Parts of Speech- Pronouns
English 9 2014
Key Concept:
• Pronouns are words that stand for nouns or for words that take the
place of nouns.
Antecedents of Pronouns
• Pronouns get their meaning from the words they stand for.
• These words are called antecedents.
• Antecedents are nouns (or words that take the place of nouns) for which
pronouns stand.
• Example:
Michael said he lost his watch at the fair. (he and his are the antecedent’s for
Michael).
• Antecedents do not always appear before their pronouns, however.
• Sometimes, an antecedent follows its pronoun.
• Example:
Because of its carnival, Rottweil, Germany, is my favorite city. (its is the antecedent
for Rottweil, Germany).
Personal Pronouns
• The most common pronouns are those that you use to refer to
yourself and the people and things around you. These pronouns are
called personal pronouns.
• Personal pronouns refer to the person speaking (first person), the
person spoken to (second person), or the person, place or thing
spoken about (third person).
Personal Pronouns
Singular
Plural
First Person
I, me, my, mine
We, us, our, ours
Second Person
You, your, yours
You, your, yours
Third Person
He, him, his, she,
her, hers, it, its
They, them,
their, theirs
Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
• The ending –self or –selves can be added to some personal pronouns
to form reflexive and intensive pronouns.
• A reflexive pronoun ends in –self or –selves and indicates that
someone or something performs an action to, for, or upon itself.
• Reflexive pronouns point back to a noun or pronoun earlier in the
sentence.
• An intensive pronoun ends in –self or –selves and simply adds
emphasis to a noun or pronoun in the same sentence.
8 Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns used in
English
First Person
Second
Person
Third person
Singular
myself
yourself
Plural
Ourselves
Yourselves
Himself,
herself, itself
themselves
Examples:
• A reflexive pronoun is essential to the meaning of a sentence.
• In the following examples, identify the reflexive pronoun and the
antecedent.
• Joy helped herself to some turkey.
• They poured themselves some milk.
• An intensive pronoun on the other hand, simply adds emphasis. If you
omit an intensive pronoun, the sentence will still contain the same basic
information.
• The mayor herself attended the carnival.
• An intensive pronoun usually comes directly after its antecedent, but not
always.
• Frank fixed the refrigerator himself.
Demonstrative, Relative and Interrogative
Pronouns
• Another group of pronouns can be used to direct attention, relate
ideas, or ask questions.
• Demonstrative pronouns direct attention to one of many different
people, places or things.
Singular
This, that
Plural
These, those
• Demonstrative pronouns may come before or after their antecedent.
• Before: This is the person we want to hire.
• After: Of all the celebrations in the world, that is my favorite.
Relative Pronouns
• Relative pronouns relate clauses.
• A relative pronoun begins a subordinate clause and connects it to
another idea in the sentence.
That
which
who
whom
whose
• The following sentences show the way relative pronouns are used in
sentences.
Independent Clause
Subordinate Clause
We planted a shrub
that attacks ladybugs.
I saw a cicada
which was a surprise.
Louisa is the player
who pitched first.
Phil is the debater
whom the judges chose.
We visited Grandmother
whose house is in New Orleans.
Interrogative Pronouns
• Most relative pronouns can also be used as interrogative pronouns.
• An interrogative pronoun is used to begin a question.
What
Five Interrogative Pronouns
Which
Who
Whom
Whose
• An interrogative pronoun may or may not have a specific antecedent.
In the following, only which has an antecedent.
• Which of the vegetables do you want?
• Who will go with me to the park?
Indefinite Pronouns
• Indefinite pronouns resemble interrogative pronouns in that they
often lack specific antecedents.
• Specific Antecedent: Some of the tourists were late.
• No Specific Antecedent: Everyone ate something.
• Indefinite Pronouns refer to people, places, or things, often without
specifying which ones.
Singular
Another anybody anyone
anything each
either
everybody everyone
everything little much neither
nobody
no one
nothing one other somebody
someone
something
Plural
Both
Many
Several
Singular or Plural
Few
Other
All
More
None
Any
Most
Some
Helping Verbs
• Often, a single verb is formed from as many as four words.
• Helping verbs may be added to a verb such as sung to make a verb
phrase, such as had sung or should have been sung.
• Helping verbs are verbs that can be added to another verb to make a
single verb phrase.
Recognizing Helping Verbs
• Learning the forms of be and other verbs that can be used as helping
verbs will help you recognize helping verbs in the sentence.
• Any of the many forms of be as well as some other verbs can be used
as helping verbs.
Helping Verbs other than the form of be
Do
Does
Did
have
has
had
would
shall
should
will
might
must
can
could
may
Verb Phrases
• Verb phrases are created by the addition of helping verbs to other
verbs. The following chart lists six examples, but the possibilities are
almost endless.
Helping Verbs
Verbs
Am
Did
Can
Will be
Should have
Might have been
Talking
Play
Write
Studying
Seen
Considered
Finding Helping Verbs in Sentences
• Other words may sometimes separate helping verbs from main verbs
in sentences.
• Words Together: They will be flying in the morning.
• Words Separated: They will definitely not be going with us.
Have you and the others met our friends?
• The following examples show the words of a verb phrase together as
well as verb phrases interrupted by other words.