grammatical categories

1.2. pronouns

The Pronoun

OBJECTIVES

■ To revise sentences, replacing nouns with pronouns

■ To identify pronouns in sentences

■ To identify pronouns as personal, reflexive, or intensive

■ To identify pronouns as indefinite or demonstrative

■ To identify pronouns as relative or interrogative

 

PRONOUNS

 

Pronouns are words used in place of nouns. As noun substitutes, pronouns provide variety and efficiency. Compare these two versions of the same sentence:

Without pronouns: Scott gave the book to Kelli so that Kelli could use the book to study.

With pronouns: Scott gave the book to Kelli so that she could use it to study.

 

Pronouns may function as subjects of verbs (for example, I, we, they) or as objects of verbs (for example, me, us, them). They may act as connectors (for example, that, which, who), and they may show possession (for example, mine, ours, hers, theirs).

 

In each of the following examples, an arrow is drawn from a pronoun to the noun or nouns it stands for in the sentence.

 

EXAMPLES When Cindy Davis came to the bus stop, she was wearing a cast.

The trees and bushes are dry; they should be watered.

This stable is large. It has stalls for thirty horses.

The word or word group that a pronoun stands for is called its antecedent.

 

EXAMPLES My aunt sold her car. [Aunt is the antecedent of her.]

Anthony, call your mother. [Anthony is the antecedent of your.]

 

Personal Pronouns

 

Personal pronouns refer to people and things. They are divided into three categories called first person (referring to the person who is speaking: I went to the mall), second person (referring to the person spoken to: Joey, can you see the bus?), and third person (referring to anyone or anything else: Bob saw us do this assignment). The pronouns in the two example sentences above are personal pronouns.

The following list shows these three categories of personal pronouns:

 

(the person speaking)_ First person :                 I, my, mine, me (singular) ; we, our, ours, us (plural)

(the person spoken to) : Second person    you, your, yours you, your, yours

Third person :                                           he, his, him, she, her, they, their, theirs, them

(some other person or thing)                     hers, it, its

 

A personal pronoun refers to the one speaking (first person), the one spoken to (second person), or the one spoken about (third person). Personal pronouns have both singular and plural forms.

• EXAMPLE I am sure he told you about their plans.

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in action:

I went to the store with Pedro.                           I went to the store with him.

You and Baxter sing well together.           You and he sing well together.

Tina gave Kai a birthday present.             She gave him a birthday present.

My family gave Tina a gift, too.                We gave her a gift, too.

This is the Cranes’ house.                         This is their house.

 

In addition to personal pronouns, there are several other types of pronouns: reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns.

• A reflexive pronoun is formed by adding - self or - selves to certain personal pronouns.

Examples of refl exive pronouns are myself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves, yourself, and yourselves. The sentence, “I found it myself,” contains the personal pronoun I and the reflexive pronoun myself.

Hisself and theirselves are NOT real words.

 

• An interrogative pronoun is used to ask a question. These pronouns are which, who, whom, and whose.

 

• A demonstrative pronoun is used to point out a specifi c person or thing. These pronouns include this, that, these, and those. In the sentence, “Theresa, is this yours?” this is the demonstrative pronoun, and yours is the personal pronoun.

 

• An indefinite pronoun often does not refer to a specific or definite person or thing. It usually does not have a definite or specific antecedent as a personal pronoun does. In the sentence, “ Everybody will select another to help with everything, ” the three italicized words are all indefinite pronouns since they take the place of a noun and do not refer to a specific or definite person or thing.

-         These are all indefinite pronouns:

 

all      each more one another          either                   other                    any    everybody much                    several

most           anybody     everyone     neither        some anyone       everything nobody

somebody            anything     few             none           someone              both            many none