PRONOUNS
Pronouns are words that
replace nouns in sentences to avoid repetition and enhance readability. They
include personal, demonstrative, possessive, reflexive, indefinite,
interrogative, relative, reciprocal, intensive, and other types. Understanding
pronoun usage is essential for clear communication. Common errors to avoid
include ambiguous pronoun reference, incorrect pronoun case, lack of agreement,
misuse of reflexive pronouns, dangling modifiers, and double negatives.
Practice exercises help reinforce understanding and correct usage of pronouns.
Table of Contents:
- Definition of Pronouns
- Exhaustive List of Pronouns
- Personal Pronouns
- Reflexive Pronouns
- Demonstrative Pronouns
- Indefinite Pronouns
- Relative Pronouns
- Interrogative Pronouns
- Reciprocal Pronouns
- Intensive Pronouns
- Quantitative Pronouns
- Distributive Pronouns
- Negative Pronouns
- Emphatic Pronouns
- Impersonal Pronouns
- Types of Pronouns
1.
Personal Pronouns
2.
Subject Pronouns
3.
Object Pronouns
4.
Possessive Pronouns
5.
Reflexive Pronouns
6.
Demonstrative Pronouns
7.
Indefinite Pronouns
8.
Relative Pronouns
9.
Interrogative Pronouns
10.
Reciprocal Pronouns
11.
Intensive Pronouns
- Pronoun Cases
- Subjective Case
- Objective Case
- Possessive Case
- Examples Demonstrating Pronoun Usage
- Common Errors in Pronoun Usage
- Exercises/Practice Questions
- Pronoun Identification
- Fill in the Blank with Correct Pronouns
- Pronoun Agreement
- Pronoun Case
- Sentence Rewriting Exercises
Definition
Pronoun is a word that takes
the place of a noun in a sentence.
Instead of repeating the
same noun multiple times, pronouns provide a convenient way to refer back to
previously mentioned persons, places, things, or ideas.
For example, instead of saying "Ramu went
to the store, and then Ramu bought groceries," we can use pronouns to say
" Ramu went to the store, and then he bought groceries."
Exhaustive list of all
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns |
Reflexive Pronouns |
Demonstrative Pronouns |
I |
myself |
this |
you |
yourself |
that |
he |
himself |
these |
she |
herself |
those |
it |
itself |
|
we |
ourselves |
|
they |
yourselves |
Indefinite Pronouns |
Relative Pronouns |
Interrogative Pronouns |
anybody |
who |
who |
anyone |
whom |
whom |
anything |
whose |
whose |
each |
which |
which |
either |
that |
what |
everybody |
||
everyone |
||
everything |
||
neither |
||
nobody |
||
no one |
||
nothing |
||
one |
||
somebody |
||
someone |
||
something |
||
both |
||
few |
||
many |
||
several |
||
others |
||
some |
||
any |
||
all |
||
more |
||
most |
||
none |
Reciprocal Pronouns |
Intensive Pronouns |
Quantitative Pronouns |
each other |
myself |
all |
one another |
yourself |
any |
himself |
enough |
|
herself |
half |
|
itself |
less |
|
ourselves |
more |
|
yourselves |
most |
|
themselves |
none |
Distributive Pronouns |
Negative Pronouns |
Emphatic Pronouns |
Impersonal Pronouns |
each |
nobody |
myself |
it |
either |
no one |
yourself |
there |
neither |
none |
himself |
|
nothing |
herself |
||
neither |
itself |
||
nowhere |
ourselves |
||
yourselves |
|||
themselves |
Types of Pronoun
1. Personal Pronouns:
These pronouns refer to specific people or things. They include "I,"
"you," "he," "she," "it,"
"we," and "they."
2. Subject Pronouns:
Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence. For example, "She
is reading a book."
3. Object Pronouns:
Object pronouns are used as the object of a verb or preposition. For example,
"He gave it to me."
4. Possessive Pronouns:
These pronouns show ownership or possession. Examples include "mine,"
"yours," "his," "hers," "ours," and
"theirs."
5. Reflexive Pronouns:
Reflexive pronouns reflect back to the subject of the sentence. Examples
include "myself," "yourself," "himself,"
"herself," "itself," "ourselves," and
"themselves."
6. Demonstrative Pronouns:
These pronouns point to specific things or people. Examples include
"this," "that," "these," and "those."
7. Indefinite Pronouns:
Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific people or things. Examples include
"someone," "anyone," "everyone,"
"nothing," and "everything."
8. Relative Pronouns:
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses and relate them back to a noun.
Examples include "who," "whom," "whose,"
"which," and "that."
9. Interrogative Pronouns:
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. Examples include
"who," "whom," "whose," "which," and
"what."
10. Reciprocal Pronouns:
Reciprocal pronouns indicate a mutual action or relationship between two or
more people or things. Examples include "each other" and "one
another."
11. Intensive Pronouns: Intensive
pronouns emphasize a preceding noun or pronoun within the same sentence.
Examples include "myself," "yourself," "himself,"
"herself," "itself," "ourselves," and
"themselves."
Pronoun Cases
Pronouns come in different
forms known as cases. These cases help indicate the role or function of the
pronoun within a sentence. There are three primary cases of pronouns:
subjective, objective, and possessive.
1. Subjective Case:
Subjective pronouns, also known as nominative pronouns, are used as the
subject of a sentence or clause. Common subjective pronouns include
"I," "you," "he," "she,"
"it," "we," and "they."
Examples:
- She is going to the
store.
- They are studying
for the exam.
2. Objective Case: Objective
pronouns, also known as accusative pronouns, are used as the object of a
verb or preposition. Common objective pronouns include "me,"
"you," "him," "her," "it,"
"us," and "them."
Examples:
- John gave her a gift.
- Please pass the salt to me.
3. Possessive Case:
Possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession. They can stand
alone or modify a noun. Common possessive pronouns include "mine,"
"yours," "his," "hers," "its,"
"ours," and "theirs."
Examples:
- The book is mine.
- Is this umbrella yours?
Table of Pronoun (cases)
Person /number |
Nominative Case |
Possessive Case |
Objective Case |
Singular 1st plural |
I we |
my, mine our, ours |
me us |
Singular 2nd plural |
you you |
your, yours your , yours |
you you |
Singular 3rd plural |
he, she, it they |
his, her, its their, theirs |
him, her, it them |
Some Examples demonstrating
the use of pronouns
- I am going to the store.
- You need to finish your
homework.
- He is playing
basketball with his friends.
- She loves reading
books in her free time.
- It is raining
heavily outside.
- We are planning a
trip to the beach.
- They won the game
last night.
- Please give the book to me.
- John cooked dinner
for him and his wife.
- She made herself
a cup of tea.
- The cat
washed itself after eating.
- This is my favorite
restaurant in town.
- That movie was
amazing!
- These cookies taste
delicious.
- Those flowers are
blooming beautifully.
- Everybody
is invited to the party.
- Who took my pen?
- Whom did you meet at the party?
- Which color do you prefer?
- What are you doing this weekend?
Common Errors in the use of Pronouns
Pronouns are important to
avoid repetition and make sentences fluent. However, improper usage of pronouns
can lead to confusion and ambiguity. Common errors in the use of pronouns are
1. Ambiguous Pronoun
Reference: One of the most common errors occurs when a pronoun
lacks a clear antecedent, making it unclear which noun the pronoun refers to.
For example:
- Ambiguous: "John told Sam that he
passed the exam."
- Clearer: "John told Sam that John
passed the exam."
2. Incorrect Pronoun Case:
Using the wrong case of a pronoun. For instance:
- Incorrect: "Me and him are going to
the movies."
- Correct: "He and I are going to the
movies."
3. Lack of Agreement:
Pronouns must agree in number and gender with their antecedents. For example:
- Incorrect: "Everyone should do their
homework."
- Correct: "Everyone should do his or
her homework."
4. Misuse of Reflexive
Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns should only be used when the subject
and object of a sentence refer to the same entity. Misusing reflexive pronouns
is a common error. For instance:
- Incorrect: "He gave the book to
myself."
- Correct: "He gave the book to
me."
5. Dangling or Misplaced
Modifiers: Placing a pronoun in a sentence without a clear
antecedent or placing it too far from its antecedent can create confusion. For
example:
"Having finished the
assignment, it was submitted to the professor."
In this sentence,
"it" is the pronoun, but there's no clear antecedent for it. It's
unclear what "it" refers to. The sentence could be revised for
clarity by specifying what was submitted to the professor. For example:
"After finishing the
assignment, John submitted it to the professor."
6. Double Negatives:
Using two negative words in a sentence can create confusion. For example:
- Incorrect: "I don't want none of
it."
- Correct: "I don't want any of
it."
By being mindful of these
common errors, onecan enhance the clarity and effectiveness of one’s writing.
Exercises/ Practice Questions
Q1) Identify the correct
pronoun in each sentence. Also write the type of pronoun.
- She/Her
and I/Me are going to the movies tonight.
- They/Them
went to the beach to enjoy theirs/their day off.
- Whose/Who's
going to pick up her/she from the airport?
- Myself/I
will take care of the situation.
- He/Him and I/Me
will present the project to the team.
- Nobody/No one
knows their/they're secret plans.
- This/These
is the book I was talking about.
- Who/Whom
did you see at the party last night?
- Your/You're
welcome to join us/we for dinner.
- It's/Its
important to double-check your/you're work before submitting it.
Answers:
- She and I are going to the movies
tonight. (Subjective pronouns: She, I)
- They went to the beach to enjoy their
day off. (Subjective pronoun: They; Possessive pronoun: Their)
- Who's going to pick up her from the
airport? (Interrogative pronoun: Who; Objective pronoun: Her)
- I will take care of the situation.
(Subjective pronoun: I)
- He and I will present the project to the
team. (Subjective pronouns: He, I)
- Nobody knows their secret plans.
(Indefinite pronoun: Nobody; Possessive pronoun: Their)
- This is the book I was talking about.
(Demonstrative pronoun: This)
- Whom did you see at the party last
night? (Interrogative pronoun: Whom)
- You're welcome to join us for dinner.
(Subjective pronoun: You; Objective pronoun: Us)
- It's important to double-check your work
before submitting it. (Subjective pronoun: It; Possessive pronoun: Your)
Q2) Complete each sentence
with the correct pronoun from the options provided.
- John and __________ went to the store.
a) he b) him
- Please give the book to __________. a) I
b) me
- __________ is going to the party
tonight. a) She b) Her
- __________ and Tom are best friends. a)
He b) Him
- Who called __________ this morning? a) I
b) me
- My sister and __________ are going on
vacation. a) she b) her
- __________ is the one who brought the
cake. a) Her b) She
- Is this umbrella __________? a) yours b)
your
- __________ favorite color is blue. a) My
b) Mine
- Sarah and __________ are going to the
movies. a) she b) her
Answers:
- John and he went to the store. (a)
- Please give the book to me. (b)
- She is going to the party tonight. (a)
- He and Tom are best friends. (a)
- Who called me this morning? (b)
- My sister and she are going on vacation.
(a)
- She is the one who brought the cake. (b)
- Is this umbrella yours? (a)
- My favorite color is blue. (a)
- Sarah and she are going to the movies.
(a)
Q3) Correct the pronoun
agreement errors in the following sentences.
- Everyone should do their homework.
- Each of the students has lost their
textbooks.
- Neither of the boys wants to share his
toy.
- Everybody brought their own lunch.
- Each of the applicants will be
interviewed in their turn.
Answers
- Everyone should do his or her homework.
- Each of the students has lost his or her
textbook.
- Neither of the boys wants to share his
toy.
- Everybody brought his or her own lunch.
- Each of the applicants will be
interviewed in his or her turn.
Q4) Rewrite the following sentences to correct any
errors in pronoun usage.
- Me and him went to the movies.
- Whom did you see at the concert?
- Nobody knows their secret plans.
- She gave the book to John and I.
- Is them going to the party?
Answers:
- He and I went to the movies.
- Who did you see at the concert?
- Nobody knows his or her secret plans.
- She gave the book to John and me.
- Are they going to the party?
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