Pronouns replace nouns (or other pronouns) in a sentence so that you do not have to repeat the nouns.

The noun (or pronoun) that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. The word antecedent means “something that comes before.” In most cases, a pronoun refers to a specific antecedent nearby. In the second example above, “Carl” is the antecedent and “He” is the pronoun that replaces “Carl.”

There are three basic types of pronouns — subject pronouns, object pronouns, and possessive pronouns. Note the pronouns in the following sentences.