A pronoun is used in place of a noun or nouns. Common
pronouns include he, her, him, I, it, me, she, them, they,
us, and we.
Here are some examples:
INSTEAD OF: Luma is a good athlete. She is a good
athlete. (The pronoun she replaces Luma.)
INSTEAD OF: The beans and tomatoes are freshpicked. They are fresh-picked. (The pronoun they
replaces the beans and tomatoes.)
Pronoun- Antecedent
 An antecedent is a noun to which the pronoun refers. It
usually goes before the pronoun ("ante" means before).
Example #1
 Even though the party was fun, it was crowded.
Reasoning: "It" is the pronoun because it refers to the noun
"party." And "party" is the antecedent because "party" is the
noun to which "it," the pronoun, refers.
 Example #2
 People often like parties because they get to see old
friends.
Reasoning: "They" refers to "people" and is, therefore, the
pronoun. "People" is the antecedent because "people" is the
noun to which "they" refers.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
 Pronoun antecedent agreement is when the pronoun
agrees in number (referring to singular or plural) and
person (referring to first, second, or third person) with its
antecedent.
 When you check your own sentences to determine if the
pronouns agree with their antecedents in both number and
person, look first for what the antecedent is. Then match
the antecedent with a pronoun that is consistent in number
(if the pronoun is singular, the antecedent should also be
singular. Then identify the person of the antecedent (first,
second, or third person) and then match the pronoun in
person.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
 Example #1 (Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement - Number)
 When an employee does not agree with their boss's decision, the employee should
not support that decision.
Reasoning: This sentence contains an antecedent and a pronoun. Since the antecedent
(employee) is singular and the pronoun (their) is plural, the pronoun disagrees with the
antecedent, thus containing a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. You can correct this
in one of two ways: either make both the pronoun and antecedent singular, or make both
the pronoun and antecedent plural.
 Example #1 (Corrected)
 When an employee does not agree with his boss's decision, the employee should
not support that decision.
 Example #2 (Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement - Person)
 Everyone should make their own decision.
Reasoning: This sentence contains an antecedent (everyone) and a pronoun (their).
Since the antecedent is third person and singular (everyone), the pronoun (they) should
also be third person and singular; instead, "they" is third person and plural.
 Example #2 (Corrected)
 Everyone should make his or her own decision.
Practice
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When (John, John and Joe) slipped on the step, he fell.
The (doctor, doctors) believed their diagnosis of a
fracture was correct.
The (cat, cats) are eating their dinner now.
The cups are sitting in (its, their) saucers.
After they saw the show, (he, they) went out to dinner.
Joe didn't think (he, they) should have to retake the test.
Sara and Jane rode (her, their) bicycles at 2:00 today.
The peony bushes have lost (its, their) petals.
(A person, People) should always try to be helpful to his
or her classmates.
(Jack, Jack and Mary) make regular contributions to their
church.
Test Item
Which of the following sentences does not make an
error in pronoun-antecedent agreement?
F. Dana ate three pieces of the cake before she realized
she had eaten them.
G. Brenda earned five dollars and spent them at the
movies the same afternoon.
H. Douglas ran the race in just two minutes and fifteen
seconds, but they seemed longer.
J. Brett saved three-quarters of his allowance for a new
camera, but they were not enough.
Subject Pronouns
A subjective pronoun acts as the subject of
a sentence—it performs the action of the
verb. The subjective pronouns are he, I, it,
she, they, we, and you.
He spends ages looking out the window.
After lunch, she and I went to the
planetarium.
Object Pronouns
 An objective pronoun acts as the object of a
sentence—it receives the action of the verb. The
objective pronouns are her, him, it, me, them, us, and
you.
 Cousin Eldred gave me a trombone. Take a picture of
him, not us!Me you him her
Possessive Pronouns
A possessive pronoun tells you who
owns something. The possessive
pronouns are hers, his, its, mine, ours,
theirs, and yours.
The red basket is mine. Yours is on the
coffee table.
Demonstrative Pronouns
 A demonstrative pronoun points out a noun. The
demonstrative pronouns are that, these, this, and
those.
 That is a good idea. These are hilarious cartoons. A
demonstrative pronoun may look like a demonstrative
adjective, but it is used differently in a sentence: it acts
as a pronoun, taking the place of a noun.
Interrogative Pronouns
 An interrogative pronoun is used in a question. It
helps to ask about something. The interrogative
pronouns are what, which, who, whom, and compound
words ending in "ever," such as whatever, whichever,
whoever, and whomever.
 What on earth is that? Who ate the last Fig Newton?
An interrogative pronoun may look like an
interrogative adjective, but it is used differently in a
sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a
noun.
Indefinite Pronouns
 An indefinite pronoun refers to an indefinite, or
general, person or thing. Indefinite pronouns include
all, any, both, each, everyone, few, many, neither, none,
nothing, several, some, and somebody.
 Something smells good. Many like salsa with their
chips. An indefinite pronoun may look like an
indefinite adjective, but it is used differently in a
sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a
noun.
Relative Pronouns
 A relative pronoun introduces a clause, or part of a
sentence, that describes a noun. The relative pronouns
are that, which, who, and whom.
 You should bring the book that you love most. That
introduces "you love most," which describes the book.
 Hector is a photographer who does great work. Who
introduces "does great work," which describes Hector.
Reflexive Pronouns
 A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of a
sentence. The reflexive pronouns are herself, himself,
itself, myself, ourselves, themselves, and yourselves.
Each of these words can also act as an intensive
pronoun (see below).
 I learned a lot about myself at summer camp. (Myself
refers back to I.) They should divide the berries among
themselves. (Themselves refers back to they.)
Intensive Pronouns
 An intensive pronoun emphasizes its antecedent (the
noun that comes before it). The intensive pronouns are
herself, himself, itself, myself, ourselves, themselves,
and yourselves. Each of these words can also act as a
reflective pronoun (see above).
 I myself don't like eggs. The queen herself visited our
class.
Reciprocal Pronouns
 Reciprocal (each other, one another)
Explanation: Used to refer to a mutual
set of people.
Example #1: We love each other.
Example #2: We should love one
another.
Practice: Find all the pronouns
1. I would rather go to a picnic than work on exercises.
2. His work comes before play.
3. Even the students themselves thought the test was too easy.
4. My apartment looks great now because I did a lot of
cleaning recently.
5. Emma herself thinks that it is very cold today.
6. Although Buffalo is expecting a lot of snow each winter, I
like it.
7. The man who wears a black suit is a very popular and
famous lawyer.
8. Both were disappointed in their grades.
9. Nobody can succeed in school without studying very hard.
10. Susan is not sure what she should wear for the graduation
party.
Which Type of Pronoun is in Capital
Letters?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
THIS is the best thing for everyone concerned.
To WHOM were you speaking?
Nearly ANYONE can beat me at checkers.
SHE was skating in the park when she fell.
You should do these exercises YOURSELF if you really want
to understand grammar.
We love EACH OTHER.
They THEMSELVES need to decide what is right for them.
The laundry, WHICH is always piling up, gets folded every
day.
This book belongs to me, and that book belongs to HIM.
EVERYONE, I think, wants to feel loved.