Pronouns

… MEANS “FOR A NOUN”, AND A PRONOUN IS A WORD THAT TAKES THE PLACE OF A NOUN.

Without pronouns, spoken and written English would be very repetitive. Once a noun has been referred to by its actual name once, another word – a pronoun – can be used to stand in for this name.

Using pronouns

If the full name of a noun were used each time it had to be referred to, sentences would be long and confusing. Pronouns are useful because they make sentences shorter and therefore clearer. The noun is still required when someone or something is referred to for the first time.

Rita loves playing the guitar. She finds it relaxing.

Types of pronouns

There are seven types of pronouns, which are used for different purposes. Do not confuse these with determiners or adjectives, which modify rather than replace nouns.

Personal pronouns

These represent people, places or things. They vary according to whether the noun being replaced is the subject of a sentence (performing the action) or the object (receiving the action).

  • I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they (subject)
  • me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them (object)

She gave them a guitar lesson.

Possessive pronouns

These show ownership and replace possessive noun phrases. Don’t get these confused with possessive determiners such as my and your, which precede but do not replace the noun.

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

The guitar is hers.

Relative pronouns

These link one part of a sentence to another by introducing a relative clause that describes an earlier noun or pronoun.

  • who, whom, whose, which, that, what

Rita is the person who plays the guitar.

Reflexive pronouns

These refer back to an earlier noun or pronoun in a sentence, so the performing and receiving of an action apply to the same person or thing. They cannot be used without the noun or pronoun they relate to.

  • myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, themselves

She taught herself to play the guitar.

Demonstrative pronouns

These function as subjects or objects in a sentence, replacing nouns. Don’t confuse these with demonstrative determiners, which precede but do not replace the noun.

  • this, that, these, those

This is my guitar.

Interrogative pronouns

These are used to ask questions and represent an unknown subject or object.

  • who, whom, what, which, whose

Who is playing the guitar?

Indefinite pronouns

These do not refer to any specific person or thing, but take the place of nouns in a sentence.

  • somebody, someone, something, anybody, anyone, anything, nobody, no one, nothing, all, another, both, each, many, most, other, some, few, none, such

I haven’t seen anyone.