Pronouns

Pronouns are small words that take the place of a noun. We can use a pronoun instead of a
noun. Pronouns are words like: he, you, ours, themselves, some, each... If we didn't have
pronouns, we would have to repeat a lot of nouns. We would have to say things like:

Do you like the manager? I don't like the manager. The manager's not friendly.

With pronouns, we can say:

Do you like the manager? I don't like him. He's not friendly.

Pronouns
Pronouns are small words that take the place of a noun. We can use a pronoun instead of a
noun. Pronouns are words like: he, you, ours, themselves, some, each... If we didn't have
pronouns, we would have to repeat a lot of nouns. We would have to say things like:

Do you like the manager? I don't like the manager. The manager's not
friendly.

With pronouns, we can say:

Do you like the manager? I don't like him. He's not friendly.

What is a Pronoun?
The job of a pronoun and how to recognize one

Personal Pronouns
I, me, you, he, him, she...

Demonstrative Pronouns
this, that, these, those

Possessive Pronouns
mine, yours, his...

Interrogative Pronouns
who, what, which...

Reflexive Pronouns
myself, yourself, himself...

Reciprocal Pronouns
each other, one another

Indefinite Pronouns
another, much, nobody, few, such...

Interrogative Pronouns
We use interrogative pronouns to ask questions. The interrogative pronoun represents the
thing that we don't know (what we are asking the question about).
There are four main interrogative pronouns: who, whom, what, which
Notice that the possessive pronoun whose can also be an interrogative pronoun (an
interrogative possessive pronoun).
subject object
person
who
whom
thing
what
person/ thing
which
person
whose
Notice that whom is the correct form when the pronoun is the object of the verb, as in
"Whom did you see?" ("I saw John.") However, in normal, spoken English we rarely use
whom. Most native speakers would say (or even write): "Who did you see?"
Look at these example questions. In the sample answers, the noun phrase that the
interrogative pronoun represents is shown in bold.
question
Who told you?
Whom did you tell?
What's happened?
What do you want?
Which came first?
Which will the doctor see first?

answer
John told me.
I told Mary.
An accident's happened.
I want coffee.
The Porsche 911 came first.
The doctor will see the patient in blue
first.

There's one car missing. Whose hasn't

John's (car) hasn't arrived.
arrived?
We've found everyone's keys. Whose did you
I found John's (keys).
find?

subject
object
subject
object
subject
object
subject
object

Note that we sometimes use the suffix "-ever" to make compounds from some of these
pronouns (mainly whoever, whatever, whichever). When we add "-ever", we use it for
emphasis, often to show confusion or surprise. Look at these examples:

Whoever would want to do such a nasty thing?

Whatever did he say to make her cry like that?

They're all fantastic! Whichever will you choose?

Possessive Pronouns
We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the
"antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals
or thing/things).
We use possessive pronouns depending on:

number: singular (eg: mine) or plural (eg: ours)

person: 1st person (eg: mine), 2nd person (eg: yours) or 3rd person (eg: his)

gender: male (his), female (hers)

Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences. Notice that each
possessive pronoun can:

be subject or object
refer to a singular or plural antecedent

number person gender (of "owner") possessive pronouns

1st
male/ female
mine
2nd
male/ female
yours
singular
male
his
3rd
female
hers
1st
male/ female
ours
plural 2nd
male/ female
yours
3rd
male/ female/ neuter theirs
Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject = My picture)

I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object = my flowers)

I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours. (object
= your key)

My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject = Your flowers)

All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject = his essay)

John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her passport)

John found his clothes but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes)

Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject = Our car)

Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject = Our photos)

Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject = Your books)

I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (object = your garden)

These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject = Their
children)

John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs? (object = their car)

Notice that the following (with apostrophe [']) do NOT exist: her's, your's, their's
Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an
interrogative possessive pronoun). Look at these examples:

There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered whose it was.
This car hasn't moved for two months. Whose is it?

Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:

number: singular (eg: I) or plural (eg: we)

person: 1st person (eg: I), 2nd person (eg: you) or 3rd person (eg: he)

gender: male (eg: he), female (eg: she) or neuter (eg: it)

case: subject (eg: we) or object (eg: us)

We use personal pronouns in place of the person or people that we are talking about. My
name is Josef but when I am talking about myself I almost always use "I" or "me", not
"Josef". When I am talking direct to you, I almost always use "you", not your name. When I
am talking about another person, say John, I may start with "John" but then use "he" or
"him". And so on.
Here are the personal pronouns, followed by some example sentences:
number person
1st
2nd
singular
3rd

plural

1st
2nd
3rd

personal pronouns
subject object
male/ female
I
me
male/ female
you
you
male
he
him
female
she
her
neuter
it
it
male/ female
we
us
male/ female
you
you
male/ female/ neuter they
them
gender

Examples (in each pair, the first sentence shows a subject pronoun, the second an object
pronoun):

I like coffee. / John helped me.

Do you like coffee? / John loves you.

He runs fast. / Did Ram beat him?

She is clever. / Does Mary know her?

It doesn't work. / Can the man fix it?

We went home. / Anthony drove us.

Do you need a table for three? / Did John and Mary beat you at doubles?

They played doubles. / John and Mary beat them.

When we are talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. However, there are a few
exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/him or she/her, especially if the
animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as some
countries are often treated as female and referred to as she/her. Here are some examples:

This is our dog Rusty. He's an Alsatian.

The Titanic was a great ship but she sank on her first voyage.

My first car was a Mini and I treated her like my wife.

Thailand has now opened her border with Cambodia.

For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use he or she. There are several
solutions to this:

If a teacher needs help, he or she should see the principal.

If a teacher needs help, he should see the principal.

If a teacher needs help, they should see the principal.

We often use it to introduce a remark:

It is nice to have a holiday sometimes.

It is important to dress well.

It's difficult to find a job.

Is it normal to see them together?

It didn't take long to walk here.

We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:

It's raining.
It will probably be hot tomorrow.

Is it nine o'clock yet?

It's 50 kilometres from here to Cambridge.

Demonstrative Pronouns
demonstrate (verb): to show; to indicate; to point to
A demonstrative pronoun represents a thing or things:

near in distance or time (this, these)

far in distance or time (that, those)

near far
singular this that
plural these those
Here are some examples with demonstrative pronouns, followed by an illustration:

This tastes good.

Have you seen this?

These are bad times.

Do you like these?

That is beautiful.

Look at that!

Those were the days!

Can you see those?

This is heavier than that.

These are bigger than those.

Do not confuse demonstrative pronouns with demonstrative adjectives. They are identical,
but a demonstrative pronoun stands alone, while a demonstrative adjective qualifies a noun.
That smells. (demonstrative pronoun)
That book is good. (demonstrative adjective + noun)
Normally we use demonstrative pronouns for things only. But we can use them for people
when the person is identified. Look at these examples:

This is Josef speaking. Is that Mary?

That sounds like John.

Reflexive Pronouns
reflexive (adj.) [grammar]: reflecting back on the subject, like a mirror

We use a reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or
clause. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural).
There are eight reflexive pronouns:
reflexive
pronoun
singul myself
ar
yourself
himself, herself,

reflexive
pronoun
itself
ourselves
plural yourselves
themselves

Look at these examples:

non-reflexive
the underlined words are NOT the
same person/thing

REFLEXIVE pronouns
the underlined words are the
SAME person/thing

John saw me.

I saw myself in the mirror.

Why does he blame you?

Why do you blame yourself?

David sent him a copy.

John sent himself a copy.

David sent her a copy.

Mary sent herself a copy.

My dog hurt the cat.

My dog hurt itself.

We blame you.

We blame ourselves.

Can you help my children?

Can you help yourselves?

They cannot look after the babies.

They cannot look after themselves.

Intensive pronouns
Notice that all the above reflexive pronouns can also act as intensive pronouns, but the
function and usage are different. An intensive pronoun emphasizes its antecedent. Look at
these examples:

I made it myself. OR I myself made it.

Have you yourself seen it? OR Have you seen it yourself?

The President himself promised to stop the war.

She spoke to me herself. OR She herself spoke to me.

The exam itself wasn't difficult, but the exam room was horrible.

Never mind. We'll do it ourselves.

You yourselves asked us to do it.

They recommend this book even though they themselves had never read
it. OR They recommend this book even though they had never read it
themselves.

Reciprocal Pronouns
reciprocal (adj.): given or done in return; [grammar] expressing mutual action
We use reciprocal pronouns when each of two or more subjects is acting in the same way
towards the other. For example, A is talking to B, and B is talking to A. So we say:

A and B are talking to each other.

The action is "reciprocated". John talks to Mary and Mary talks to John. I give you a present
and you give me a present. The dog bites the cat and the cat bites the dog.
There are only two reciprocal pronouns, and they are both two words:

each other
one another

When we use these reciprocal pronouns:

there must be two or more people, things or groups involved (so we cannot use
reciprocal pronouns with I, you [singular], he/she/it)
they must be doing the same thing

Look at these examples:

John and Mary love each other.

Peter and David hate each other.

The ten prisoners were all blaming one another.

Both teams played hard against each other.

We gave each other gifts.

Why don't you believe each other?

They can't see each other.

The gangsters were fighting one another.

The boats were bumping against each other in the storm.

You probably noticed that each other is used in more examples above than one another.
That's because in general we use one another (which sounds a little formal) less often than
we use each other. Also, some people say that we should use one another only for three or
more people or things, but there is no real justification for this.

Indefinite Pronouns

An indefinite pronoun does not refer to any specific person, thing or amount. It is vague and
"not definite". Some typical indefinite pronouns are:

all, another, any, anybody/anyone, anything, each, everybody/everyone, everything,

few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody/someone

Note that many indefinite pronouns also function as other parts of speech. Look at "another"
in the following sentences:
He has one job in the day and another at night. (pronoun)
I'd like another drink, please. (adjective)
Most indefinite pronouns are either singular or plural. However, some of them can be
singular in one context and plural in another. The most common indefinite pronouns are listed
below, with examples, as singular, plural or singular/plural.
Notice that a singular pronoun takes a singular verb AND that any personal pronoun should
also agree (in number and gender). Look at these examples:

Each of the players has a doctor.

I met two girls. One has given me her phone number.

Similarly, plural pronouns need plural agreement:

Many have expressed their views.

pronoun

s
another
i
n anybody/
g anyone
u
l anything
a
r
each
either
enough
everybody/
everyone

meaning
an additional or different person or
thing

example
That ice-cream was good. Can I have
another?

no matter what person

Can anyone answer this question?

no matter what thing

The doctor needs to know if you

have eaten anything in the last two
hours.

every one of two or more people or

things, seen separately
one or the other of two people or
things
as much or as many as needed
all people

everything

all things

less
little
much
neither

a smaller amount
a small amount
a large amount
not one and not the other of two
people or things

Each has his own thoughts.

Do you want tea or coffee? / I don't
mind. Either is good for me.
Enough is enough.
We can start the meeting because
everybody has arrived.
They have no house or possessions.
They lost everything in the
earthquake.
"Less is more" (Mies van der Rohe)
Little is known about his early life.
Much has happened since we met.
I keep telling Jack and Jill but
neither believes me.

pronoun
nobody/ noone

meaning
no person

nothing

no single thing, not anything

one

an unidentified person

other

a different person or thing from one

already mentioned

somebody/
someone

an unspecified or unknown person

example
I phoned many times but nobody
answered.
If you don't know the answer it's best
to say nothing.
Can one smoke here? | All the
students arrived but now one is
missing.
One was tall and the other was short.

Clearly somebody murdered him. It

was not suicide.
Listen! I just heard something! What
something
an unspecified or unknown thing
could it be?
you
an unidentified person (informal)
And you can see why.
John likes coffee but not tea. I think
both
two people or things, seen together
both are good.
Few have ever disobeyed him and
few
a small number of people or things
lived.
p
a reduced number of people or things Fewer are smoking these days.
l fewer
u many
a large number of people or things
Many have come already.
r
I'm sure that others have tried before
others
other
people;
not
us
a
us.
l
They all complained and several left
several
more than two but not many
the meeting.
They say that vegetables are good
they
people in general (informal)
for you.
the whole quantity of something or of All is forgiven.
s all
some things or people
All have arrived.
i
Is any left?
n any
no matter how much or how many
Are any coming?
g
a greater quantity of something; a
There is more over there.
u more
greater
number
of
people
or
things
More are coming.
l
a
Most is lost.
most
the majority; nearly all
r
Most have refused.
They fixed the water so why is none
/
coming out of the tap?
none
not any; no person or persons
I invited five friends but none have
p
come.*
l
an unspecified quantity of something;
Here is some.
u some
an unspecified number of people or
Some have arrived.
r
things
a
He was a foreigner and he felt that he
of the type already mentioned
l such
was treated as such.
* Some people say that "none" should always take a singular verb, even when talking about
countable nouns (eg five friends). They argue that "none" means "no one", and "one" is
obviously singular. They say that "I invited five friends but none has come" is correct and "I
invited five friends but none have come" is incorrect. Historically and grammatically there is

little to support this view. "None" has been used for hundreds of years with both a singular
and a plural verb, according to the context and the emphasis required.
That's Not My Job!
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

Relative Pronouns
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause. It is called a "relative"
pronoun because it "relates" to the word that its relative clause modifies. Here is an example:

The person who phoned me last night is my teacher.

In the above example, "who":

relates to "The person", which "who phoned me last night" modifies

introduces the relative clause "who phoned me last night"

There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that*
Who (subject) and whom (object) are generally only for people. Whose is for possession.
Which is for things. That can be used for things and people only in defining relative clauses
(clauses that are essential to the sentence and do not simply add extra information).**
Relative pronouns can refer to singular or plural, and there is no difference between male and
female.
Look at these examples showing defining and non-defining relative clauses:
example sentences
S=subject, O=object, P=possessive
defining relative - The person who phoned me last night is
clauses
my teacher.
- The person that phoned me last night is
S
my teacher.
- The car which hit me was yellow.
- The car that hit me was yellow.
- The person whom I phoned last night is
my teacher.
- The people who I phoned last night are
my teachers.
- The person that I phoned last night is
O my teacher.
- The person I phoned last night is my
teacher.
- The car which I drive is old.
- The car that I drive is old.
- The car I drive is old.
P - The student whose phone just rang

notes
"that" is preferable
"that" is preferable

"whom" is correct but formal

relative pronoun is optional

"that" is preferable to "which"

relative pronoun is optional

example sentences
notes
S=subject, O=object, P=possessive
should stand up.
- Students whose parents are wealthy pay
extra.
- The police are looking for the car whose "whose" can be used with
driver was masked.
things
- The police are looking for the car of
which the driver was masked.
"of which" is also possible
- Mrs Pratt, who is very kind, is my
teacher.
S
- The car, which was a taxi, exploded.
- The cars, which were taxis, exploded.
"whom" is correct but formal
- Mrs Pratt, whom I like very much, is
my teacher.
"who" is common in spoken
- Mrs Pratt, who I like very much, is my
English and informal written
O
teacher.
English
non-defining
- The car, which I was driving at the time,
relative clauses
suddenly caught fire.
- My brother, whose phone you just
heard, is a doctor.
- The car, whose driver jumped out just
before the accident, was completely
"whose" can be used with
P
destroyed.
things
- The car, the driver of which jumped out
just before the accident, was completely "of which" is also possible
destroyed.
*Not all grammar sources count "that" as a relative pronoun.
**Some people claim that we should not use "that" for people but must use "who/whom".
There is no good reason for such a claim; there is a long history of "that" for people in
defining relative clauses from Chaucer, Shakespeare and the Authorized Version of The Bible
to Fowler's and Churchill.