Pronouns in English
Learn how to use subject, object, possessive, reflexive, and demonstrative pronouns to replace nouns and make your sentences flow naturally.
What are Pronouns?
Pronouns are words that replace nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences smoother. Instead of saying "John went to John's house because John was tired," we say "He went to his house because he was tired."
Key idea: Pronouns replace nouns to make speech and writing more natural.
Types of Pronouns
| Type | Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject Pronouns | I, you, he, she, it | we, you, they | "She is a teacher." |
| Object Pronouns | me, you, him, her, it | us, you, them | "I saw her yesterday." |
| Possessive Adjectives | my, your, his, her, its | our, your, their | "That is my book." |
| Possessive Pronouns | mine, yours, his, hers, its | ours, yours, theirs | "The book is mine." |
| Reflexive Pronouns | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself | ourselves, yourselves, themselves | "I did it myself." |
| Demonstrative Pronouns | this, that | these, those | "These are my shoes." |
Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence (the person or thing doing the action).
📖 Examples:
- I love pizza.
- You are my best friend.
- He works at a bank.
- She is a doctor.
- It is raining outside.
- We are going to the park.
- They live in London.
Object Pronouns
Object pronouns are used as the object of a verb or preposition (the person or thing that receives the action).
📖 Examples:
- Can you help me?
- I saw you yesterday.
- Give him the book.
- She called her mother.
- I like it very much.
- Come with us.
- I invited them to the party.
Possessive Adjectives & Pronouns
Possessive adjectives come before a noun. Possessive pronouns stand alone and replace the noun.
| Subject Pronoun | Possessive Adjective (+ noun) | Possessive Pronoun (alone) |
|---|---|---|
| I | my book | The book is mine. |
| you | your book | The book is yours. |
| he | his book | The book is his. |
| she | her book | The book is hers. |
| it | its bone | The bone is its. |
| we | our book | The book is ours. |
| they | their book | The book is theirs. |
✅ Possessive Adjective (with noun)
"This is my car."
"Is that your house?"
✅ Possessive Pronoun (alone)
"This car is mine."
"Is that house yours?"
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same person/thing. They end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).
📖 Examples:
- I did it myself.
- Be careful! Don't hurt yourself.
- He cooked dinner himself.
- She looked at herself in the mirror.
- The cat cleaned itself.
- We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
- They built the house themselves.
Note: Reflexive pronouns are also used for emphasis: "I myself saw the accident."
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things: this, that, these, those.
Singular
This → near in distance or time
"This is my favorite song."
That → far in distance or time
"That was a great movie."
Plural
These → near in distance or time
"These are my shoes."
Those → far in distance or time
"Those are my friends."
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things: someone, anyone, everyone, no one, something, anything, everything, nothing, each, all, some, none.
👤 People
someone, anybody, everyone, nobody
"Someone is at the door."
📦 Things
something, anything, everything, nothing
"I have something to tell you."
📝 Others
each, all, some, none, both, either, neither
"All are welcome."
Note: Most indefinite pronouns are singular and take singular verbs: "Everyone is here."
Examples in Context
📖 Using Subject & Object Pronouns:
- I love her.
- She gave me a gift.
- They invited us to dinner.
- He called you yesterday.
🌟 Using Possessive Forms:
- This is my car. The car is mine.
- Is this your phone? Yes, it's yours.
- That is their house. That house is theirs.
💪 Using Reflexive Pronouns:
- I made this cake myself.
- She taught herself to play the piano.
- We enjoyed ourselves at the beach.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Incorrect:
"Me and John went to the store."
✅ Correct:
"John and I went to the store."
❌ Incorrect:
"This book is my."
✅ Correct:
"This book is mine."
❌ Incorrect:
"He did it hisself."
✅ Correct:
"He did it himself."
❌ Incorrect:
"Its raining outside."
✅ Correct:
"It's raining outside." (it's = it is)
Interactive Exercises
Practice what you've learned. Choose the correct pronoun.
Quick Reference
Subject → Object
I → me, you → you, he → him, she → her, it → it, we → us, they → them
Subject → Possessive
I → my/mine, you → your/yours, he → his/his, she → her/hers, we → our/ours, they → their/theirs
💡 Remember: Subject = does the action | Object = receives the action | Possessive = shows ownership