Pronouns
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns.
:: Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are the most commonly used pronouns.
Singular personal pronouns: I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it
Plural personal pronouns: we, us, you, they, them
Example: John baked a cake for Eileen = He baked it for her.
:: Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are personal pronouns that show ownership or possession.
Singular possessive pronouns: my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its
Plural possessive pronouns: our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs
Example: I found John’s hat = I found his hat.
:: Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns call attention to their antecedents. An antecedent is the word or words to which a pronoun refers.
Singular demonstrative pronouns: this, that
Plural demonstrative pronouns: these, those
Example: The yellow car is his = That is his car.
:: Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns reflect the action back to the noun or pronoun that has just been named (ends in -self or -selves).
Singular reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself…
Plural reflexive pronouns: ourselves, themselves, yourselves
Example: I will find it myself.
Hint: When a pronoun is used in a sentence, it should always be clear to what or to whom the pronoun is referring. Too many pronouns in a sentence can be very confusing:
He went there to do that, but she didn’t know where he was.