Pronouns: Words That Replace Nouns
Why Pronouns?
Without pronouns:
“Sarah said Sarah would bring Sarah’s book to Sarah’s friend.”
With pronouns:
“Sarah said she would bring her book to her friend.”
Personal Pronouns
Subject Pronouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| I | we |
| you | you |
| he, she, it | they |
Examples:
- I am learning English.
- She works in London.
- They are my friends.
Object Pronouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| me | us |
| you | you |
| him, her, it | them |
Examples:
- Give the book to me.
- I saw her yesterday.
- Call them tomorrow.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive Adjectives (before nouns)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| my | our |
| your | your |
| his, her, its | their |
Possessive Pronouns (stand alone)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| mine | ours |
| yours | yours |
| his, hers, its | theirs |
Examples:
- This is my book. / This book is mine.
- That is their car. / That car is theirs.
Reflexive Pronouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| myself | ourselves |
| yourself | yourselves |
| himself, herself, itself | themselves |
Examples:
- I taught myself to play guitar.
- She hurt herself.
- They enjoyed themselves.
Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Every pronoun must have a clear antecedent — the noun it refers back to. Ambiguous pronoun references are one of the most common sources of confusion in writing.