Pronouns Definition and Examples

What are Pronouns?

Before we get right to pronouns, let’s read a short example below:

“Ditha went to the store today. Ditha wanted to buy groceries and was thinking of getting some flowers for her living room. When Ditha arrived at the store, the store was 50% off on all flowers. Ditha found a flower arrangement Ditha liked. The flowers were beautiful and such great value for the price. The flowers were the most vividly-colored flowers Ditha has ever seen. Ditha was excited! Ditha hurriedly bought the flowers and went home. Ditha realized that Ditha forgot to buy groceries and had to go back to the store.”

As you may have guessed, the example above doesn’t use any pronouns. Hence, it reads awkwardly and is quite repetitious. Pronouns are a part of speech that functions as substitutes for nouns. They are used to minimize repetition in writing and speaking. Using them makes the story clearer, less tedious, and more engaging. Let’s take a look at the modified version of the text, this time with pronouns in bold for easy identification.

“Ditha went to the store today. She wanted to buy groceries and was thinking of getting some flowers for her living room. When she arrived at the store, it was 50% off on all flowers. Ditha found a flower arrangement she liked. The flowers were beautiful and such great value for the price. They were the most vividly-colored flowers she has ever seen. Ditha was excited! She hurriedly bought them and went home. Ditha realized that she forgot to buy groceries and had to go back to the store.”

Pronouns Definitions & Rules

Type of Pronoun	Definition & Rules	Pronoun List
Personal Pronouns	Just like the specific nouns they substitute, personal pronouns can take the role of subjects or objects in sentences. Their forms change according to three indicators: – person: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person – number: singular and plural – gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter	I, me, my, mine, myself we, us, our, ours, ourselves you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves they, them, their, theirs, themselves he, him, his, himself she, her, hers, herself it, its
Subjective Pronouns	Pronouns in the subjective case take the role of subjects in sentences.	I, we, you, he, she, it, they
Objective Pronouns	Pronouns in the objective case take the role of objects in sentences.	me, us, you, him, her, it, them
Possessive Pronouns	Possessive pronouns substitute nouns that indicate possession. Unlike possessive determiners, they don’t come before nouns (objects or qualities owned by someone or something). They stand alone in sentences.	mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, theirs
Possessive Determiners	Like possessive pronouns, possessive determiners replace nouns that signify ownership They are different from possessive pronouns because they go before the nouns and introduce the object or quality that is owned by someone.	my, our, your, his, her, its, their
Demonstrative Pronouns	Demonstrative pronouns point to, indicate, or introduce nouns and other pronouns. Their usage is related to space or time.	this, that, these, those
Interrogative Pronouns	Interrogative pronouns replace nouns in questions.	who, whom, which, whose, what
Relative Pronouns	Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses and connect them to other clauses.	who, whom, that, which
Indefinite Pronouns	Indefinite pronouns refer to subjects you can recognize but without specificity.	all, few, each, several, many, another, one, any, anyone, anybody, anything, every, everyone, everybody, everything, some, someone, somebody, something, none, nobody, nothing
Reflexive Pronouns	Reflexive pronouns mirror their antecedents back, indicating that the subjects and the objects in sentences are the same.	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Intensive Pronouns	Not to be confused with reflexive pronouns to which they look identical, the purpose of intensive pronouns is to highlight their antecedents.	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Reciprocal Pronouns	Reciprocal pronouns reference mutual actions, connections, and consequences.	each other, one another

Examples of Pronouns

The following segment lists examples of pronouns according to their types:

1. Personal Pronouns

• We are a school club that protects fellow students against bullying.
• They finally sent someone to repair the sink.
• Were you the analyst who helped Tracy recover 10 years’ worth of records?
• I wonder if he knew that everyone in the class heard about his father’s arrest.
• She applied to a music channel to be a choreographer.

2. Possessive Pronouns

• That room has been reserved. This one is yours.
• This week’s pro bono cases are mine.
• Which books from the Japanese collection are hers?
• There was no mention on the will about this house. It’s ours, I guess.
• I don’t think we have a say in it. The decision is theirs to make.

3. Possessive Determiners

• Her luggage was recovered only because she called the airline every day.
• Marion’s architect was able to bring his own design to life.
• Their house is just right around the corner.
• We are calling to inform you that your furniture is ready for pick-up.
• Soon they’ll realize that the merger has outlived its usefulness.

4. Demonstrative Pronouns

• Those files are very important so you better store them well.
• David, you need to move these shirts out of my closet.
• I certainly miss those days when we didn’t have a care in the world.
• That opening was a disaster but we definitely turned it around.
• This part is the best in the whole movie so pay attention.

5. Interrogative Pronouns

• What would you like to have for dinner?
• Whose shoes are those that were deposited by the porch?
• Which of these tiles would she like to use?
• What is the process for filing a dispute in this office?
• Can you tell me who approved the transfer of the deed?

6. Relative Pronouns

• The person who called earlier said she was Olivia’s mom.
• Rookplath Prison, which had been abandoned for 10 years, has been bought.
• The police officer whom you talked to came by the house.
• The wedding dress that Kitty wanted last week is now on the discounted rack!
• My daughter who had a record and dropped out of college runs her own business now.

7. Indefinite Pronouns

• Can you ask someone to check on the shipment?
• We reviewed the footage but none of the cameras captured the event.
• Everybody at the conference was excited about the new releases.
• There’s something inside the barn, I can hear it.
• If you’re looking for some suggestions, I could name a few.

8. Reflexive Pronouns

• The suspect implicated herself during interrogation.
• We can entertain ourselves so take all the time you need.
• Jonathan found himself wondering if he was in the right career.
• I will make myself available if you need to discuss the contract further.
• You have shown yourselves that hard work can accomplish anything.

9. Intensive Pronouns

• They themselves knew for a while that the company will fold soon.
• I realized I can’t paint the car myself.
• You can do it yourself then if you think you’re so smart.
• Miss Lydia went to the location herself to check the workers’ conditions.
• We ourselves went through the same exams that you did.

10. Reciprocal Pronouns

• They helped each other reach the final stage.
• It’s not productive to be suspicious of one another.
• I’m asking all of you to support each other in this endeavor.
• You can’t go on hurting each other like this.
• Their band lasted this long because they respect one another.

Pronouns Exercises with Answers

Exercise on Pronouns

Substitute the underlined words in each sentence with the right pronouns:

1. I’ve been telling Patrice that she needs to get more sleep.

2. Tony’s whole family came by the house this morning.

3. We’ve been to Tina’s family’s house dozens of times.

4. Can you call Hilda and Geoff and say Sparky is in our yard again?

5. The choir members were late for practice.

6. My sister is stressed from teaching classes all day.

7. Is Michael’s motorcycle parked outside?

8. Yohan and I can’t remember the last time Mom made cabbage rolls.

9. I’m sorry but you can’t bring pets inside my and Tom’s house.

10.I have to tell Tristan that the Petersons passed on the offer.

Answers

1. I’ve been telling her that she needs to get more sleep.

2. His whole family came by the house this morning.

3. We’ve been to their house dozens of times.

4. Can you call them and say that Sparky is in our yard again?

5. They were late for practice.

6. She is stressed from teaching classes all day.

7. Is that his motorcycle parked outside?

8. We can’t remember the last time Mom made cabbage rolls.

9. I’m sorry but you can’t bring pets inside our house.

10. I have to tell him that the Petersons passed on the offer.

Pronouns List

You may have noticed that there are some overlaps between several types of pronouns. Personal pronouns, in particular, are a huge classification that includes subjective pronouns, objective pronouns, possessive pronouns, possessive determiners, reflexive pronouns, and intensive pronouns. Below is a more in-depth table that lists them by person, number, and gender.

	1st Person Singular	1st Person Plural	2nd Person Singular	2nd Person Plural	3rd Person Singular	3rd Person Plural
Masculine					he, him, his, himself
Feminine					she, her, hers, herself
Neuter	I, me, my, mine, myself	we, us, our, ours, ourselves	you, your, yours, yourself	you, your, yours, yourselves	it, its	they, them, their, their, themselves

In addition, demonstrative pronouns need another list to show their relation to space, time, and number:

Demonstrative Pronouns	Singular	Plural
Near or Close By	This	These
Far or At A Distance	That	Those

Below is the list of other pronoun types:

Pronoun Types	Pronoun List
Interrogative pronouns	who, whom, which, whose, what
Relative Pronouns	who, whom, that, which whoever, whomever, whichever
Indefinite Pronouns	all, few, each, several, many, another, one, any, anyone, anybody, anything, every, everyone, everybody, everything, some, someone, somebody, something, none, nobody, nothing
Reflexive/Intensive Pronouns	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Reciprocal Pronouns	each other, one another

Advice for ESL Students & English Language Learners

Advice	Learning tools such as lists and tables can’t replace books, but they serve as useful guides. For one thing, they break down complex grammar topics into their essentials. Second, they often include sample sentences based on real-life usage. A great way to utilize them is to create your own lists, which you can customize to meet your learning preferences.
Use Grammar Lists	Independent learning is an important part of studying any language. To experience its maximum benefits, you should use the correct tools. By integrating your favorite English-language films, TV shows, social media channels, music, and podcasts into your daily learning schedule, you’ll get substantial exposure to how native and non-native speakers use English in various social, academic, and professional contexts. Using them with intention will increase your vocabulary and sentence construction skills.
Use Audio-Visual Resources	It’s unfortunate for many English students who live or study in places where the language isn’t commonly used. This is a big quandary because the only real way to use what you’ve learned is to interact in English as often as possible. If you find yourself in such a position, take note that you can always create an environment for yourself where you can explore the English language with other like-minded people. You can organize discussion groups with your classmates and friends; and whenever possible, nurture friendships with both native and non-native English speakers. Consistent practice will advance your proficiency in ways that aren’t possible with books alone.
Practical Use	It’s unfortunate for many English students who live or study in places where the language isn’t commonly used. This is a big quandary, because the only real way to use what you’ve learned is to interact in English as often as possible. If you find yourself in such a position, take note that you can always create an environment for yourself where you can explore the English language with other like-minded people. You can organize discussion groups with your classmates and friends; and whenever possible, nurture friendships with both native and non-native English speakers. Consistent practice will advance your proficiency in ways that aren’t possible with books alone.

Common Errors Made by English Learners

There are common pronoun elements that many English learners and even native speakers forget to follow. The worse thing about common errors is that when you keep making them, they become habits. Ensure that you don’t fall into these language traps by studying the table below:

Additionally, it is important for learners to properly understand types of pronouns and demonstrative pronouns.

Rules	Explanation
Pronoun-antecedent agreement	Pronouns should match the number of their antecedents. So singular nouns can only be replaced by singular pronouns, and only plural pronouns can take the place of plural nouns.
Pronoun-verb agreement	Note that these pronouns are always singular: another, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, enough, everybody, everyone, everything, less, little, much, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, other, somebody, someone, and something These pronouns are always plural: both, few, fewer, many, others, and several.
The pronoun “I”	You can’t use the pronoun “I” in the objective case. Neither can you use it as the object of prepositions. Which means the common expression “between you and I” is wrong since “between” is a preposition.
Punctuation	1. Don’t use apostrophes with possessive pronouns. 2. We only encase relative clauses with commas if it contains additional information, not when it modifies a noun. 3. Make sure that you’re asking questions when using interrogative pronouns. Some sentence structures that look like questions are actually basic statements. For example “I don’t know who did it.” This sentence ends with a period and not a question mark.
Whom	Whom is almost never used in speaking. In writing, we use “whom” to specify objects of verbs. Otherwise, we use “who.”

Learning Strategies and Best Practices with Pronouns

The following list includes points to remember when studying pronouns:

1. Pronouns don’t only replace nouns. They replace noun phrases and clauses. A noun phrase is a multi-word noun that can include articles (a, an, the) modifiers, and compound nouns. A noun clause (relative clause) has its own subject and object. This is why pronouns don’t only prevent repetition, they also provide brevity and varied sentence lengths and structures.
2. Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. They are at the beginning of each relative clause. They can function as subjects, objects, and possessives.
3. We can use “that” for people and “whose” for inanimate objects.
4. Almost always, pronouns follow antecedents. This simply means that a pronoun fundamentally can only be understood through the noun it’s replacing. This is especially true in writing. In speaking, if the people involved in a conversation are privy to the subject (nouns) they’re talking in reference to, antecedents aren’t required. The need for antecedents doesn’t generally apply to the pronouns I, me, and you as they refer to obvious subjects (the person speaking or writing or the people being spoken to or written for).
5. Relative pronouns act as bridges that connect phrases or clauses to one another: who, whom, that, and which. Their compound forms whoever, whomever, and whichever are also used, which typically refer to multiple subjects or a general group.
6. If you took out an intensive pronoun from a sentence, the meaning stays the same, which is the usual way of distinguishing it from a reflexive pronoun.
7. Possessive pronouns, they replace objects or things that are owned. Possessive determiners, they replace the owners. Also, remember that possessive pronouns stand alone and don’t appear with nouns.
8. The twins, reflexive and intensive pronouns, aren’t difficult to tell apart. The most common way to differentiate them from each other is to omit the pronoun from the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense after the omission, then the pronoun you’ve taken out was intensive. This is because reflexive pronouns mirror the subject of the sentence and assumes the role of object. In other words, the subject and object are the same and the sentence won’t make sense if the object is deleted.

Personal Pronouns Frequently Asked Questions