The Pronoun
I pronoun is a word that can be used in place of a noun. Repetitive use of nouns can cause the meaning
of a sentence to be unclear or uninteresting.
Example: Dr. Beenken told the class that the class needed to study Dr. Beenken’s notes thoroughly if the
class expected to do well on the test Dr. Beenken was giving next week.
Improved: Dr. Beenken told the class that they needed to study her notes thoroughly if they expected to
do well on the test she was going to give them next week.
It is important to remember that pronouns function in the same five ways that nouns function: subject,
direct object, indirect object, predicate nominative, and the object of a preposition. Anything a noun
can do, a pronoun can do also. Think of pronouns and nouns like sugar and sweet and low. Both
substances accomplish the same things. They sweeten your food, but sugar is not sweet and low and
does not taste exactly the same way. Nouns and pronouns carry out the same functions, but they do it
somewhat differently.
Pronouns can be classified into four types:
Personal Pronouns:
Singular: I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it.
Plural: It, we, you, us, they, them
Possessive: my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, (possessive pronouns often
function as adjectives answering the question, “Whose?” about a noun.
Interrogative Pronouns:
Who- whom- whose- which- what
Demonstrative Pronouns:
This- that- these- those
(When these four words are not functioning as demonstrative pronouns, one of the five functions- they
are functioning as demonstrative adjectives)
Example: That is my new car (Because “that” is the subject of the sentence, and is functioning in one of
the five ways pronouns can function, it is a pronoun.
Example: That car is my new Chrysler. (Because “that” is modifying the word, car, and is answering the
question, “Which one?” about the noun, car, it is functioning as a demonstrative adjective, instead of a
demonstrative pronoun.
Indefinite Pronouns:
The person, place, or thing being referred to is not named:
Singular Indefinite pronouns: each, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone,
anybody, someone, somebody
Plural indefinite pronouns: both, many, few, several
May be either plural or singular depending on the sentence: all, any, most, none, some
Relative pronouns: These are used to connect a subordinate clause to the main clause of a sentence.
Subordinate clauses, beginning with relative pronouns, are functioning as adjectives modifying a noun or
pronoun in the sentence.
Who, whose, which, what, that, whoever, whatever, whichever
An antecedent is the noun which the pronoun refers to or replaces.
Example: The speaker coughed and reached for a glass of water. When the glass reached his lips, he
noticed a fly which was swimming in the water. (Speaker is the antecedent of his and he; fly is the
antecedent of which).
A Reflexive Pronoun is a pronoun which throws the action back upon the subject of the sentence. The
sentence would not be completed without the reflexive pronoun.
Examples: The young skunks never washed himself. (Direct object)
He never bought himself deodorant. (Indirect object)
He was never unhappy about himself. (Object of the preposition)
An intensive pronoun emphasizes the noun or pronoun it refers to. The sentence meaning would be
complete without the intensive pronoun. He himself, decided to fly and to smile about it.
Intensive and reflexive pronouns end in “self” or “selves.”