Learning pronouns is an important aspect of English grammar as they play a crucial role in sentence structure and clarity of communication. Pronouns help to clarify who or what is being referred to, which makes the language more precise and reduces ambiguity. This is particularly important in writing, where the lack of visual cues and body language can make it harder to understand the meaning of a sentence. By using the correct pronoun, writers can ensure that their intended message is conveyed clearly. additionally, the use of different types of pronoun, such as personal, possessive, and reflexive pronouns, is a key aspect of grammar, and mastering them is essential for effective communication in English.
Table of Contents
In this article, you’ll explore what pronouns are, the various types of pronoun with definitions and examples, and so on.
What are Pronouns?
Pronouns are a type of word that serve as substitutes for nouns, proper nouns, or other pronouns. They allow us to avoid repeating the same noun over and over again, making our speech and writing more concise and easier to understand. There are several types of pronouns, including personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and interrogative pronouns.
Pronouns are a versatile and essential part of the English language that help make our speech and writing more concise and efficient.
Related: The 8 Parts of Speech in English Grammar
Examples of different types of pronoun includes:
1. Personal pronouns:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Examples: “I went to the store,” “She is playing the piano,” “We will go to the park tomorrow,” “They are friends.”
2. Possessive pronouns:
Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
Examples: “This book is mine,” “The cat is hers,” “Their house is beautiful,” “Ours is the one on the left.”
3. Relative pronouns:
Who, whom, whose, that, which
Examples: “The person who called me was my friend” & “The cat, which was sleeping on the couch, woke up”.
4. Reflexive pronouns:
Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Examples: “I hurt myself while playing soccer,” “She did it herself,” “We will help ourselves,” “They enjoyed themselves.”
5. Interrogative pronouns:
Who, whom, whose, what, which
Examples: “Who is coming to the party?” “Whom do you love?” “What did you buy?” “Which one do you prefer?”
Functions of Pronoun
Different types of pronoun have several functions in a sentence, including:
1. Referring to a noun: Pronouns can be used to refer to a noun or proper noun, making the sentence less repetitive and easier to understand. For example: “John went to the store. He bought some bread.”
2. Indicating possession: Possessive pronouns, such as “mine,” “yours,” and “hers,” can show ownership or possession. For example: “This book is mine.”
3. Connecting clauses: Relative pronouns, such as “who” and “that,” can be used to connect clauses and provide additional information about a noun in a sentence. For example: “The person who called me was my friend.”
4. Emphasizing the subject: Reflexive pronouns, such as “myself” and “himself,” can be used to emphasize the subject of a sentence. For example: “I did it myself.”
5. Asking questions: Interrogative pronouns, such as “who” and “what,” are used to ask questions. For example: “Who is coming to the party?”
In summary, pronouns serve as substitutes for nouns, proper nouns, or other pronouns and play a crucial role in making our speech and writing more concise and efficient.
Types of Pronoun With Definitions and Examples
Here are the main types of pronoun along with definitions and examples:
1. Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns are used to refer to people, animals, or things. They have different forms for singular and plural, first, second, and third person, and for subject and object.
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Example sentences:
| “I am going to the store.” (first person, singular, subject) | “You are my best friend.” (second person, singular, subject) |
| “She is reading a book.” (third person, singular, subject) | “They are having a party.” (third person, plural, subject) |
2. Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession of something.
Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.
Example sentences:
| “This book is mine.” (first person, singular) | “Yours is on the table.” (second person, singular) |
| “The cat is hers.” (third person, singular) | “Their house is beautiful.” (third person, plural) |
3. Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence and indicate that the subject is performing an action on itself. This is one of the important types of pronoun.
Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Example sentences:
| “I hurt myself while playing soccer.” (first person, singular) | “She did it herself.” (third person, singular) |
| “We will help ourselves.” (first person, plural) | “They enjoyed themselves.” (third person, plural) |
4. Relative pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to connect clauses and provide additional information about a noun in a sentence.
Examples: who, whom, whose, that, which.
Example sentences:
| “The person who called me was my friend.” (referring to a person) | “The cat, which was sleeping on the couch, woke up.” (referring to a thing) |
| “The book whose cover was torn was mine.” (referring to a thing and showing possession) |
Difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom’ – subject and object pronoun
“Who” and “whom” are both pronoun forms in the English language. The difference between “who” and “whom” lies in their function as either a subject pronoun or an object pronoun.
“Who” is used as a subject pronoun and refers to the person performing an action.
For example: “Who is coming to the party?”
On the other hand, “whom” is used as an object pronoun and refers to the person who is affected by the action.
For example: “Whom are you inviting to the party?”
To determine whether to use “who” or “whom,” you can try rewriting the sentence with “he” or “him.” If “he” makes sense, use “who.” If “him” makes sense, use “whom.” For example:
“Who is coming to the party?” can be rewritten as “He is coming to the party.” Therefore, “who” is the correct form.
“Whom are you inviting to the party?” can be rewritten as “You are inviting him to the party.” Therefore, “whom” is the correct form.
In general, it’s important to use “who” and “whom” correctly to avoid confusion and to show good grammar and usage in written and spoken communication.
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
Examples: who, whom, whose, what, which.
Example sentences:
| “Who is coming to the party?” (asking about a person) | “Whom do you love?” (asking about a person and showing object) |
| “What did you buy?” (asking about a thing) | “Which one do you prefer?” (asking about a choice between two or more things) |
In summary, these are the main types of pronouns and their functions in a sentence. Understanding the different types of pronouns and how to use them correctly is important for effective communication in the English language.
5. Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
Examples: who, whom, whose, what, which.
Example sentences:
- “Who is coming to the party?” (asking about a person)
- “Whom do you love?” (asking about a person and showing object)
- “What did you buy?” (asking about a thing)
- “Which one do you prefer?” (asking about a choice between two or more things)
In summary, these are the main types of pronouns and their functions in a sentence. Understanding the different types of pronouns and how to use them correctly is important for effective communication in the English language.
6. Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out or refer to specific people, places, or things. Here are the four demonstrative pronouns in English along with definitions and examples:
This: Used to refer to a singular noun that is near in space or time.
Example sentences:
| “This book is mine.” | “This is my favorite movie.” |
That: Used to refer to a singular noun that is further away in space or time.
Example sentences:
| “That car over there is mine.” | “That was a great party.” |
These: Used to refer to multiple nouns that are near in space or time.
Example sentences:
| “These books are mine.” | “These are my favorite songs.” |
Those: Used to refer to multiple nouns that are further away in space or time.
Example sentences:
| “Those cars over there are mine.” | “Those were the best days of my life.” |
It’s important to use the correct form of demonstrative pronoun to avoid confusion and to accurately convey the intended meaning. Demonstrative pronouns are often used to draw attention to specific things or to emphasize a particular point.
7. Indefinite pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that refers to a non-specific person, thing, or amount.
Here are some of the most common indefinite pronouns along with their definitions and examples:
“anyone” refers to any person, regardless of who they are. Example: “Is anyone here?”
“anything” refers to any object or thing, regardless of what it is. Example: “Do you want anything to drink?”
“each” refers to every one of two or more people or things, considered individually. Example: “Each of the students got an A on the test.”
“everybody” refers to every person. Example: “Everybody should bring their own lunch.”
“everyone” is a synonym of “everybody”. Example: “Everyone is welcome to join the party.”
“everything” refers to all things or matters. Example: “I need everything to be ready by tomorrow.”
“neither” refers to not one of two people or things. Example: “Neither option seems right to me.”
“nobody” refers to no person. Example: “Nobody knows the answer to that question.”
“no one” is a synonym of “nobody”. Example: “No one has seen the movie yet.”
Some more
“nothing” refers to not any thing or amount. Example: “I have nothing to wear.”
“one” refers to a person or thing that is unknown or unspecified. Example: “One should always be polite.”
“somebody” refers to a person. Example: “Somebody left their coat in the conference room.”
“someone” is a synonym of “somebody”. Example: “Someone needs to turn off the lights.”
“something” refers to an object or thing that is unknown or unspecified. Example: “Something smells good in the kitchen.”
8. Intensive Pronouns
An intensive pronoun is a pronoun that is used to add emphasis to the noun or pronoun it refers to. Intensive pronouns typically end in “-self” or “-selves”. Here are some of the most common intensive pronouns along with their definitions and examples:
“myself” refers to the speaker or writer. Example: “I will do it myself.”
“yourself” refers to the person being addressed. Example: “You did a great job yourself.”
“himself” refers to a male person being referred to. Example: “The president gave a speech and introduced himself.”
“herself” refers to a female person being referred to. Example: “She made herself a cup of tea.”
“itself” refers to a thing being referred to. Example: “The machine broke itself.”
“ourselves” refers to the speaker or writer and one or more others. Example: “Let’s do it ourselves.”
“yourselves” refers to the people being addressed. Example: “Enjoy yourselves at the party.”
“themselves” refers to people or things being referred to. Example: “They made the decision themselves.”
Note that intensive pronouns are not essential to the meaning of a sentence, they are simply used to add emphasis. For example, in the sentence “I will do it myself,” the intensive pronoun “myself” adds emphasis to the speaker’s determination to do the task.
9. Reciprocal pronouns
A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun that indicates a mutual or reciprocal relationship between two or more people or things. Here are the two reciprocal pronouns along with their definitions and examples:
“each other” refers to two people or things and emphasizes their mutual relationship. Example: “John and Jane love each other.”
“one another” is a synonym of “each other”. Example: “The students helped one another with the project.”
Note that reciprocal pronouns are often used to describe an action that is performed by each member of a group in turn. For example, in the sentence “John and Jane love each other,” the reciprocal pronoun “each other” indicates that the love is mutual between John and Jane. Similarly, in the sentence “The students helped one another with the project,” the reciprocal pronoun “one another” indicates that the students helped each other.
10. Distributive pronouns
Distributive pronouns are pronouns that refer to individuals or things considered one at a time, rather than collectively.
Here are some of the most common distributive pronouns along with their definitions and examples:
“each” refers to every one of two or more people or things, considered individually. Example: “Each of the students got an A on the test.”
“every” refers to each one of a group considered individually and without exception. Example: “Every student must turn in their homework.”
“either” refers to one or the other of two people or things. Example: “Either you come with us or you stay here.”
“neither” refers to not one of two people or things. Example: “Neither option seems right to me.”
“both” refers to two people or things considered together. Example: “Both of the books are great reads.”
Note that distributive pronouns are used to refer to individual members of a group, rather than the group as a whole. For example, in the sentence “Each of the students got an A on the test,” the distributive pronoun “each” emphasizes that the grade was given to each student individually. Similarly, in the sentence “Every student must turn in their homework,” the distributive pronoun “every” emphasizes that the requirement applies to each student without exception.
Also read: Types of Nouns – Definitions, Examples, and Worksheets
Gender-Neutral & Gender-Inclusive Pronouns
Gender-neutral and gender-inclusive pronouns are the types of pronoun that do not specify the gender of the person being referred to. The use of gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language is becoming increasingly common as a way to be inclusive and respectful to individuals who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming.
Some common gender-neutral or gender-inclusive pronouns include:
- “they/them/their” (singular) is used as a gender-neutral pronoun to refer to a person whose gender identity is unknown or non-binary. Example: “Someone left their phone on the table.”
- “ze/zir/zirs” (singular) is a gender-neutral pronoun that is used in place of “he/him/his” or “she/her/hers”. Example: “Ze is a great teacher.”
- “xe/xem/xyrs” (singular) is another gender-neutral pronoun that can be used instead of “he/him/his” or “she/her/hers”. Example: “Xe is a doctor.”
It’s important to use gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language when speaking to or about individuals who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming, or when speaking in general terms about people. Using gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language shows respect and inclusivity towards individuals of all gender identities.
Exercises on Pronouns
Since you have understood all the types of pronoun, here are three exercises on pronouns:
1. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: In this exercise, write a sentence using a pronoun and its antecedent. Ensure that the pronoun and its antecedent agree in number, gender, and person. For example: “The cat chased its tail.”
2. Identifying Pronouns: In this exercise, underline all the pronouns in a given paragraph. Then, identify the antecedent for each pronoun and make sure that the pronoun and its antecedent agree in number, gender, and person.
3. Pronoun Case: In this exercise, write a sentence for each of the three cases of pronouns: subjective, objective, and possessive. Make sure to use the correct form of the pronoun for each case. For example:
| Subjective case: “I walked to the store.” | Objective case: “She gave the gift to me.” |
| Possessive case: “Their car is brand new.” |
These exercises can help improve your understanding of pronoun usage and agreement in English and can also help you identify any common mistakes you may make.
I hope you understand all the types of pronoun with definition and examples.
What are the different types of pronouns?
Ans. There are several types of pronouns, including personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, and interrogative pronouns. Each type of pronoun has its own specific role and use in a sentence.
Can you give an example of a personal pronoun?
Ans. Sure, some examples of personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. These pronouns refer to the person or people speaking, the person or people being spoken to, or a third person or thing.
What is the difference between possessive and reflexive pronouns?
Ans. Possessive pronouns show ownership or relationship to a noun, such as "mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs." Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence, such as "myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves."
How can worksheets help me understand the different types of pronouns?
Ans. Worksheets provide practical exercises and examples of the different types of pronouns. They can help you identify and understand the role and use of each type of pronoun in a sentence. By completing pronoun worksheets, you can reinforce your understanding of pronoun usage and improve your overall language skills.