PRONOUNS

PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Introduction:
Personal pronouns do not always refer to people. Personal means first person (speaker),
second person (the person spoken to) and third person (another person or thing). These are the
forms.
Singular plural
Subject object Subject Object
First person I me we us
Second person you you you you
Third person he him they them
She her they them
It it they them
One ones
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS, EMPHATIC PRONOUNS AND EACH OTHER
FORM
We form reflexive/ emphatic pronouns with self or selves.
Singular Plural
First person myself ourselves
Second person yourself yourselves
Third person himself / herself/ itself themselves
Oneself
We use a reflexive pronoun as object or complement when it refers to the same thing as the
subject.
I fell over and hurt myself.
The company’s directors have given themselves a big pay rise.
We use an emphatic pronoun to emphasize a noun phrase. Self / selves is stressed.
Adama himself was in class yesterday.
The children themselves were playing football in the school yard.
EACH OTHER / ONE ANOTHER
These are sometimes called reciprocal pronouns. They refer to an action going in one
direction and also back in the opposite direction.
The students help each other/ one another with their homework.
The two drivers blamed each other / one another for the accident.
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Forms
Singular plural
Determiners pronouns determiners pronouns
First person my mine our ours
Second person your yours your yours
Third person his his their theirs
Her hers their theirs
Its its their theirs

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
Singular plural
This these
That those
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
The indefinite pronouns are formed with: some, any, no and every.
Examples
Someone, anyone, no one, everyone
Someone is in the house. Anyone can do this exercise. No one buys the new book.
Something, anything, nothing, everything
Something is in her hand bag. Anything can happen here. Nothing is good today. Everything
is possible in the competition.
Somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody
Somebody has closed the door. Anybody wants to be rich. Nobody likes to be betrayed.
Everybody is ready now.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
The relative pronouns are: who, whom, which, that.
Who : qui for person (subject)
Ex: The man who goes to Sikasso.
Whom: que for person (object)
Ex: The man whom I see today.
Which: qui for animals and things (subject and object)
Ex: The dog which barks in night.
That class that we are.
That: qui, que for both animals, things and person (subject and object)
Ex: The child that cries every day.
The school that they demolished yesterday.

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
The interrogative pronouns are: who, what, whom, which, whose
Who: qui? What: que? Whom: qui? (object) Which: lequel, laquelle? Whose: dont, à
qui? (possession)
Examples:
Who are you? (subject)
Whom did you see? (object)
What happens now? (subject)
What do you do? (object)
Which is the best answer? (subject)
Which does he want now? (object)
Whose was the idea?