are often used to avoid repeating a noun."

Oxford English Dictionary (OED):

• Pronoun: "A word that can function as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this)."

Cambridge Dictionary:

• Pronoun: "A word that is used in place of a noun or a noun phrase, such as he, it, hers, me, them, etc."

You might understand by now that we naturally use pronouns in our day to day speech and vocabulary, and may not realise it sometimes. Some of you might know what is pronoun and some of you might not. Whatever the case might be, read on to find out more about them and kinds of pronouns.

Types of Pronouns:

Pronouns are a vast topic. There are multiple different use cases and ways they can be used. This is why it can be effective to group them into different kinds. You can get a comprehensive view of what they are and kinds of pronouns in this pronoun chart showing the different types along with the pronoun examples sentences.

Read on for a more in-depth look on the pronouns:

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are a type of pronoun that refers to specific people or things. They are used to replace nouns and are categorized by person (first, second, third), number (singular or plural), gender (masculine, feminine, neutral), and case (subjective, objective, possessive).

Examples of personal pronouns - I and me, you, he and him, it, we and us, and they and them.

Relative Pronouns

Another class of pronouns consists of relative pronouns. They are used to connect relative clauses to independent clauses. Sometimes, additional detail about something listed in the sentence is added. Relative pronouns are whom, what, who, etc. Traditionally, who refers to entities and what refers to objects or animals.

Who vs. Whom - Subject and Object Pronouns

Now that we've been talking about relative pronouns, let's answer the one that creates the most confusion: who vs. whom. Who, like I, he, she, we, and they, is a subject pronoun. Whom, like me, him, her, us, and them is the object pronoun.

Whom should I say is calling? Should I say she/her is calling?

Use whom if the object pronoun (him or her) sounds right. Use who, if the subject pronoun (he or she) sounds right.

Demonstrative Pronouns

That, this, these, and those are demonstrative pronouns. They take the place of an already described noun or noun phrase.

This is used for nearby objects that are singular. These are used for different things that are close by. The gap can be metaphorical or real.

Here is a letter with no address for return. Who would have sent this? What a brilliant term! It's the best thing that I've learned all day. Try to smell these if you think gardenias smell good.

Indefinite Pronouns

When you need to refer to a person or object that doesn't need to be clearly identified, indefinite pronouns are used. One another, none, any, everyone, all, and no one are some common indefinite pronouns.

Owing to the traffic congestion, everybody was late to work. For others, it matters more than him. No one knows what trouble I have encountered.

They normally take singular verbs while indefinite pronouns act as subjects of a sentence or clause.

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

Pronouns ending with -self or -selves are known as reflexive pronouns. For example myself, yourself, himself, themselves, etc.

When both the subject and object of a verb refer to the same person or event, use a reflexive pronoun.

For his bad eyesight, Henry cursed himself. At the resort, they booked themselves a room. I was telling myself that it was nothing.

Intensive pronouns look the same as reflexive pronouns, but there is a different reason for them. Emphasis is added by intensive pronouns.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are of two types - weak and absolute. My, your, it's his, her, our, their and whose are used to demonstrate that something belongs to an antecedent.

My, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs are the absolute possessive pronouns. You should substitute the absolute forms for the thing that belongs to the antecedent.

Some possessive pronouns with similar-looking contractions are easy to mix up. Note, apostrophes don't have possessive personal pronouns.

• My pen won't work, can I borrow yours?

• The jewellery that the police accused Mrs. Jones of stealing turned out to be hers all along.

• After getting distracted by a doorbell, Sam realized he had burned his dinner.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used in questions and are who, which, what, and whose.

• Which movie do you want to watch? Whose jacket is this?

• Whoever would want to do such a bad and upsetting thing?

• Whatever did she aver to him that made him smile?

• They're all fantastic! Whichever will you choose?

• What are these bugs called?

• Of all these celebrity names, which one do you like the best?

• There are three scooters parked in front of this house. Whose could they be?

Understanding Antecedents

Pronouns are flexible. The pronoun can refer to anything: a car, a tree, a movie, a feeling. That's why you need that context. Any Noun or a phrase of the noun used at the beginning of a phrase or a story that is to be replaced later with the pronoun is known as an antecedent.

In certain instances, as long as the meaning is completely clear, history does not need to be specifically stated. Typically, it's obvious who the pronouns I, me, and you are referring to are depending on who speaks.

Before you mention the context, it is also possible to use a pronoun, just try to avoid using it in long or complicated sentences because it can make the sentence difficult to understand. The following example demonstrates this.

Simple Sentence:

• Maria wanted to go to the store, so she grabbed her keys and left.

• Here, "she" and "her" are pronouns that clearly refer to "Maria." The sentence is easy to understand.

Complicated Sentence:

• After Maria spoke with her colleague about the upcoming project, she realized that she had left her keys on the kitchen counter, so she quickly returned home to get them before she headed to the store.

• In this longer sentence, the pronoun "she" is used multiple times, which might make it unclear whether it refers to Maria or her colleague. This can make the sentence confusing.

In the complicated sentence, it's better to repeat the noun or break the sentence into shorter, clearer sentences to avoid confusion.

Test Your Knowledge on Pronouns

1) How many types of pronouns are there?

a) 5

b) 6

c) 2

d) 8

2) Which of the following is a relative pronoun?

a) They

b) Hers

c) Who

d) It

3) Which of the following sentences correctly uses a personal pronoun?

a) The dog chased its tail.

b) The cat herself climbed the tree.

c) This is my book, that is yours.

d) Who is going to the store?

4) What is the function of reflexive pronouns?

a) To indicate ownership

b) To connect clauses

c) To refer back to the subject of the sentence

d) To ask questions

Check Your Answers:

1) How many types of pronouns are there?

Ans: 8

2) Which of the following is a relative pronoun?

Ans: Who

3) Which of the following sentences correctly uses a personal pronoun?

Ans: The dog chased its tail.

4) What is the function of reflexive pronouns?

Ans: To refer back to the subject of the sentence

Important Takeaways from this Page

• Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences easier to understand. Pronoun examples include he, she, it, they.

• The page outlines eight different types of pronouns: personal, relative, demonstrative, indefinite, reflexive, intensive, possessive, and interrogative pronouns.

• Personal pronouns are categorized by person, number, gender, and case, and are used to refer to specific people or things.

• Relative pronouns like who, whom, and which are used to connect relative clauses to independent clauses, adding extra information.

• Who is a subject pronoun, while whom is an object pronoun, and their correct usage depends on the sentence structure.

• Demonstrative pronouns such as this and that are used to point out specific items in relation to the speaker's position.

• Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject, while intensive pronouns add emphasis to a noun or pronoun, although they look the same.