Pronouns
Pronouns
• A pronoun is a word that takes the place of one or more nouns.
• The word the pronoun replaces is called its antecedent.
• Malcolm waved as he boarded the bus.
• An antecedent may consist of two or more words and it may be in a sentence other than the one in which the pronoun occurs.
• Malcolm and Jim shared a sandwich. They
munched on it.
Personal Pronouns
• The most frequently used pronouns are called personal pronouns. They refer to people or things.
• Personal pronouns take several forms including: subject, object, and possessive.
Subject Pronouns
• A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence.
– Carla is my best friend.
– She is my best friend.
Object Pronouns
• An object pronoun is used as the direct/indirect object or the object of a preposition.
– The teacher gave Shiela a reprimand.
– The teacher gave her a reprimand.
– Susan read the book to the boys. – Susan read it to them.
List of Personal Pronouns
Singular
Plural
Subject Pronouns
I
you
he, she, it
we
you
they
Object Pronouns
me
you
him, her, it
us
you
them
Possessive Pronouns
• A possessive pronoun is a pronoun that shows who or what has something. A possessive pronoun may take the place of a possessive noun.
–
–
–
Virginia Wolf’s story is famous. Her story is famous.
This famous story is hers.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns have two forms. One form is used before a noun. The other form is used alone.
Singular
Used before nouns
my
your
his, her, its
Used after mine
nouns or
yours
alone
his, hers, its
Plural
our
your
their
ours
yours
theirs
Possessive Pronouns
• Possessive pronouns are not written with apostrophes. • The pronoun its, for example, shows possession. The word it’s, on the other hand, is a contraction of it is. – Its central character is Odysseus. (possessive pronoun)
– It’s about the adventures of Odysseus. (contraction of It is)
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to a particular person, place, or thing.
Does anyone know the story of Midas?
Did everybody turn in their test?
Most indefinite pronouns are either singular or plural.
Some Indefinite Pronouns
Singular
another
anybody
anyone
anything
each
either
everybody
everyone
everything
much
neither
nobody
Plural
no one
nothing
one
somebody
someone
something
both
few
many
others
several
All, any, most, none and some can be singular or plural, depending on the phrase that follows them.
Reflexive Pronouns
A reflexive pronoun refers to a noun or another pronoun and indicates that the same person or thing is involved. Reflexive pronouns are formed by adding –self or –selves to certain personal and possessive pronouns
The woman found herself a book of folktales.
Reflexive Pronoun
Reflexive Pronouns
Singular
myself
yourself
himself, herself, itself
Plural
ourselves
yourselves
themselves
Sometimes hisself is mistakenly used for himself and theirselves for themselves. Avoid using hisself and theirselves.
Intensive Pronouns
An intensive pronoun is a pronoun that adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun already named.
George himself bought a copy of American Tall Tales.
He himself paid for the book.
Other Types of Pronouns
• Demonstrative = points out specific persons, places, things or ideas; indicates whether they are near or far in space and time: this, that, these, those
– This is my pencil; that is yours.
• Interrogative = introduce a question: who, whom, whose, which, what
• Which pencil is mine?
• Relative = introduces a noun or adjective clause: who, whom, whose, which, what
• The girl who stole my flowers was arrested.