Pronouns

A pronoun takes the place of a noun: a person, place, thing, or idea

1.    A SUBJECT PRONOUN explains who or what is doing the action.

 

                      Singular                                   Plural
 

1st person             I                                            we
 
2nd person           you (one person)                    you (more than one person)
 
3rd person            he, she, it                               they
 

Examples:

She is the best runner.

We walked home.
 

2.    An OBJECT PRONOUN tells who or what is receiving the action of the verb.

   

                        Singular                                       Plural


 
1st person                me                                            us
 
2nd person              you (one person)                        you (more than one person)
 
3rd person               her, him, it                                them

Examples:

Sarah gave the book to me.
She plans to give him a ride.
 

3.     POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS show ownership or possession.

 

                          Singular                                       Plural


 
1st person            my, mine                                       our, ours
 
2nd person            your, yours                                  your, yours
 
3rd person            her, hers, his                                their, theirs, its


Examples:

My dog is smarter than your dog.
Our car is red.
 

4.    REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS are pronouns that end in the suffixes -self or -selves and show an action that affects the one who performs that action. Reflexive pronouns can never be the subject of a sentence.

 

                           Singular                                      Plural


 
1st person            myself                                         ourselves
 
2nd person           yourself                                      yourselves
 
3rd person            himself, herself, itself                   themselves
 

Examples:

Please help yourself to a cookie.
They will only hurt themselves.
 

5.    The RELATIVE PRONOUNS are who/whom (subject pronouns) and whoever/whomever (object pronouns).

 

Examples:

Who took my lobster?
I want to speak to whomever wrote this poem.
 

6.    REFERENCE PRONOUNS refer to nouns or specific ideas previously stated.

                           Singular                                       Plural

                            this, that                                        these, those

                            which (can be singular or plural)

Examples:

Please eat the donut that I gave you this morning.
Those cats are ruining my flower bed.
Which award did you win? (singular)
Which children are going to the movie? (plural)
 

7.    INDEFINITE PRONOUNS rename nonspecific nouns.

Some indefinite pronouns: anybody, somebody, everyone, each, both, most, some, one

Examples:

Each of the students is talented.
Some officials met to discuss the matter.

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