Pronouns
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Usually the pronoun substitutes for a specific noun, known as its antecedent.
Although most pronouns function as substitutes for nouns, some can function as adjectives modifying nouns. Because they have the form of a pronoun and the function of an adjective, such pronouns may be called pronoun/adjectives.
Most of the pronouns in English are listed in this section.
Personal pronouns
Singular: I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it
Plural: we, us, you, they, them
Personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things. They always function as noun equivalents.
Possessive pronouns
Singular: my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, his, its
Plural: our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs
Possessive pronouns indicate ownership.
Some of these possessive pronouns function as adjectives modifying nouns:
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Intensive and reflexive pronouns
Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Intensive pronouns emphasize a noun or another pronoun:
Reflexive pronouns name a receiver of an action identical with the doer of the action:
Relative pronouns
who, whom, whose, which, that
Relative pronouns introduce subordinate clauses functioning as adjectives:
In addition to introducing the clause, the relative pronoun, in this case who, points back to a noun or pronoun that the clause modifies (man).
Interrogative pronouns
who, whom, whose, which, what
Interrogative pronouns introduce questions:
Demonstrative pronouns
this, that, these, those
Demonstrative pronouns identify or point to nouns. Frequently they function as adjectives:
But they may also function as noun equivalents:
Indefinite pronouns
|
all |
everybody |
nothing |
|
another |
everyone |
one |
|
any |
everything |
several |
|
anybody |
few |
some |
|
anyone |
many |
somebody |
|
anything |
neither |
someone |
|
both |
nobody |
something |
|
each |
none |
|
|
either |
no one |
Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. Most are singular (everyone, each); some are plural (both, many); a few may be singular or plural. Most indefinite pronouns function as noun equivalents:
But some can also function as adjectives:
Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Reciprocal pronouns
each other, one another
Reciprocal pronouns refer to individual parts of a plural antecedent:
Exercise: Parts of speech: pronouns 1
Exercise: Parts of speech: pronouns 2
Exercise: All parts of speech 1
Exercise: All parts of speech 2
Related topics:
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Pronoun reference
Pronoun case (I vs. me)
who vs. whom
antecedent The noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers.
noun The name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.
adjective A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun: lame, old, rare, beautiful; also the articles a, an, the.
subordinate clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word that marks it as subordinate (such as although, because, who, or that).
adjective A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun: lame, old, rare, beautiful; also the articles a, an, the.
adjective A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun: lame, old, rare, beautiful; also the articles a, an, the.
noun The name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.
antecedent The noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers.