1.10 Pronouns
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are words that replace nouns. In English, personal pronouns are classified into three groups: subject, object, and possessive pronouns.
| Number/Person | Subject | Object | Possessive Pronoun | Possessive Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular
1st person 2nd person 3rd person* |
I You He/She/It |
me you him/her/it |
mine yours his/hers |
my your his/her/its |
| Plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person |
We You They |
us you them |
ours yours theirs |
our your their |
*Note: For more inclusive language, they may be used for third person singular.
In addition to personal pronouns, English has demonstrative, interrogative, reflexive, and indefinite pronouns.
| Description | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrative pronouns
point out somebody or something |
singular: this, that
plural: these, those |
This report is easy to read.
That file needs to be put away. These sales reports are from the last quarter. Those office chairs are being replaced. |
| Interrogative pronouns
are used to ask questions |
who, whom, whose, which, whichever, what | Who is in charge of housekeeping?
To whom would you like to speak? Whose idea will be chosen for the product launch? Which desks should we purchase for the new office? Whichever you will choose? (dated expression) What can be done to increase sales? |
| Reflexive pronouns
denote that actions are completed by individuals or groups |
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves | I hurt myself.
He can do it himself. She can do it herself. I’m sure that you can do it yourself. Our new vacuum cleans itself. We’ll have to figure it out for ourselves; IT support is closed. You, yourselves, must come to an agreement. The computer hackers eventually surrendered themselves to the authorities. |
| Indefinite pronouns
make general references. They do not refer to a specific thing or person. Indefinite pronouns always take the singular form. |
someone, somebody, something
nothing, no one, nobody everyone anything |
Everybody is here.
Something is missing from my desk. Nothing needs to be changed |