Pronouns
- What is a pronoun?
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun and sometimes refers to a noun in the sentence.
Example #1
He is riding a bike through the park.
Reasoning: The word "he" is a pronoun
because it takes the place of a person.
Example #2
The weather is great today; let's make the most of it by
going to the beach.
Reasoning: The word "it" is a pronoun because it refers to
the weather.
There are 8 types of pronouns. They are listed below with some examples.
- Personal (subjective: I, you, he, she, it, we you, they | objective: me, you, him, her, it us)
Explanation: Used to take the place of nouns. - Demonstrative (this,
that, these, those)
Explanation: Used to refer to things nearby. - Reflexive (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves)
Explanation: Used only when a subject performs an action to, for, or upon itself.
Example #1: We found ourselves puzzled over all these pronouns.
Example #2: You need to do these grammar exercises yourself. - Intensive (Same as reflexive but used only for emphasis.)
Explanation: Used immediately after a personal pronoun for emphasis only.
Example #1: I myself believe that good grammar is essential.
Example #2: You yourself may not believe this. - Interrogative (what, which, who, whom, whose)
Explanation: Used only in reference to a question.
Example #1: Who is working in the writing lab?
Example #2: What kinds of pronouns are used most often? - Relative (what, which, whichever, who, whom, whose, whoever, whomever)
Explanation: Used only in reference to nouns or other pronouns but never in a question.
Example #1: This is what you wanted!
Example #2: I don't know which to choose. - Indefinite (singular: anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something | plural: both, few, many, several | singular or plural: all, any, most, none, some)
Explanation: Used in reference to a person when we don't know who the person is, or when the person can refer to people in general.
Example #1: Everybody has to pay taxes.
Example #2: Most hate it! - Possesive (singular: my, your, his, her, its, mine, yours | plural: our, your, their, ours, yours, theirs)
Explanation: Used to show ownership.
Example #1: Here is our house.
Example #2: Purple is my favorite color.