Parts of Speech: Pronoun
With Help from
Ralph Wiggum
What is a Pronoun?
• A pronoun is a word used in place of one or
more nouns
– Lisa is exasperated with Ralph, but when he
asks her to go to Krusty’s anniversary show
with him, she is conflicted.
What There is to Know about
Pronouns
• Sometimes a pronoun takes the place of another
pronoun.
– The Simpsons episodes are varied. In one, Ralph’s
heart is broken by Lisa. It ends with Lisa and Ralph
being friends.
• The word to which a pronoun refers (whose place
it takes) is the ANTECEDENT of the pronoun.
– Ralph Wiggum receives the prize for his display of
action figures.
– Pronoun: his, Antecedent: Ralph Wiggum
Types of Pronouns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Personal,
Reflexive,
Intensive,
Relative,
Interrogative,
Demonstrative, and
Indefinite
Personal Pronouns
• Personal pronouns replace a specific noun
or nouns and reflect that noun’s person (1st,
2nd, 3rd), number (singular, plural), and case
(subject, object) in the sentence.
Personal Pronouns
Singular
Plural
Sub.
I
Obj.
me
Sub.
We
Obj.
Us
Second
Person
You
You
You
You
Third
Person
He,
Him, They
She, It Her, It
First
Person
Them
Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Forms show ownership by
someone or something. Some of these
possessive forms act like adjectives:
Singular
Plural
First Person
My, Mine
Our, Ours
Second Person
Your, Yours
Your, Yours
Third Person
His, Her, Hers, Its Their, Theirs
NOTE: To make possessive pronouns, no
apostrophe is ever needed.
Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
• Personal pronouns combined with –self, selves may be used in two ways:
– They may be used reflexively when the subject
is performing the action upon itself:
• When Ralph saw himself in the mirror, he became
scared.
– They may be used intensively for emphasis:
• Ralph is able to put on his pajamas all by himself,
even if they are on up-side-down.
Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
Singular
Plural
First Person Myself
Ourselves
Second
Person
Yourselves
Yourself
Third Person Himself,
Herself,
Itself
Themselves
Relative Pronouns
• Relative pronouns are used to introduce
•
•
•
•
•
subordinate clauses and are related to nouns
usually right before them:
Who & that: animate subjects of clause
Which & that: inanimate subjects/object
Whose: animate possessive form
Whom: animate object
Example:
– The kids who take class with Ralph think he is dumb.
Interrogative Pronouns
• Interrogative pronouns are used in questions
• Who, which, whose, whom, what
• Example:
– Which subject did Ralph fail?
Demonstrative Pronouns
• Demonstrative pronouns are used to point
out persons or things.
• This, these, that, those
• Example:
– This is my favorite television program.
Indefinite Pronouns
• Pronouns that do not fall into the
classifications above are called indefinite
pronouns.
• Most indefinite pronouns express the idea
of quantity.
Most Commonly Used Indefinite
Pronouns
Singular
Each, Either,
Neither, One,
Everyone,
Everybody, No one,
Nobody, Anyone,
Anybody,
Someone, Other,
Somebody, Another
Plural
All, Any, Both,
Few, Many, Most,
None, Several,
Some, Such
Practice
• Find and Label all the pronouns:
– Ralph is great comic relief for those who are in
his class.
– Few of the students who go to Springfield
Elementary are as slow as their classmate,
Ralph.
– “My cat’s breathe smells like catfood,” is a line
that has become memorable to most who watch
the show.
Practice (Corrected)
• Find and Label all the pronouns:
– Ralph is great comic relief for those who are in
his class.
– Few of the students who go to Springfield
Elementary are as slow as their classmate,
Ralph.
– “My cat’s breathe smells like catfood,” is a line
that has become memorable to most who watch
the show.