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The Pronoun
A Pronoun is a word used for a noun.
It is of the same person; gender and number as the Noun for which it is used. Thus, Pronouns are substitutes for Nouns to avoid repetition.
KINDS OF PRONOUNS
There are seven kinds of Pronouns:
1. Personal Pronouns 2. Demonstrative Pronouns 3. Indefinite Pronouns 4. Relative Pronouns 5. Distributive Pronouns
6. Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns 7. Interrogative Pronouns
1. PERSONAL PRONOUNS
A pronoun which stands for a on or thing is called a Personal Pronoun. I, you, he, she, it, we they, me, him, her, us, and them etc. are all personal pronouns.
FORMS AND USES OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Use of Personal Pronouns (a) First Person
Singular Plural
I am learning my lesson. We are learning our lesson.
Ram helped me. Ram helped us.
This cow is mine. These cows are ours (b) Second Person
Singular Plural
You love your friend. You all love your friends.
Sham will beat you. Sham will beat you all.
This book is yours, Mohan. These books are yours, boys.
2 (c) Third Person
Singular Plural
He is doing his duty. They are doing their duties.
She is washing her clothes. They are washing their clothes.
It is Ram’s cat. They are Ram's cats.
I helped him. We helped them.
She bought it. They bought them.
This bag is his. These bags are theirs.
This book is hers. These books are theirs.
Its handle is made of wood. Their handles are made of wood.
Use of Nominative and Objective Cases:
(i) Nominative Case (N.C.) — A Pronoun which is used as a Subject.
(ii) Objective Case (O.C.) — A Pronoun which is used as an object.
N.C. O.C. N.C. O.C.
I helped her. She helped me.
We helped them. They helped us.
He helped you. You helped him.
(iii) Possessive Case (P.C.) — A Pronoun which shows possession.
Possessive Pronoun Shows Possession:
This pen is mine. (my pen)
That school is ours. (our school)
These books are yours. (your books)
Those dolls are hers. (her dolls) Examples:
Possessive Pronouns Possessive Determiners
This pen is mine. This is my pen.
That school is ours. That is our school.
This book is yours. This is your book.
3 This frock is hers. This is her frock.
These shoes are theirs. These are their shoes.
Notes:
(a) The forms mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs are called possessive pronouns.
(b) The forms my, our, your, his, her, their and its are called possessive determiners.
(Remember that determiners always followed by nouns but pronouns are never followed by nouns)
My, our, your, his, her, its, and their - known as Possessive Adjectives are now considered as Possessive determiners.
Person Number Case
Nominative Objective Possessive
First (Speaker) Second (spoken to) Third (spoken of)
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Singular Singular Plural
I We You You He She It They
me us you you him his it them
mine ours yours
his hers its theirs
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
A Demonstrative Pronoun is used to point the object or objects to which it refers; as,
This is my purse.
That is your cycle.
These are her dolls.
Those are our friends.
Demonstrative Pronouns are such, this, that, these, those, none, neither. When used to represent a thing or things, demonstrative pronouns can be either near or far in distance or time:
Near in time or distance: this, these
Far in time or distance: that, those
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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Indefinite Pronouns do not refer to any particular person or thing, but they refer to nouns in a general way; as,
Some are born great.
Many of these eggs are rotten.
Few escaped unhurt.
One should keep one's promise.
Do good to others.
None of these apples are ripe.
All are quite upto the mark.
Somebody has stolen my book.
Indefinite pronouns are all, any, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody, and someone.
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
The main interrogative pronouns are "what," "which," "who," "whom," and "whose."
An Interrogative Pronoun is used to ask a question; as,
Who teaches you English?
Whose is this pen?
With whom do you want to see?
Which is your house?
What are you doing?
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
All five Interrogative Pronouns become Relative Pronouns when they relate a noun or pronoun in a sentence:
1. I met Khushi. Khushi stood first in the class.
I met Khushi who stood first in the class.
2. We met a girl. Her brother was given a reward.
We met a girl whose brother was given a reward, 3. This is the girl. All praise her.
This the girl whom all praise
4. Sagun has found the purse. She had lost the purse.
Sagun has found the purse which she had lost.
Relative Pronouns are who, whom, that, which, whoever, whomever, whichever.
Notes:
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A Noun or a Pronoun to which a relative pronoun refers is called its Antecedent.
Who, whose and whom are used for persons
Which is used for animals and things without life
That is used for persons, animals or things.
My, our, your, his, her, its, their - known as Possessive Adjectives are now considered as Possessive Determiners.
DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS
Distributive Pronouns are those which show that persons or things are taken one at a time or in separate groups; as,
Each of them got a prize.
Neither of them came to see me.
Either of the two roads leads to Delhi.
They include each, any, either, neither and others. Each refers to two or more persons taken one by one. Either means one or the other. Neither is of course, the negative of either.
REFLECTIVE AND EMPHATIC PRONOUNS
Pronouns in which the action of the subject reflects or turns back on the Subject itself are called Reflexive Pronouns.
I injured myself.
You hurt yourself.
She killed herself.
They will enjoy themselves.
A Pronoun used to convey emphasis is called an Emphatic Pronoun; as,
I myself locked the door.
You yourself ask for money.
He himself insulted her.
The wall itself fell.
The various forms of Reflexive/Emphatic Pronouns are - Myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves.
6 Exercise:
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. __________ often reads until late at night.
a. He b. Alan c. Mary d. They
2. __________ is running up and down the stairs.
a. The cat b. She
c. My brother d. You
3. We enjoy the roses so much.
__________ really liven up the garden.
a. They b. Its
c. Someone d. Flowers
4. Malini isn’t an architect;
__________ is an engineer.
a. He b. They c. It d. She
5. Are __________ friends or not?
a. He b. She c. We d. It
6. Our friends are athletes. All of __________ are either strong, fast, or both.
a. We
b. They c. Them d. You
7. Is ____________ yours?
a. This b. Those c. These d. Such
8. Everyone ate early. When we arrived, ____________ was left.
a. That b. Such c. None d. Neither
9. Please give me one of ____________.
a. That b. Those c. This d. Such
10. ____________ are nice-looking.
a. This b. That c. These d. Such
11. Each morning, I brush my teeth and stare at ______________ in the mirror.
a. Himself b. Herself c. Myself d. Itself
7 Dad and I painted the trailer
_______________.
a. Myself b. Himself c. Itself d. Ourselves
The children made holiday decorations by ________________.
a. Itself b. Ourselves c. Themselves d. Their selves
14. Paul copies his friend’s homework instead of doing it _______________.
a. Itself b. Himself c. Myself d. Yourself
15. Please make ________________
at home while you wait.
a. Themselves b. Himself c. Yourselves d. Herself
16. Mary wants to talk to __________
about your homework.
a. Him b. Her c. You d. Them
17. The plate shattered when John dropped __________ on the floor.
a. Him b. Her c. Them d. It
18. Be careful; he lied to __________
before and he may do it again.
a. Us b. It c. We d. They
19. Where are Jill and Cherie? Didn’t you invite __________?
a. Us b. Them c. They d. Her
20. The spider bit __________ on my ankle.
a. You b. Me c. Her d. It
21. _________________ is making my computer act up.
a. Anyone b. Something c. Each d. Everyone
22. Does _______________ know what’s happening tonight?
a. Anybody b. Anyone c. Someone d. A, B, and C
23. _____________ baker presented a beautiful cake to the king.
a. The b. One c. Each d. Both
8 24. I don’t know __________ of the
answers.
a. Anyone b. Any c. Everyone d. No one
25. ____________ happens for a reason.
a. Anybody b. Everything c. Some d. Somebody Answers:
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. C 6. C 7. A 8. C 9. B
10. C 11. C 12. D 13. C 14. B 15. C 16. C 17. D 18. A
19. B 20. B 21. B 22. D 23. C 24. B 25. B
