Grammar: Pronoun

Posted December 13, 2014 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Grammar Explanations, Self-Editing, Writing

Revised as of
15 Dec 2022

Pronouns act as noun substitutes or refer to nouns that were mentioned previously. They indicate sex (or the lack of it), possess, demonstrate distance, reflect self, ask questions, find the subject, nail a topic down, add extra information, modify, intensify, point the way, and so much more.

It is a part of grammar that allows the reader to understand to what the writer refers, AND doesn’t bore on at the reader by repeating Joe’s name over and over and over. Instead, the pronoun allows the reader to skim over those “invisible” words and still understand what or who is being referred to.

Although, it is helpful to the reader, if you toss in the name once in awhile.

Try out the pronoun test if you’re not sure.

Grammar Explanations is . . .

. . . an evolving list of the structural rules and principles that determines where words are placed in phrases or sentences as well as how the language is spoken. Sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on an area of grammar with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.

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Pronoun

Definition: Words that substitute for nouns showing a contrast of person, gender, number, and case.

Each pronoun must have a clear antecedent, the word for which the pronoun stands.

Pronouns can have different functions in a sentence:

Subjective – acts as subject of independent clause
Nominative – acts as subject of dependent clause
Objective – functions as the recipient of action or are the object of a preposition
Possessive – shows possession of something else

POST CONTENTS:
There are a number of different types of pronouns:

Personal Pronoun (Cases)

Numbers
- Singular
- Plural
- Impersonal
(Person) Point of View
Gender
Subjective / Nominative
Objective
Possessive / Genitive
Demonstrative
Indefinite
Intensive
Interrogative
Negative

Pronouns are also:

Personal
Predicate
Reciprocal
Reflexive
Relative
- Compound Relative Pronoun

Pronoun Clauses & Phrases

Relative Clause
- Restrictive Relative Pronoun Clause
- Non-Restrictive Relative Pronoun Clause
Negative Pronoun Phrase
Reciprocal Pronoun Phrase

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Personal Pronoun

Definition: Specifically refers to a particular person, group, or thing.

Number

Person
Point-of-View

Gender

Personal Pronouns,
a.k.a., Case

Subject /
Nominative

Objective

Possessive / Genitive

Subject of independent clause /

Subject of dependent clause

Singular

1st

male/female

my
mine

2nd

male/female

you

your
yours

3rd

male

him

his

female

she

her

her
hers

neuter

its

Plural

1st

male/female

our
ours

2nd

male/female

you

your
yours

3rd

male / female / neuter

they

them

their
theirs

who
whoever *
whosoever *

whom
whomever *

whose
whosever *

Impersonal

one *

one’s *

* One is used to refer to the writer, to a group of similar people, or to the average person/people who belong to a particular class. In the U.S. its use seems snobby or may indicate a literary feel; it’s more commonly used in the U.K.

NOTE: Never mix one with another pronoun in the same sentence.

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The Possibility		The Test
Test for the Correct Pronoun
Pronouns present confusing choices: Do you use him or he, her or she, or…help! Well, while I’ve been researching, I’ve run across a number of sites which provide an interesting test that really works. Test by removing one of the subject nouns and see how the sentence reads without it.
John and her are taking a vacation.		Her are taking a vacation. No Her is taking a vacation. Eeek She is taking a vacation. Phew So it should be: John and she are taking a vacation. Even better: She and John are taking a vacation.
Mary and me went to the movies.		Me went to the movies. Egads I went to the movies. Okay, let’s get Mary involved now. Mary and I went to the movies.
He came with you and I.		He came with I. Oooh, la-di-da He came with me. Oh, much better He came with you and me.
Us booklovers can’t wait to see what Santa brings us.		Us can’t wait to see what Santa brings us. Um, no. We can’t wait to see what Santa brings us.
Comparisons with the pronoun + implied verbs
Rule: A conjunction requires a subjective pronoun and implies a verb.
The Possibility		The Implication
She’s younger than me. I’ve not been here as long as she. Return to top or post contents		She’s younger than I am. I’ve not been here as long as she has. Legend: Green indicates the conjunction Blue indicates the subjective pronoun Gray indicates the implied verb
Pronouns are also:
Demonstrative	Definition: Indicates if something is near or far from the speaker/writer, has already been mentioned, or indicate the singular or plural.
Return to top or post contents	List of Demonstrative Pronouns
		Singular	Plural
	Near (the speaker)	this	these
	Far (at a distance from the speaker)	that	those
		neither none	none
	Give me that. We bought this last year.	This indicates a particular item, one, or singular, and it is near the speaker.
	You take these bags and I’ll take those.	These implies the more than one bag and the bags are near the person speaking. Those implies the bags are a distance away from the speaker.
	Can also be used as:
	Determiners	Hand me that hammer.
	Qualifiers	She wanted that much money?

	Singular		Plural
Indefinite	Definition: Each word in the List of Indefinite Pronouns (below) functions as a noun.
Return to top or post contents	List of Indefinite Pronouns
	Takes a singular verb		Takes a plural verb
	one* each* (n)either* someone somebody something	anyone anybody anything no one nobody nothing	everyone everybody everything	both* few* many* several*
	Singular Examples		Plural Examples
	Everyone is happy. No one knows what to do in this situation.		Both are acceptable. Few are going to the party. Legend: Green indicates the pronoun + singular verb Blue indicates the pronoun + plural verb
	Singular with uncountables Plural with countables*
	some*	most*	none	all*
	* May also be determiners plus. ** Uncountable means the object of the preposition cannot be counted. *** Countable obviously, indicates that the object can be counted.
	Uncountable Examples		Countable Examples
	All of her work made its impact on her grades. Some of the water left its mark on the wooden table.		All of the books were useful in their own ways. Some of my friends drove their cars to the beach. Legend: Green indicates the pronoun Orange indicates the prepositional object that cannot be counted Blue indicates the prepositional phrase Yellow indicates the object that can be counted
Intensive	Rule: Strengthens the reflexive pronoun by combining a personal pronoun + a reflexive. The personal pronoun generally precedes the reflexive, but has been known to be reversed.
Return to top or post contents	Standard		Reversed
Return to top or post contents	I myself have felt the weight of it.		Myself, I have felt the weight of it.
Interrogative	Rule: Instead of using the person’s name or the thing being asked about, a wh- word is used. They are questions that require more than a yes or no answer.
Return to top or post contents	List of Interrogative Pronouns
	who whose	whom	which	what
	Who broke this lamp? Whose toys are all over the floor? For whom are you calling? Which twin are you? What did you want to know?
Predicate Pronoun	Rule: Follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject of the sentence. They always have the same form whether they are used as direct, indirect, or prepositional objects English ).
Return to top or post contents	List of Predicate Pronouns
	her him	it me	them us	you
	Rule: Whatever the form of the sentence — affirmative, negative, interrogative — direct objects or the pronouns replacing them will follow the verb.
	Legend: Green indicates the pronoun OR direct object Did you buy it? You didn’t buy it. You bought it.
	Rule: Prepositional objects will come after their preposition.
	Legend: Green indicates the prepositional object Blue indicates the preposition Will you come to the store with me? He left without her.
	Rule: Indirect objects generally come after the preposition to. to + indirect object Except: If the pronoun comes before the direct object, the preposition to disappears. pronoun + to + direct object
	Legend: Green indicates the pronoun Orange indicates the indirect object Blue indicates the preposition Yellow indicates the direct object I have spoken to her. I gave this present to them. BUT : I gave them this present.
	Rule: When a verb is followed by two or more pronouns, this pronoun formula should be followed. subject + verb + direct object + indirect object + prepositional object
	Legend: Orange indicates the indirect object Blue indicates the prepositional object Yellow indicates the direct object Don’t tell that to him. He couldn’t sell the car to them. Except: If the pronoun comes before the direct object, the preposition to disappears. pronoun + to + direct object He gave me it for Christmas. Don’t tell him that. He couldn’t sell them the car.
Reflexive	Rule: -self pronouns are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence or as an intensifier. They CANNOT replace personal pronouns.
Return to top or post contents	List of Self Pronouns
	myself yourself oneself *	himself herself	themselves
	* One’s self refers to the concept of self, as in psychological terms.
	Legend: Green indicates the reflexive pronoun Blue indicates the pronoun being reflected I saw myself in the mirror. Mari did it all by herself!
	List of UNacceptable Self Pronouns
	hisself	ourself	theirself theirselves
Relative	Definition: Modifies a word, phrase, or idea in the main clause. The word, phrase, or idea modified is called the antecedent. Compound relative pronouns are created by adding -ever, so, or soever to one of the relative pronouns. Rule: Introduces a relative/adjective/adjectival clause, a type of dependent clause.
Return to top or post contents	List of Relative Pronouns
	Please note that in certain situations, what, when, and where can function as relative pronouns.
	Refers to People	who	subject or object pronoun for people	I told you about the woman who lives next door.
		whoever * whosoever *	subject or object pronoun for people
		whose	Possessive pronoun for people, animals, and things	Do you know the boy whose mother is a nurse?
		whom	Object pronoun for people, colloquially, who is generally used	I was invited by the professor whom I met at the conference.
		whomever *
	Refers to Things	that what whatever *	Subject or object pronoun for people, animals, and things in defining relative clauses which could also use who or which	I don’t like the table that stands in the kitchen.
		which whichever *	Subject or object for animals and things It can also refer to a complete sentence	Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof? He couldn’t read which surprised me
		in which, of which
Pronoun Clauses & Phrases
Relative Clause	Definition: Relative clauses modify the antecedent — a word, phrase, or idea — in the main clause. The clause’s relative pronoun can function as a subject, an object, or a possessive pronoun (Introduction).
Return to top or post contents	There are two types of relative pronoun clauses: Restrictive, a.k.a., defining Non-restrictive, a.k.a., non-defining A.k.a., Adjectival clause or adjective clause Rule: Contains a subject and a verb Begins with a relative pronoun or a relative adverb Functions as an adjective answering the what kind?, how many?, or which one? questions The clause may be essential (no commas) or nonessential (needs commas).
	Relative Pronoun		Relative Adjective
	He didn’t tell what he was going to wear.		He didn’t tell me what suit he was going to wear (Relative). Legend: Green indicates the relative pronoun Blue indicates the relative adjective
Restrictive Relative Pronoun	Definition: Relative pronouns that introduce a restrictive relative clause are NOT separated from the main clause by a comma, as they add essential information about the antecedent in the main clause. The information is crucial for understanding the sentence’s meaning correctly and cannot be omitted. In other words, without the restrictive relative clause, the sentence does not make sense (Introduction ).
Return to top or post contents	A.k.a., defining relative pronoun, essential relative pronoun That can only be used in restrictive clauses, e.g., that hammer, that time when we, that woman, etc. It can also be substituted for who (referring to persons ) or which* (referring to things) in informal English. Whereas that is often used while speaking, who and which are more common in formal written English. * In my opinion, using that to refer to people is disrespectful.
	Example:
	The bucket that Jack took up the hill was leaky. Can you believe he went to rescue that princess? No, not that hammer! That hammer. Legend: Green indicates the restrictive relative pronoun
Non-Restrictive Relative Pronoun	Definition: Relative pronouns that introduce a non-restrictive relative clauses ARE separated from the main clause by a comma (in most instances) and provide non-essential information about the antecedent in the main clause. The information is not crucial for understanding the sentence’s meaning correctly and can be omitted without affecting the sentence’s meaning. In other words, non-restrictive relative clauses are an aside that adds extra information. Which is the preferred relative pronoun for indicating that a relative clause is non-restrictive (Introduction). A.k.a., non-defining pronoun
Return to top or post contents	Example:
Return to top or post contents	The doctor, whom I saw last week, is sick today. The bucket, which was leaking, was carried up the hill. The man in charge, whoever he is, should be through that guarded door. Legend: Green indicates the non-restrictive relative pronoun clause Blue indicates the non-restrictive relative pronoun
Negative Pronoun Phrase	A.k.a., Sometimes referred to as a negative pronoun
Return to top or post contents	Partial List of Negative Pronouns
	no one no-one nobody		neither none nothing
	Example:
	I saw no one at the theater. There was nothing that could be done. None of us had anything to do with it. I asked around, but nobody knows anything.
Reciprocal Pronoun Phrase	Definition: Indicates two-way action.
	Partial List of Reciprocal Pronoun Phrases
	each other		one another
	Example:
	We should be helping each other. They don’t want one another.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Grammar Explanations by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Pronouns

English Town. n.d. Web. n.d. <“http://www.englishtown.com/EtownResources/Grammar/26.html>.

“Introduction and General Usage in Defining Clauses.” Purdue OWL. Purdue University. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/relative_pronouns/index.html>.

“Personal Pronoun.” Oxford Dictionaries. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english//personal%2Bpronoun>.

“Pronouns.” Towson.edu. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.towson.edu/ows/pronouns.htm>.

“Relative Adjective And Relative Pronouns?” English Forums. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.englishforums.com/English/RelativeAdjectiveRelative-Pronouns/nnllp/post.htm>.

“Relative Clauses.” English Grammar Online. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauses>.

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