
Pronouns are words that can be used to replace nouns in a sentence, so there is no need to repeat them.
Pronouns are intended to make sentences more effective. There are several types of pronouns in English, each with different functions. Here are the types of pronouns along with examples:
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used to replace the names of people or things. These pronouns are divided into two categories: subjects (the doers of the action) and objects (those affected by the action).
Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Example sentences:
- Object: The teacher called me.
- Subject: She is reading a book.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership of something without mentioning the owner’s name or identity.
Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their (always followed by a noun)
Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs (not followed by a noun)
Example sentences:
- Possessive adjective: This is my book.
- Possessive pronoun: This book is mine.
The difference between the two sentences above is that in the first sentence “my” is followed by a noun, while in the second sentence “mine” is not.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object in the sentence are the same person. These pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence.
Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Example sentences:
- She taught herself to play the game.
- I made this cake myself.
Follow other English tutorials as well: What are Nouns and their Types, Understanding Regular and Irregular Verbs, Understanding Adjectives, Understanding Adverbs, Understanding Prepositions, Understanding Conjunctions, Understanding Interjections, Definition and Use of Subject, Predicate, Object, Simple Sentences, Complex Sentences, Compound Sentences, Simple Present Tense, Simple Past Tense
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out or indicate something. There are four demonstrative pronouns:this, that, these, those
Example sentences:
- This is my favorite movie.
- Those are my shoes.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. These pronouns refer to people or things that are unknown: who, whom, whose, what, which.
Example sentences:
- Who is coming to the party?
- Which is your car?
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to connect relative clauses with the main clause and usually replace a noun within the relative clause: who, whom, whose, which, that.
Example sentences:
- The man who called me is my uncle.
- This is the book that I was talking about.
In the first sentence, the relative clause is “who called me.” The main clause is “The man is my uncle.”In the second sentence, the relative clause is “that I was talking about.” The main clause is “This is the book.”
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to unspecified people or things. These pronouns do not point to specific individuals or objects.some, any, someone, anyone, nobody, everybody, everything, nothing, etc.
Example sentences:
- Someone left their bag here.
- Nobody knows the answer.
Reciprocal Pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate a mutual relationship between two or more people.each other, one another.
Example sentences:
- They help each other with homework.
- The students are talking to one another.
Summary: Pronouns are very useful for making sentences effective by avoiding the repetition of the same nouns, thus facilitating smoother conversation. Using various types of pronouns correctly is important in both writing and speaking, as each type has a different function.
Practice Questions on Pronouns
- My father is an engineer. ____ built this bridge.
a. She
b. He
c. They
d. You
e. Them - We wanted to reach before lunch, but ____ car broke down.
a. Its
b. Our
c. Ours
d. Your
e. We - This phone is ____, and the one on the table is mine.
a. Your
b. Yours
c. Yourself
d. You
e. My - You should go to Bali ____ to attend the conference.
a. Herself
b. Yourself
c. Yours
d. Himself
e. Ourselves - The team is preparing for the presentation. Tell ____ that it’s time to start.
a. Her
b. It
c. Them
d. Their
e. He - I completed the project on my own. I did it all by ____.
a. It
b. Myself
c. Me
d. Its
e. Yourself - I receive a lot of messages. I can’t reply to ____ all immediately.
a. They
b. Them
c. Our
d. Ours
e. Their - If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the trip. If ____ doesn’t, we will go.
a. It
b. Its
c. They
d. You
e. We - Read these forms, sign them, and then send ____ to the office.
a. Her
b. It
c. Them
d. Their
e. She - Mr. John opened a new business. ____ business is growing fast.
a. Its
b. Her
c. Your
d. His
e. Him
Practice Questions on Possessive Pronouns
- That bag belongs to the students. That bag is _____________.
- This car belongs to my friend Alex. This car is _____________.
- This necklace belongs to my grandmother. This necklace is _____________.
- This laptop belongs to you. This laptop is _____________.
- This house belongs to me and my brother. This house is _____________.
- These gloves belong to my father. These gloves are _____________.
- Those books belong to my cousin’s friends. Those books are _____________.
- These tickets belong to you and your husband. These tickets are _____________.
- That chair belongs to me. That chair is _____________.
- That sofa belongs to my parents. That sofa is _____________.
Practice Questions on Possessive Adjectives
- She is excited about __________ new project.
- The students forgot __________ homework at school.
- David is showing __________ new car to his friends.
- I have a cat. __________ name is Whiskers.
- There is a bird in __________ (we) living room.
- Is that __________ (you) bicycle?
- We harvested __________ vegetables yesterday.
- The dog is thirsty. This is __________ water.
- You are a student and __________ name is Ben.
- I travel with __________ family every summer.
Answers to Pronoun Questions
- b. He
- b. Our
- b. Yours
- b. Yourself
- c. Them
- b. Myself
- b. Them
- a. It
- c. Them
- d. His
Answers to Possessive Pronoun Questions
- Theirs
- His
- Hers
- Yours
- Ours
- His
- Theirs
- Yours
- Mine
- Theirs
Answers to Possessive Adjective Questions
- Her
- Their
- His
- Its
- Our
- Your
- Our
- Its
- Your
- My
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