Pronouns
📘 Detailed Guide to Pronouns in English Grammar
Pronouns are essential components of English grammar. They replace nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences concise and clear. Understanding different types of pronouns enhances both spoken and written communication.
🔖 Types of Pronouns:
1. Personal Pronouns:
Personal pronouns refer to specific people, things, or ideas.
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First Person: I, me (singular); we, us (plural)
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Second Person: you (singular and plural)
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Third Person: he, him, she, her, it (singular); they, them (plural)
Examples:
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She is reading a book.
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We are going to the movies.
2. Reflexive Pronouns:
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are the same entity.
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Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
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Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Examples:
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He prepared himself for the exam.
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We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
3. Demonstrative Pronouns:
These pronouns point to specific items or people.
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Singular: this, that
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Plural: these, those
Examples:
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This is my favorite song.
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Those shoes look comfortable.
4. Indefinite Pronouns:
Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things generally, without specifying.
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Singular: anyone, someone, everyone, nobody, each, either
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Plural: few, several, many
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Singular/Plural: all, any, most, some
Examples:
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Everyone enjoyed the concert.
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Several have submitted their applications.
5. Relative Pronouns:
Relative pronouns introduce clauses that describe or modify nouns.
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Who: refers to people
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Whom: formal use for people
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Whose: indicates possession
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Which: refers to objects
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That: refers to people or objects (informal)
Examples:
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The person who called is my aunt.
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The book that you lent me is fascinating.
6. Interrogative Pronouns:
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
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Who, whom, whose (people)
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What, which (things)
Examples:
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Who is knocking at the door?
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Which color do you prefer?
7. Possessive Pronouns:
Possessive pronouns show ownership.
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Singular: mine, yours, his, hers, its
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Plural: ours, yours, theirs
Examples:
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That notebook is mine.
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The keys are theirs.
8. Reciprocal Pronouns:
Reciprocal pronouns indicate mutual action or relationship.
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Each other
Examples:
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The players congratulated each other after the match.
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The siblings often argue with each other.
9. Emphatic Pronouns:
Emphatic pronouns stress or emphasize a noun or pronoun.
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Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
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Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Examples:
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She herself completed the project.
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We ourselves baked the cake.
📌 Key Points about Pronouns:
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Pronouns replace nouns for clarity and conciseness.
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They agree in number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine/neutral).
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Reflexive and emphatic pronouns share the same form but differ in function.
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Relative pronouns connect clauses and clarify context.
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Interrogative pronouns help in forming questions.
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Possessive pronouns indicate ownership.
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Demonstrative pronouns specify proximity and distinction.
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Indefinite pronouns generalize references.
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Reciprocal pronouns indicate mutual actions.
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Pronouns function differently in sentences: subject, object, possessive, and reflexive.
Exercise -1
- Which of the following is a personal pronoun?a) This
b) That
c) He
d) None of the above
Answer: c) He - Which of the following is a demonstrative pronoun?
a) Who
b) Whom
c) That
d) None of the above
Answer: c) That - Which type of pronoun is used to ask questions?
a) Indefinite pronoun
b) Personal pronoun
c) Interrogative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Interrogative pronoun - Which of the following is an indefinite pronoun?
a) Myself
b) Yourself
c) Everyone
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Everyone - Which type of pronoun is used to link two clauses together?
a) Possessive pronoun
b) Reflexive pronoun
c) Relative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Relative pronoun - Which of the following is a possessive pronoun?
a) His
b) Herself
c) Themselves
d) None of the above
Answer: a) His - Which type of pronoun indicates that two or more people are doing the same thing to each other?
a) Reciprocal pronoun
b) Emphatic pronoun
c) Interrogative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Reciprocal pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to refer back to the subject of a sentence?
a) Demonstrative pronoun
b) Reflexive pronoun
c) Indefinite pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Reflexive pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used for emphasis?
a) Personal pronoun
b) Possessive pronoun
c) Emphatic pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Emphatic pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to show possession?
a) Interrogative pronoun
b) Relative pronoun
c) Possessive pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Possessive pronoun
Exercise-2
- Which of the following is a personal pronoun in the objective case?
a) I
b) He
c) Me
d) She
Answer: c) Me - Which type of pronoun is used to refer to something previously mentioned?
a) Interrogative pronoun
b) Indefinite pronoun
c) Relative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Relative pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to show ownership or possession?
a) Possessive pronoun
b) Demonstrative pronoun
c) Interrogative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Possessive pronoun - Which of the following is an example of an indefinite pronoun?
a) She
b) That
c) Everyone
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Everyone - Which type of pronoun is used to ask about a person, thing or place?
a) Personal pronoun
b) Demonstrative pronoun
c) Interrogative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Interrogative pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to show that something is done to or for oneself?
a) Possessive pronoun
b) Reciprocal pronoun
c) Reflexive pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Reflexive pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to emphasize a noun or pronoun?
a) Emphatic pronoun
b) Demonstrative pronoun
c) Personal pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Emphatic pronoun - Which of the following is a reciprocal pronoun?
a) Each other
b) Himself
c) Whom
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Each other - Which type of pronoun is used to refer to an unspecified person, thing or amount?
a) Relative pronoun
b) Indefinite pronoun
c) Interrogative pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Indefinite pronoun - Which type of pronoun is used to point out specific people or things?
a) Personal pronoun
b) Demonstrative pronoun
c) Possessive pronoun
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Demonstrative pronoun
