English Grammar - Pronouns

Table of Contents

Pronouns in English Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide

Pronouns are essential components of English grammar, replacing nouns to avoid repetition and simplify sentences. This guide covers the various types of pronouns, suitable for learners from beginners to advanced levels.

Introduction to Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. They help make sentences less repetitive and more fluid. For example, instead of saying “John likes John’s book,” we can say “John likes his book.”

Examples:

  • Incorrect: John said that John would help John’s friend.
  • Correct: John said that he would help his friend.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things. They change form depending on their role in a sentence (subject, object, or possessive).

Subject Pronouns

These pronouns act as the subject of a sentence.

  • Singular: I, you, he, she, it
  • Plural: we, you, they

Examples:

  • I am going to the market.
  • She is reading a book.
  • They are playing football.

Object Pronouns

These pronouns act as the object of a sentence.

  • Singular: me, you, him, her, it
  • Plural: us, you, them

Examples:

  • The teacher called me.
  • Can you help him?
  • We saw them at the park.

Possessive Pronouns

These pronouns show ownership or possession.

  • Singular: mine, yours, his, hers, its
  • Plural: ours, yours, theirs

Examples:

  • That book is mine.
  • Is this pen yours?
  • The house is theirs.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate ownership and replace possessive nouns.

  • Singular: my, your, his, her, its
  • Plural: our, your, their

Examples:

  • My car is blue.
  • Her dress is beautiful.
  • Their house is big.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence and are used when the subject and object are the same.

  • Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
  • Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Examples:

  • I taught myself to play the guitar.
  • She looked at herself in the mirror.
  • They prepared themselves for the exam.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things.

  • Singular: this, that
  • Plural: these, those

Examples:

  • This is my book.
  • That is your car.
  • These are my friends.
  • Those are your shoes.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

  • who, whom, whose, which, what

Examples:

  • Who is coming to the party?
  • Whom did you see at the mall?
  • Whose bag is this?
  • Which color do you prefer?
  • What is your name?

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect clauses or phrases to a noun or pronoun.

  • who, whom, whose, which, that

Examples:

  • The boy who won the race is my friend.
  • The car, which was red, sped past us.
  • She is the one whose brother is a doctor.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things.

  • all, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody, someone, something

Examples:

  • Everyone is invited to the party.
  • Few people know the truth.
  • Is there anyone here?

Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate a mutual relationship or action.

  • each other, one another

Examples:

  • The two friends helped each other.
  • They were talking to one another.

Intensive Pronouns

Intensive pronouns emphasize a preceding noun or pronoun.

  • myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Examples:

  • I did the homework myself.
  • She made the cake herself.
  • They fixed the car themselves.

Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person.

Examples:

  • Incorrect: Everyone must bring their own lunch.
  • Correct: Everyone must bring his or her own lunch.

Tips for Agreement:

  • Use singular pronouns for singular antecedents and plural pronouns for plural antecedents.
  • Ensure the gender matches if specified.

Common Mistakes and Tips

Common Mistakes:

  • Using “they” for singular antecedents when gender is unknown (although this is becoming more accepted in modern English).
  • Confusing “its” and “it’s” (its is possessive, it’s is a contraction of it is).
  • Using “who” vs. “whom” incorrectly.

Tips:

  • Always check pronoun-antecedent agreement.
  • When in doubt, rephrase the sentence to avoid awkward constructions.
  • Practice using different types of pronouns in sentences.

Practice Examples:

  • She gave her book to him.
  • This is the place where we met.
  • I did it myself.
  • Someone left their bag here.

 

Understanding and using pronouns correctly is crucial for clear and effective communication in English. By mastering the different types of pronouns and their proper usage, learners can improve their fluency and accuracy in both writing and speaking. Practice regularly and refer to this guide whenever needed to reinforce your understanding.

Sample Sentences With Pronouns - Easy

Here are 10 easy sentences with the pronouns highlighted:

  1. She is reading a book.
  2. They are playing in the park.
  3. I made my bed this morning.
  4. Can you help me with this?
  5. We went to their house for dinner.
  6. He loves his new bicycle.
  7. It is raining outside.
  8. You should take your umbrella.
  9. This is my favorite movie.
  10. Everyone should bring their own lunch.

Sample Sentences with Pronouns - Complex

Here are 10 complex sentences with multiple pronouns highlighted:

  1. She told him that she would call him later.
  2. They gave us their address so we could visit them.
  3. He asked her if she could help him with his project.
  4. We saw them at the mall, but they didn’t notice us.
  5. She promised herself that she would complete her work on time.
  6. He bought himself a new laptop because he needed it for his job.
  7. I asked her where she got her dress because I liked it.
  8. They told us that we should meet them at the restaurant.
  9. She wrote a letter to him and told him about her day.
  10. He showed them his new car, and they were impressed with it.

Sample Quiz on English Grammar - Pronouns - Easy

Here are 10 easy quiz questions on pronouns with four answer options and the correct answer provided after each question.

  1. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “___ is my best friend.”?

    • a) He
    • b) Me
    • c) His
    • d) Us

    Answer: a) He

  2. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “I gave the book to ___.”?

    • a) she
    • b) her
    • c) hers
    • d) she’s

    Answer: b) her

  3. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “___ are going to the store.”?

    • a) We
    • b) Us
    • c) Our
    • d) They’re

    Answer: a) We

  4. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Can you help ___?”?

    • a) I
    • b) me
    • c) my
    • d) mine

    Answer: b) me

  5. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “This is ___ book.”?

    • a) his
    • b) he
    • c) him
    • d) he’s

    Answer: a) his

  6. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “___ is raining outside.”?

    • a) They
    • b) She
    • c) It
    • d) He

    Answer: c) It

  7. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Is this pencil ___?”?

    • a) you
    • b) your
    • c) yours
    • d) you’re

    Answer: c) yours

  8. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “___ went to the movies.”?

    • a) Me
    • b) They
    • c) Us
    • d) Their

    Answer: b) They

  9. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “___ did you see at the park?”?

    • a) Who
    • b) Whom
    • c) Whose
    • d) Which

    Answer: a) Who

  10. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The cat licked ___ paw.”?

    • a) it
    • b) it’s
    • c) its
    • d) its’

    Answer: c) its

 

Sample Quiz on English Grammar - Pronouns - Medium Difficulty

Here are 10 medium difficulty quiz questions on pronouns with four answer options and the correct answer provided after each question.

  1. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Neither of the boys brought ___ own lunch.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his
    • c) her
    • d) our

    Answer: b) his

  2. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Everyone should do ___ best.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his or her
    • c) her
    • d) its

    Answer: b) his or her

  3. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The committee finished ___ work ahead of schedule.”?

    • a) its
    • b) their
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: a) its

  4. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The dog chased ___ tail.”?

    • a) it’s
    • b) it
    • c) its
    • d) theirs

    Answer: c) its

  5. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Somebody left ___ bag on the bus.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his or her
    • c) its
    • d) our

    Answer: b) his or her

  6. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Either of the options is fine with ___.”?

    • a) me
    • b) I
    • c) my
    • d) mine

    Answer: a) me

  7. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “This is the student ___ won the scholarship.”?

    • a) which
    • b) whom
    • c) that
    • d) who

    Answer: d) who

  8. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The players, all of ___ were exhausted, decided to take a break.”?

    • a) who
    • b) whom
    • c) whose
    • d) that

    Answer: b) whom

  9. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The team celebrated ___ victory.”?

    • a) their
    • b) its
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: b) its

  10. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Neither of the sisters remembered to bring ___ tickets.”?

    • a) their
    • b) her
    • c) his
    • d) its

    Answer: b) her

Sample Quiz on English Grammar - Pronouns - Difficult

Here are 10 advanced quiz questions on pronouns with four answer options and the correct answer provided after each question.

  1. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The manager, along with his team, presented ___ project at the conference.”?

    • a) their
    • b) its
    • c) his
    • d) their own

    Answer: c) his

  2. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Few of the applicants whom the company interviewed had submitted ___ resumes on time.”?

    • a) his
    • b) their
    • c) their own
    • d) its

    Answer: b) their

  3. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Neither of the solutions offered by the consultant was deemed feasible by ___ clients.”?

    • a) his or her
    • b) their
    • c) its
    • d) the

    Answer: a) his or her

  4. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Each of the players must bring ___ own equipment to the game.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his or her
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: b) his or her

  5. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The committee agreed to submit ___ recommendations by the end of the month.”?

    • a) its
    • b) their
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: a) its

  6. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The book, ___ pages were torn, belonged to the library.”?

    • a) that
    • b) which
    • c) whose
    • d) whom

    Answer: c) whose

  7. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The teacher gave the students homework that challenged ___ understanding of the topic.”?

    • a) his
    • b) her
    • c) their
    • d) its

    Answer: c) their

  8. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Every one of the scientists has published ___ findings in a reputable journal.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his or her
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: b) his or her

  9. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “The corporation prides itself on ___ commitment to innovation.”?

    • a) their
    • b) its
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: b) its

  10. Which pronoun would correctly complete the sentence: “Any student who wishes to participate must submit ___ application by Friday.”?

    • a) their
    • b) his or her
    • c) his
    • d) her

    Answer: b) his or her