Pronouns

What are pronouns and when to use them?

Pronouns are words whose function is to replace a noun in a sentence, whether it refers to a person, object or animal, in order to avoid repetition of words when speaking.
Depending on the type of pronoun, it will be used in one situation or another. Here is the list of types of pronouns:

1. 1. Personal
   2. Object
   3. Demonstrative
   4. Possessive
   5. Reflexive
   6. Indefinite
   7. Reciprocal
   8. Relative
   9. Interrogative

Types of pronouns

Personal pronouns

They replace the subject in the sentence and, therefore, are the ones performing the action indicated by the verb. Here is a table of the personal pronouns.

Examples:

• You are tall. (You are tall).
• She loves you. (She loves you).
• We enjoyed the fresh air. (We enjoyed the fresh air).

Object pronouns

Object pronouns replace the direct object and are the ones receiving the action of the verb. They are used to avoid repeating the object of a sentence

• I stepped on him by accident. (I stepped on him by accident).
• I like her. (I like her).
• The house belongs to us. (The house belongs to us).

Demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns replace the subject and are used based on the physical (or temporal) relationship of distance with respect to the speaker. They normally replace a subject that has already been mentioned in the conversation.

• This is my country. (This is my country).
• Those are my friends. (Those are my friends).
• These flowers are very beautiful. (These flowers are very beautiful).

Possessive pronouns

Indicate ownership of an object. They can be easily identified because they answer the question Whose is it?. Do not confuse with possessive adjectives, which are similar. On the following page you can find an explanation about possessive adjectives and pronouns in English.

• The coat is hers. (The coat is hers).
• You are a friend of ours. (You are a friend of ours).

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used when the action of the verb falls on the subject itself or when you want to emphasize that the same subject has performed the action.

• Brace yourselves for impact. (Prepare yourselves for impact).
• The boat turned itself upside down. (The boat turned itself upside down).

Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to things or people without directly saying who or what they are. There are three types of indefinite pronouns classified into three types (of person, of thing or object, and of place). They are these:

Examples:

• I didn’t see anybody there / I saw nobody there. (I didn’t see anyone there).
• She bought something for her kids. (She bought something for her kids).
• The detective found evidence everywhere he looked. (The detective found evidence everywhere he looked).

Reciprocal pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are used to express a mutual action between two or more people or objects and there are two: each other and one another. They should not be confused with reflexive pronouns.

Examples:

• Tom and Jerry hate each other. (Tom and Jerry hate each other).
• John and Lukas bought each other a present. (John and Lukas bought each other a present).
• Puppies approach one another and start playing. (Puppies approach each other and start playing).

Relative pronouns

English relative pronouns are words that join two clauses and refer to something previously mentioned in the sentence. Let’s see which they are:

• This is what I wanted. (This is what I wanted).
• I don’t know who you are talking about. (I don’t know who you’re talking about).
• She is the one whom you should talk to. (She is the one you should talk to).
• I like that you came to visit. (I like that you came to visit).

Interrogative pronouns

Interrogative pronouns, or wh questions, are words used at the beginning of interrogative sentences. One or the other will be used depending on the information you want to find out with the question.

• What is your name? (What is your name?).
• When were you born? (When were you born?).
• Who are you with right now? (Who are you with right now?).
• Whose car is this? (Whose car is this?).

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