Pronoun - Definition, Types, Use & Examples, Worksheet

Pronouns: Your Handy Helpers in Language

Table of content

1. Introduction

2. What Are Pronouns?

3. Types of Pronouns

4. The Power of Pronouns

5. List of Pronouns

6. Conclusion

7. Pronoun Worksheet/ Exercise

8. FAQs

Definition :

• A word which is used instead of a noun is called as Pronoun. Pronoun is used to avoid the repetition of nouns.

For example:

• John plays football. He lives in Spain. (Here, He is used for John)

1. Introduction

Pronouns are like helpful friends in the world of language – they step in to make our conversations smoother and more efficient. These little words take the place of nouns, preventing us from repeating the same names over and over again. With pronouns, we can express ourselves with ease, clarity, and a touch of magic.

Here, we'll explore what pronouns are, their types, and why they play a vital role in enhancing our communication.

2. What Are Pronouns?

Pronouns are special words that take the place of nouns in a sentence. Instead of repeating a name multiple times, we can use pronouns to refer back to the person, place, thing, or idea we previously mentioned. 

Pronouns are the superheroes that come to our rescue when we need to avoid repetition and keep our language flowing smoothly.

Person	Subjective	Objective	Possessive
1st person singular	I	Me	My, Mine
1st person plural	We	Us	Our, Ours
2nd person singular	You	You	Your, Yours
2nd person plural	You	You	Your, Yours
3rd person singular (male)	He	Him	His
3rd person singular (female)	She	Her	Her, Hers
3rd person singular (neutral)	It	It	Its
3rd person plural	They	Them	Their, Theirs

2.1 Subjective Pronoun: 

• Acts as a subject in a sentence.

For example:

1. I drive car daily.
2. He goes to office.
3. She sings a song.
4. They play foot ball

2.2 Objective pronoun :

• Acts as an object in sentence.

For example:

1. Teacher told me answers.
2. Waiter served them food .
3. Mother gave him breakfast.

2.3 Possessive Pronoun :

• Shows the possession or ownership.

For example:

1. Birds uses their wings to fly.
2. His house is big.
3. My brother is a doctor.

Remember, In Third person plural of He (Masculine gender), She (Feminine Gender) and It (Neuter Gender) is They.

2.4 Usage of pronoun "It"

1. For a noun in neuter Gender, For nonliving things

For example: Car, Telephone, Pen, Chair, etc.

• I have a car. I bought it from my friend. Its color is red.

2. For animals

For example:

• I love my dog. It always follow my orders.
• Elephant is a big animal. It likes to eat sugarcane.

3. For child

For example:

• When I saw baby it was sleeping.
• The child is crying. It must be hungry.

4. For temporary Subject in a sentence.

For example:

• It is better to study than to fail in exam.
• It is our duty to follow traffic rules.

5. Used as subject to impersonal verb

For example:

• It is Sunday today.
• It is raining.

6. Time, Weather, Distance, Etc.

For example:

• It is 4 o'clock.(Time)
• It is Summer. So that it is hot nowadays. (Weather)
• It is 5 kilometers. (Distance)

3. Types of Pronouns

Let's dive into the various types of pronouns, each serving a specific purpose in our language:

3.1 Personal Pronouns:

• Personal pronouns are the stars of the show, as they replace specific people or things. They can be subjective (acting as the subject of a sentence) or objective (acting as the object of a verb or preposition). Examples of personal pronouns include "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they."

For example :

1. I am going to the store.
2. You are my friend.
3. He is tall.
4. She is reading a book.
5. The cat is sleeping; it is tired.
6. We are going to the park.
7. They are playing soccer.

3.2 Possessive Pronouns:

• Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession, indicating that something belongs to someone. They eliminate the need for an apostrophe and a noun. Examples of possessive pronouns include "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "its," "ours," and "theirs."

For example :

1. The red car is mine.
2. Is this pen yours?
3. That is his book.
4. The bag is hers.
5. The cat licked its paw.
6. This house is ours.
7. The garden is theirs.

3.3 Reflexive Pronouns:

• Reflexive pronouns reflect back to the subject of the sentence and always end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural). They are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. Examples include "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves."

For example :

1. I will do it myself.
2. Please help yourself to some cake.
3. He hurt himself while playing.
4. She made the dress herself.
5. The cat cleaned itself.
6. We cooked dinner ourselves.
7. You can teach yourselves how to play guitar.
8. They built the tree-house themselves.

3.4 Demonstrative Pronouns:

• Demonstrative pronouns point to specific people, places, or things. They help us distinguish between different items in a sentence. Examples include "this," "that," "these," and "those."

For example :

1. This is my favorite book.
2. That is a beautiful flower.
3. These are my keys.
4. Those are his shoes.

See also : Demonstrative Pronouns : This, That, These, Those.

3.5 Relative Pronouns:

• Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun in a sentence. They connect the clause to the rest of the sentence. Examples of relative pronouns include "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "that."

For example:

1. The girl who is standing over there is my sister.
2. She is the person whom I met yesterday.
3. The book, which is on the table, belongs to me.
4. The car that is parked outside is mine.
5. The man whose house burned down needs assistance.

3.6 Interrogative Pronouns:

• Interrogative pronouns help us ask questions and seek information. They introduce questions about people or things. Examples include "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "what."

For example :

1. Who is at the door?
2. Whom did you invite to the party?
3. What is your favorite color?
4. Which book do you want to read?
5. Whose bag is this?

3.7 Indefinite Pronouns:

• Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They represent a broad or unknown group. Examples include "everyone," "something," "anyone," "nothing," "somebody," and "each."

For example :

1. Someone is knocking at the door.
2. Does anyone want dessert?
3. Everyone should bring their own lunch.
4. Nobody knows the answer.
5. There's something strange about this place.
6. You can choose anything from the menu.
7. She wants everything on the list.
8. Nobody was present at the meeting.

See also:  Indefinite pronouns : List, Use & Examples

4. The Power of Pronouns

Pronouns are not just convenient replacements for nouns; they hold tremendous power in our language:

• Clarity: Pronouns help us avoid confusion and keep our sentences clear and concise.
• Efficiency: By using pronouns, we save time and effort in our communication.
• Variety: Pronouns add variety to our language, making it more engaging and interesting.

5. List of Pronouns

Here is the list of all pronouns in English with different types.

5.1 Personal pronouns :

• Subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• Object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them.

5.2 Demonstrative pronouns : 

• this, that, these, those.

5.3 Reflexive pronouns : 

• myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

5.4 Intensive pronouns : 

• myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

5.5 Possessive pronouns : 

• mine, yours, his, hers, ours, yours, theirs.

5.6 Relative pronoun : 

• who, whom, which, whose, that.

5.7 Indefinite pronouns : 

• another, anybody/ anyone, anything, each, either, enough, everybody/ everyone, everything, less, little, much, neither, nobody/ no-one, nothing, one, other, somebody/ someone, something, both, few, fewer, many, others, several, all, any, more, most, none, some, such.

5.8 Interrogative Pronouns : 

• who, whom, which, what, whose, whoever, whatever, whichever, whomever.

6. Conclusion

Pronouns are like magical wands in the realm of language, enabling us to communicate with ease and efficiency. With personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and more, we can express ourselves clearly while adding variety and flair to our conversations.

So, let pronouns be your friendly companions on the journey of communication, helping you build meaningful connections with others!

See also : Adjective

7. Pronoun Worksheet/ Exercise

Instructions: Read each sentence carefully and identify the pronouns.

1. She loves to read books.
2. They went to the store to buy groceries.
3. He is going to visit his grandparents next weekend.
4. We are going to the beach for vacation.
5. It is raining heavily outside.
6. You should always do your best.
7. I can't believe she won the competition!
8. They will be arriving late tonight.
9. He gave her a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
10. We are excited about the upcoming concert.

Answers:

1. Pronouns: she
2. Pronouns: they
3. Pronouns: he, his
4. Pronouns: we
5. Pronouns: it
6. Pronouns: you, your
7. Pronouns: I, she
8. Pronouns: they
9. Pronouns: he, her
10. Pronouns: we, theirs

FAQs: Pronoun

1. What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence. Examples include "he," "she," "it," "they," and "we."

2. What are the different types of pronouns?

There are several types of pronouns, including personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns.

3. What is a personal pronoun?

A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing and changes form based on the subject or object of the sentence. Examples include "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they."

4. What is the difference between subject pronouns and object pronouns?

Subject pronouns (e.g., "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," "they") are used as the subject of a sentence, while object pronouns (e.g., "me," "you," "him," "her," "it," "us," "them") are used as the object of a verb or preposition.

5. What is a possessive pronoun?

A possessive pronoun shows ownership or possession. Examples include "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "its," "ours," and "theirs."

6. What is a reflexive pronoun?

A reflexive pronoun is used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. Examples include "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves."

7. What is a relative pronoun?

A relative pronoun introduces a dependent clause and connects it to an independent clause. Examples include "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "that."

8. What is a demonstrative pronoun?

A demonstrative pronoun points to specific things and includes "this," "that," "these," and "those."

9. What is an interrogative pronoun?

An interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions. Examples include "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "what."

10. What is an indefinite pronoun?

An indefinite pronoun refers to nonspecific persons or things. Examples include "anyone," "everyone," "someone," "none," "all," and "some."

References

1. Biber, D., Conrad, S., & Leech, G. (2010). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman.
2. Crystal, D. (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
3. Huddleston, R., & Pullum, G. K. (2005). A Student's Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press.
4. Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
5. Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
6. Yule, G. (2010). The Study of Language (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.