Pronouns
There are eight types of Pronouns
1. Personal Pronouns
2. Reflective Pronouns
3. Emphatic Pronouns
4. Demonstrative Pronouns
5. Indefinite Pronouns
6. Distributive Pronouns
7. Relative Pronouns
8. Interrogative Pronouns
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1. Personal Pronouns
First person: the person speaking (I, we)
Second person: the person spoken to (You)
Third person: the person spoken of (He, she, it, they)
In the following examples, Personal Pronouns appear in bold type: Look at that girl. She has climbed to the top of the tree.
I want you to read this newspaper.
You are the fastest runner on the team.
They wanted me to act in their film.
We enjoyed listening to her songs.
He often reads until late at night.
She is running up and down the stairs.
They have come from China.
Have they got a dog, Sam?
2. Reflective Pronouns
When ‘-self’ is added to ‘my, your, him, her, it’ and ‘-selves’ to ‘our, your’ and ‘them’ we get Reflective Pronouns.
I hurt myself.
You will hurt yourself.
He will hurt himself.
She will hurt herself.
The dog will hurt itself.
We will hurt ourselves.
You will hurt yourselves.
They will hurt themselves.
3. Emphatic Pronouns
Emphatic Pronouns are used for the sake of emphasis.
I will do it myself.
We will see to it ourselves.
You yourself can best explain.
He himself said so.
She herself says so.
The teacher himself distributed the books.
We saw the queen herself.
The house itself is not very big.
They themselves admitted their guilt.
4. Demonstrative Pronouns
Pronouns used to point out the object to which they refer are called Demonstrative Pronouns. There are four Demonstrative Pronouns:
This, these, that, those
This pen is mine.
These pencils are theirs.
That book is his.
Those books are yours.
5. Indefinite Pronouns
Pronouns that refer to persons or things in a general way are called Indefinite Pronouns.
Any fool can start a war.
My father is a man of few words.
Some milk was spilt.
Everyone likes to succeed in life.
If anyone knows the answer, speak up.
Anyone can answer such a question.
6. Distributive Pronouns
‘Each, either every, neither’ are called Distributive Pronouns because they refer to persons or things one at a time.
The two men hate each other.
They cheated one another.
At either end of the road there was a Buddha statue.
7. Relative Pronouns
A Relative Pronoun refers or relates to some noun going before which is called an antecedent. Relative Pronouns are: Which, what, who, whose, whom
This is the man who stole my purse.
This is the house which my father built.
He that is content is rich.
What is happening is not clear.
8. Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative Pronouns are used for asking questions. They are: Who, whose, whom, what, and which. ‘Who’ and ‘whom’ are used to ask questions where the answer is expected to be a person. ‘Who’ is used as a subject and ‘whom’ is used as an object.
Who
Who gave you this mobile phone?
Who took my towel?
Who will win the elections?
Who broke the glass?
Who will help him?
Who is speaking?
Whose
‘Whose’ is used to ask questions about possession, ownership or a relationship.
Whose book is this?
Whose children did you teach?
Whose idea is this?
Whom
To whom did you speak?
Whom did the police suspect of the crime?
Whom did you give the book to?
What
‘What’ is used to ask questions where the answer is expected to be an object or abstract concept?
What is happening?
What is love?
What are the missing letters?
Which
‘Which’ is used to ask questions where multiple choices or possibilities exist.
Which do you prefer?
Which girl is your sister?
