When to Use Personal or Impersonal Pronouns in Sentences
Before we dwell on personal and impersonal pronouns, let's reassess what pronouns are. A pronoun is a word that is used in the place of a noun. If we want to describe a person, writing or saying that person's name in every sentence will look inappropriate and boring. There comes the role of Pronoun. For example, John is my classmate, and John is intelligent. So, instead of saying John is intelligent, we should use He is intelligent. The Pronoun is of different types, but two of its forms are Personal and Impersonal Pronoun.
What are Personal Pronouns?
The Pronoun used for a person, animal, and things is known as Personal pronounsYour like I, Me, We, Us, etc. Personal Pronoun is of three types and stands for three persons. The three persons are referred to as the following:
First Person: The person who is speaking. For example, when a speaking person denotes themselves using I, me, or them, It is a personal pronoun. They include words like me, my, mine, I, we, ours, us, our, etc. It is said to be the Pronoun of first-person.
Second Person: The person one is communicating to. While speaking or writing, if you repeatedly use the referring person name, it is not befitting. They include words like you and yours. It is called the second person pronoun.
Third Person: The third person pronoun refers to the Person talking about. It includes words like his, her, him, he, she, they, them, their, etc. The Pronoun of the third person has three genders feminine, masculine, and neutral. For feminine third-person pronouns, we use she, her, hers, etc. For masculine third-person pronouns, we use his, him, he, etc. The neutral third person pronoun is it, its, etc.
Examples of Personal Pronouns
Example of Personal Pronoun, the pronouns are darkened:
My name is Ben, and I am a student.
All the chocolates are mine. Yours is finished.
You are a good person.
Sia is sad because she scored fewer marks.
Ryan likes cricket. He loves football too.
Kids have done their homework, and they are going to play.
Invite all of them to the party.
The possessive case of a personal pronoun has two forms. One includes words like my, ours, her and their, etc. Possessive adjectives or Pronominal adjectives. In this, the Pronoun acts as an adjective.
For example, This is my house. Here my is a possessive pronoun that describes adjectives for the house.
This house is mine. Here the word mine describes a simple possessive pronoun.
More examples:
Your recipe is amazing. (Possessive adjective)
The recipe of yours is amazing. (Possessive Pronoun)
These are his clothes. (Possessive adjective)
These clothes are his. (Possessive Pronoun)
What are Impersonal Pronouns?
The Pronoun which describes or stands for a thing or verb or any nonliving thing but not for a person is the impersonal Pronoun. Sometimes we use it in case of undetermined gender, like for an insect or animal. For example, this Pronoun seems to stand for no person, but we use it to describe things, places, or verbs.
Examples:
It is raining.
Here it describes the verb raining.
It is a tasty pizza.
Here it denotes pizza, a food item.
I did not see the bug, but it stung me.
In the above sentence, the word is referring to the insect.
The horse fell and broke its leg.
When I saw the baby, it was crying.
It is you who are to be blamed.
It is easy to find fault.
It is doubtful whether the game will continue.
Advantages of learning Personal and Impersonal Pronoun – Definition and Examples
The Personal and Impersonal Pronoun – Definition and Examples are the most important topics of English grammar. They give you a clear understanding of the words that can be used instead of nouns to make the sentences much smoother. Below are some advantages of learning the Personal and Impersonal Pronoun - Definition and Examples:
In the English language, personal and impersonal pronouns play a vital role. That is why you must learn the Personal and Impersonal Pronoun - Definition and Examples to have a strong grasp of these topics.
The Personal and Impersonal Pronoun - Definition and Examples provides you with detailed explanations along with easy examples to give you a better understanding of the topics.
Once you go through the Personal and Impersonal Pronoun - Definition and Examples thoroughly, you will be able to differentiate between the two pronouns with ease.
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The Personal and Impersonal Pronoun – Definition and Examples will tell you the correct use of pronouns. This way, you can understand when do you have to replace a noun with a personal or an impersonal pronoun.
After learning the basics of personal and impersonal pronouns, you can use your knowledge to practice different worksheets and check whether you have understood the entire concept or not.
FAQs on Personal vs Impersonal Pronouns: Simple Guide with Examples
1. What is the fundamental difference between personal and impersonal pronouns?
The fundamental difference lies in what they refer to. Personal pronouns are used to replace the names of specific people or groups of people. They change form based on person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), and case (subject, object). Examples include I, you, he, she, we, and they. In contrast, impersonal pronouns do not refer to a specific person. They are used to make general statements or refer to things, concepts, or unknown entities. The most common impersonal pronoun is 'it', and 'one' is also used in formal contexts.
2. Can you provide some examples of personal and impersonal pronouns used in sentences?
Certainly. Here are examples that illustrate their usage:
- Personal Pronouns:
- She went to the library. (Replaces a female name)
- The teacher gave the book to him. (Replaces a male name)
- We are studying for the exam. (Replaces the speaker and others)
- Impersonal Pronouns:
- It is raining outside. (Refers to weather, not a specific noun)
- It is important to be on time. (Introduces a concept or idea)
- One must always try one's best. (Refers to people in general)
3. Why is it important to understand the use of personal and impersonal pronouns for school-level English?
Understanding the difference is crucial for several reasons as per the CBSE curriculum. Firstly, it ensures grammatical accuracy and helps you build clear, logical sentences. Secondly, it prevents ambiguity by making it clear whether you are referring to a person or a general idea. Using pronouns correctly improves writing flow by avoiding the repetitive use of nouns, which is a key skill assessed in writing tasks. Finally, it forms the foundation for learning more complex sentence structures and maintaining a formal or informal tone as required.
4. How do personal pronouns function differently in the first, second, and third person?
Personal pronouns change to show the point of view in a sentence:
- First Person (the speaker): Refers to the person speaking. The pronouns are 'I' (singular) and 'we' (plural). Example: I am reading a book.
- Second Person (the listener): Refers to the person being spoken to. The pronoun is 'you' for both singular and plural. Example: Did you finish your homework?
- Third Person (the person/thing being spoken about): Refers to someone or something else. The pronouns are 'he', 'she', 'it' (singular), and 'they' (plural). Example: They are playing in the park.
5. What is a common point of confusion between personal pronouns and possessive pronouns?
A common confusion is mixing up their functions. Personal pronouns (like he, she, they) act as the subject or object, replacing a noun entirely. For example, 'She has a car.' In contrast, possessive pronouns (like his, hers, theirs) and possessive adjectives (like his, her, their) show ownership or belonging. For example, 'The car is hers' or 'That is her car.' The key mistake is using an object pronoun instead of a possessive one, or vice-versa.
6. Can the pronoun 'it' ever refer to a person, or is it always impersonal?
While 'it' is primarily an impersonal pronoun for objects, weather, or abstract ideas, there is a specific exception. It can be used to refer to a person, typically a baby or a small child, when the gender is unknown or not the focus. For example, if you hear a baby crying in another room, you might ask, 'What's wrong with it?'. However, this is considered informal and can be perceived as impolite when referring to adults. In most formal and academic writing, 'it' should strictly be used for non-human entities.
7. In formal writing, what are 'dummy pronouns' and how do they relate to impersonal pronouns?
A 'dummy pronoun,' also known as an expletive, is a pronoun used to fill a grammatical slot in a sentence without having any direct meaning itself. The impersonal pronoun 'it' frequently functions as a dummy pronoun. It is used to start sentences about time, weather, or distance, or to introduce a new clause. For example, in the sentence 'It is true that the Earth is round,' the pronoun 'it' doesn't replace a noun but serves as a placeholder for the clause 'that the Earth is round.' This is a common feature of formal and academic English.
