GRAMMAR: PERSONAL PRONOUN

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a common noun or a proper noun.
They can refer to people or things and have different forms
depending on whether they are a subject or an object.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS
The words I, you, he, she, it, we and they are called personal pronouns. They take
the place of nouns and are used as the subject of the verb in a sentence. They are
used to avoid repetition, or where a name is not known.

Group of Pronouns Subject

First person singular I
Second person singular You
He
Third person singular She
It
First person plural We
Second person plural You
Third person plural They

OBJECT PRONOUNS
The words me, you, him, her, it, us and them are also personal pronouns. They
also take the place of nouns. These pronouns are used as the object of the verb in
the sentence.
The object of a sentence is the person, animal, place, or thing that receives the
action shown by the verb.

Group of Pronouns Object

First person singular Me
Second person singular You
Him
Third person singular Her
It
First person plural Our
Second person plural You
Third person plural Them
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Possessive pronouns can also be used to explain who owns something. Unlike
possessive determiners, they replace the noun they are showing possession of.

Group of Pronouns Possessive

First person singular My
Second person singular Your
His
Third person singular Her
Its
First person plural Our
Second person plural Your
Third person plural Their

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
Reflexive pronouns show that the subject of a verb is the same as its object. The
words myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and
themselves are called reflexive pronouns.

Group of Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns

First person singular Myself
Second person singular Yourself
Himself
Third person singular Herself
Itself
First person plural Ourselves
Second person plural Yourselves
Third person plural Themselves

Common Mistakes Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun can only be used if the subject and object of the sentence are
the same. If the object is different from the subject, an object pronoun should be
used instead.
√ My boss invited Joe and me to the meeting.
× My boss invited myself and Joe to the meeting
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, someone, and everyone are used to refer to a
person or object, or a group of people or objects, without explaining who or what
they are.
─ Someone and somebody refer to an unspecified person in a positive statement
or question.
─ Anyone and anybody refer to an unspecified person in a question or negative
statement.
─ Everyone refers to a whole group of people.
─ No one means no person in a group.
No one and nobody go in positive statements and questions.
Anyone and anybody go in negative statements and questions.

─ Something and anything refer to an unspecified or unnamed object or thing.

Something can only be used in questions and positive statements, whereas
anything can be used in negative statements as well as questions and positive
statements.
─ Nothing means that there are no available objects or things.
─ Everything means all the possible objects or things are available.
Where nothing is used in a positive statement, anything can be used in a
negative statement with the same meaning.

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
The words who, whom, whose, what and which are called interrogative pronouns.
These pronouns are used to ask questions.

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
The words this, these, that and those are called demonstrative pronouns. They are
showing words.
You use this and these when you point to things near you.
You use that and those when you point to things farther away.
Demonstrative pronouns can be singular or plural:
Singular Plural
This these
That those

REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDED READING

 Altenberg, E. P., & Vago, R. M. (2010). English grammar: Understanding
the Basics. Cambridge University Press.
 Azar, B. S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
Regents.
 Azar, B. S. (2003). Fundamentals of English Grammar: Chartbook: a
Reference Grammar. White Plains, NY: Longman.
 Azar, B. S., & Hagen, S. A. (2009). Understanding and using English
grammar: Workbook. White Plains, N.Y.: Pearson Longman.
 Ansell, M. (2000). Free English Grammar Second Edition.
 Barduhn, S., & Hall, D. (2016). English for Everyone–English Grammar
Guide. New York: DK Publishing.
 Herring, P. (2016). Complete English Grammar Rules. California:
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
 Murphy, R., Smalzer, W. R., & Nguyễn, T. T. (2000). Grammar in Use:
Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 Murphy, R., & Čhakramāt, S. (2002). Essential grammar in use (Vol. 20010).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.