Pronoun

Definition
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, often to avoid the need to repeat the same noun over and over. Like nouns, pronouns
can refer to people, things, concepts, and places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun.

Note (IN OTHER WORDS, WORDS THAT CAN BE USED INSTEAD OF A NOUN ARE CALLED PRONOUNS. THE
WORD “PRONOUN” MEANS “FOR A NOUN”.)

 Pronouns are one of the eight traditional parts of speech, and they are also sometimes understood as making up a small
subcategory of nouns. The distinguishing characteristic of pronouns is that they can be substituted for nouns.
 Pronouns can replace both proper and common nouns. Certain pronouns have specific rules about when they can be used,
such as the way it should never be used to refer to a human being.
Examples
1:These are the days that I like best.
2: LOOK at Mike. Mike is a good boy. Mike loves to study. Mike is good at skating.
Instead of Mike we can use ‘HE‘. Now read these sentences Again:
( Look at Mike . He is a good boy. He loves to study. He is good at skating.)
The word “He” takes the place of “ Mike” and is called Pronoun.
How are pronouns used in sentences?
The main function of pronouns is to replace nouns. Because of this, they are used in sentences in similar ways to
nouns. Like nouns, pronouns commonly serve as the subject of a sentence, followed by a verb (a word expressing an
action).
Examples: Pronouns as subjects
 I like to play chess.
 We have never been to Germany before.
 It is difficult to stay calm in stressful situations.
A pronoun can also function as the object in a sentence—either a direct or indirect object:
 The direct object is something or someone that is directly acted upon by the verb.
 The indirect object is someone or something that receives the direct object.
Examples: Pronouns as direct and indirect objects
 Give me that!
 Can you promise her this?
Note
A noun phrase is a noun or pronoun in combination with any determiners applied to it. Despite the name, noun
phrases can just as well consist of pronouns as of nouns. For example, the sentence “You and I saw someone else”
contains two noun phrases, both headed by pronouns: “you and I” and “someone else.”
Pronoun antecedents
Pronoun antecedent of a pronoun is the noun that it refers back to. It’s usually mentioned in the text before the pronoun, but
sometimes it comes just after it in a sentence. The antecedent may also be something the person you’re speaking to said.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement means ensuring that the pronoun you use matches its antecedent in number, person, and
gender.
Examples: Pronouns and antecedents
Annie was late to class again because she missed the bus.
As they debated the point, the students became increasingly animated.
Person A: What do you think of Julian?
Person B: I don’t like him very much.
When you use any type of pronoun, it’s important to ensure that the antecedent is clear and unambiguous. If there is any
ambiguity, use the noun instead. For example, below, “it” would be unclear, as it could refer to either the interview or the test.
Example: Ambiguous antecedent
❌After the interview and the written test were completed, it was checked for incomplete answers.
After the interview and the written test were completed, the test was checked for incomplete answers.
Note
Some pronouns, such as “you” and “I,” don’t need an antecedent because it’s self-evident to whom they refer.
Pronouns vs. nouns
While pronouns constitute a relatively small class of words that tends not to change over time, nouns are a much broader class
that is constantly expanding. Like pronouns, nouns refer to things, people, places, and concepts, but they do so with much
greater specificity.
Like pronouns, nouns can function as the head of a noun phrase and as the object or subject of a verb. A complete sentence may
consist of just a noun and a verb (“Jeremy spoke.”), just as it could of a pronoun and a verb (“He spoke.”).
Unlike pronouns, nouns are fixed in form—they don’t change spellings depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. For
example, while the third-person masculine pronoun “he” becomes “him” when used as an object, the noun “man” doesn’t
change.
Example: Nouns in a sentence
Danika went up several flights of stairs to reach the fifth floor, where her office was located.
Pronouns vs. determiners
Many pronouns are closely related to determiners, being spelled similarly (or identically) and expressing related meanings. For
example, possessive pronouns like “yours” are closely related to possessive determiners like “your”; and demonstrative
pronouns like “that” are identical to the demonstrative determiners.
The grammatical distinction between the two is that pronouns stand on their own as the subject or object of a verb, whereas
determiners are only used to modify nouns, not acting as subjects or objects in their own right.
Examples: Pronouns vs. determiners
 That is a difficult question, but that woman knows the answer.
 You have to try their lasagna! I’ve eaten a lot of lasagna in my life, but theirs is the best.
Kinds of Pronoun
There are many kinds of Pronoun. Some are
1. Personal Pronoun
2. Possessive Pronoun
3. Reflexive Pronoun
4. Relative Pronoun
5. Reciprocal Pronoun
6. Interrogative Pronoun
7. Indefinite Pronoun
8. Demonstrative Pronoun
9. Distributive Pronoun
10. Dummy Pronoun
1-Personal Pronoun
Personal pronouns are words like “he” that refer to yourself, the person you’re addressing, or other people and things. They
usually refer to an antecedent but may occur without one when the reference is self-evident (e.g., “I” always refers to the person
saying or writing it). Personal pronouns can change their form based on:
 Person (first-, second-, or third-person

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 Number (singular or plural)
 Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, or epicene)
 Case (subject, object, possessive, or reflexive/intensive)
The impersonal pronoun “one” is used in general statements about no particular person. It has fewer forms than the personal
pronouns but is otherwise used in the same way. A personal pronoun is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper
name of a person. Each of the English personal pronouns shows us the grammatical person, gender, number, and case of the
noun it replaces. I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, and them are all personal pronouns.
Personal pronouns are the stunt doubles of grammar; they stand in for the people (and perhaps animals) who star in our
sentences. They allow us to speak and write with economy because they enable us to avoid repeating cumbersome proper nouns
all the livelong day.
Example
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in South Africa, and Bishop Desmond Tutu rose to international fame in the 1980s as
an opponent of apartheid. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Bishop Desmond Tutu in 1984. Bishop Desmond Tutu has
written seven books and has cowritten or contributed to many others.
With personal pronouns, this paragraph becomes much easier, and much less annoying, to read.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in South Africa, and he rose to international fame in the 1980s as an opponent of
apartheid. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to him in 1984. He has written seven books and has cowritten or contributed to
many others.
Subject and object pronouns
Personal pronouns can be either subjects or objects in a sentence. Subject pronouns are said to be in the nominative case,
whereas object pronouns are said to be in the objective case.
Person
First Singular, Second Singular, Third Singular, First Plural, Second Plural, Third Plural
Nominative
I, You ,He ,She, They ,It, We
Objective
Me, You, Him, Her, Them, It, Us
The interrogative pronouns for all three persons are the same: who (nominative) and whom (objective). Many people get confused
about when to use the interrogative objective pronoun whom, but it is quite easy to learn.
Example
Mrs. Khan asked that the package be delivered to her at the office. (her = third person singular objective)
To whom should I address my letter? (whom = interrogative objective; I = first person singular nominative)
We would like to invite Stacy to join us for dinner. (we = first person plural nominative; us = first person plural objective)
Second person singular vs. plural
One pitfall of English is that it uses the same word, you, for both the second person singular and plural. Many other languages do
not have this problem, because they use distinct words for each. But in English, we need a context to determine whether you is
singular or plural.
Example
 Would you like to come over for dinner?
From this sentence alone, we can’t determine whether one person, or two, or five hundred people are being invited
to share a meal. This is why in some parts of the world, we hear additions to you when a plural is indicated, like you
lot in the UK or you all (or y’all) in America. It probably goes without saying that you should keep this out of your
formal writing.
While the second person has a number issue, the third person has a gender solution for cases when the gender of the
third-person singular pronoun is indeterminate or neutral.
The Singular they

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While the second person has a number issue, the third person has a gender solution for cases when the gender of the third-
person singular pronoun is indeterminate or neutral.
Using he or she and him or her is preferred by most style guides, but informally, a singular they is often used.
Example
 If a customer wants to speak to a manager, they can phone after 10 o’clock.
The singular they is deemed acceptable usage by the Associated Press, Merriam-Webster, and several other language guides.
2-Possessive Pronoun
Possessive pronouns are pronouns that are used to indicate the ownership (possession) of something or someone by something
or someone else. The English possessive pronouns are mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, and whose. Possessive pronouns are
closely related to possessive determiners, which are used differently since they appear before a noun instead of replacing it. The
possessive determiners are my, our, your, his, her, its, their, and whose. Possessive pronouns are closely related to possessive
determiners, which are used differently since they appear before a noun instead of replacing it. The possessive determiners are
my, our, your, his, her, its, their, and whose.
Note Its can technically be used as a possessive pronoun (i.e., standing on its own in a statement like “the toys are its”), but this
usage is very rare in modern English and best avoided if you want your writing to read smoothly. Its is normally only used as a
possessive determiner (e.g., “its toys”).
How are possessive pronouns used in sentences?
Possessive pronouns are used in place of nouns to make statements about ownership more concisely, without needing to repeat
the nouns representing the owner and the possession:
 Randall says that the pencil case is Randall’s pencil case.
 Randall says that the pencil case is his.
“Possession” in the context of possessive pronouns and determiners can mean literal ownership of something (e.g., a book,
a company), but it can also indicate more figurative kinds of possession, such as the possession of a relationship with
someone or some place.

Examples: Possessives indicating relationships

 This is my sister, Jane.

 I want to be yours forever. Will you marry me?
 He really missed his hometown.
 She thought that no boss could be worse than hers.
Agreement with the antecedent
The antecedent of a possessive pronoun is the person or thing that possesses what- or whomever is being referred to. For
example, in the statement “Diana says that the car is hers,” the antecedent of “hers” is “Diana,” the owner of the car. The
possessive pronoun (or determiner) must show correct pronoun-antecedent agreement in person, gender, and number. The
possessive pronoun “hers,” for example, is feminine (because Diana is female), third-person (because the speaker is not
Diana and is not addressing her directly), and singular (because Diana is one person).

Examples: Agreement with the antecedent

 Fabian expects that the prize will be his.

 I like my car, but I wish my parents would let me drive theirs sometimes.
 The building is about to collapse under its own weight.
Subject-verb agreement

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Because of the rules of subject-verb agreement, any possessive pronoun that is used as the subject of a sentence can be followed
by either a singular or a plural verb form depending on whether what it refers to (i.e., the thing possessed, not the possessor) is
singular or plural.

Examples: Singular and plural verbs with possessive pronouns

 Her favorite color is purple, but mine is green.

 I know you’re a bit scared of dogs, but I promise mine are really friendly

Possessive pronouns vs. determiners

Possessive pronouns and possessive determiners are closely related and sometimes identical in spelling, but they play different
grammatical roles.

 Possessive pronouns always stand on their own, not modifying a noun but replacing one.
 Possessive determiners (sometimes called possessive adjectives) instead modify a noun that comes after them.
Because possessive pronouns don’t allow you to specify what the possession in question is, you should use them only when
this is already clear from the context. Otherwise, use a possessive determiner followed by a noun specifying the identity of
the possession.
 Once each participant had finished theirs, they could move on to the next task. Incorrect ❌
 Once each participant had finished their questionnaire, they could move on to the next task. Correct✔️

Its vs. it’s

Its and it’s are commonly confused, but they have quite different meanings.

 Its is the correct spelling of the possessive determiner used to indicate something belonging to an animal or thing.
 It’s is a shortening of the phrase “it is” or “it has.” The apostrophe is used to indicate that it’s a contraction—not to indicate
possession.

Examples: Its vs. it’s

 The cat guarded its territory ruthlessly.

 It’s best to get a good night’s sleep before your exam.
Tip
The same confusion sometimes occurs between who’s and whose. Again, the spelling with the apostrophe is a contraction (of
“who is” or “who has”), while the spelling with no apostrophe is the possessive.Though possession is marked with an apostrophe
in possessive nouns (e.g., “Jeremy’s dad’s house’s garage”), this is not how possessive pronouns are formed. This means that
spellings such as “your’s,” “their’s,” “our’s,” and “her’s” are always wrong.
Whose
Unlike the other possessives, whose is not classed as a personal pronoun but as an interrogative pronoun or a relative pronoun.
It can also be used as an interrogative or relative determiner.

 Interrogative pronouns and determiners introduce a direct or indirect question.

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 Relative pronouns and determiners introduce a relative clause that provides more information about a noun phrase.
Examples: Whose in different roles
 Whose is this flask?
 I wonder whose entry will win the competition.
 The man whose dog was reported lost last week still hasn’t been reunited with it.
 The chair, one of whose legs has fallen off, is quite unstable.
3-Reflexive Pronoun
“Reflexive pronouns are words like myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves. They refer
back to a person or thing.” We often use reflexive pronouns when the subject and the object of a verb are the same.
Example
 I cut myself when I was making dinner last night.
 I hope you enjoy yourselves at the party tonight!
 My phone isn’t working properly. It turns itself off for no reason.
 We need to believe in ourselves more.
Adding emphasis
 We can add a reflexive pronoun for emphasis when it’s unusual or different.
Examples
 He wants to pass his driving test so that he can drive himself to work.
 She broke her arm, so she couldn’t wash herself very easily.
 We can use reflexive pronouns to emphasize that someone does it personally, not anybody else.
Examples
 The door was definitely locked. I locked it myself.
 Are you redecorating your flat yourselves?
 We can also use a reflexive pronoun together with the noun it refers to in order to emphasize it.
Examples
 We talked to the manager herself, and she agreed to give us our money back.
 Parents themselves need to take more responsibility for their children’s learning.
By + reflexive pronoun
We can use by + reflexive pronoun to mean alone.
Examples
 He usually goes on holiday by himself.
 Do you enjoy being by yourself?
4-Relative Pronoun
“A relative pronoun is used to introduce a relative clause—a phrase that usually supplies more
information about the preceding noun. They have a lot in common with interrogative pronouns.” The
relative pronouns are:
 Which(ever), that, and what(ever), used in relation to things
 Who(ever) and whom(ever), used in relation to people
 Whose, used to indicate ownership
Relative pronouns are often omitted in practice (e.g., “the book [that] I read”). There’s nothing wrong
with doing this as long as it doesn’t create ambiguity.
Examples
 The first thing that I thought of was a cloud.
 It doesn’t matter whose it was; it’s ours now!

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  Whoever broke the chair should own up to it.
5-Reciprocal Pronoun
“Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate a reciprocal relationship between two people or things, where the members
of a group each perform the same action relative to the other(s). The English reciprocal pronouns are each
other and one another.” Some writers claim that “each other” should only be used to refer to groups of two and “one
another” to groups of three or more. But this distinction is rejected by most style guides and not borne out in practice;
you can use the two interchangeably.
Examples
 Siblings often compete with each other for parental attention.
 It’s important that we treat one another with respect.
6-Interrogative Pronoun
Interrogative pronouns are used (along with other types of interrogative words) to introduce questions. The interrogative pronouns
are:
 What and which, used to ask questions about things
 Who and whom, used to ask about people
 Whose, used to ask about ownership
Examples
 Whose is this jacket?
 What were your favorite classes at school?
 Whom do you admire the most?
Interrogative pronouns in indirect questions
Interrogative pronouns are used in both direct and indirect questions:
 A direct question is a sentence ending in a question mark, like the examples above.
 An indirect question is a sentence that doesn’t end in a question mark but still implicitly asks a question, reports a question
asked by someone else, or states whether the answer to a question is known.
Examples: Interrogative pronouns in indirect questions
o I wonder whose those sneakers are.
o He asked me what I thought of his tie, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I thought it was a bit much.
o Shauna knows who the winner is, but she won’t tell me.
Even when an indirect question is implicitly a request for information, it should still end in a period, not a question mark,
according to most style guides.

 I was wondering what you think?❌

 I was wondering what you think.✔️

 What do you think?✔️

Note
An indirect question may also be embedded within a direct question, in which case it does end in a question mark.
For example, in the direct question “Do you know what this is?” the secondary question “What is this?” may be what the person
asking really wants answered, but it is posed only indirectly.
Who vs. whom
Who and whom play different roles in a sentence, and it’s important to use them correctly in academic writing (even though in
everyday communication, people rarely use “whom” at all).
 Who functions as a subject pronoun (i.e., the person/people performing an action)
 Whom functions as an object pronoun (i.e., the person/people being acted upon)
Examples: “Who” and “whom” as interrogative pronouns

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 Who is making that noise?
 Whom have you told about this?
 I’m not sure from whom he got that idea.
Tip
If you struggle to remember the difference, try imagining how the question could be answered using a personal pronoun. If you
use “he,” “she,” or “they,” then who is the right choice. If you use “him,” “her,” or “them,” then whom is correct. For example,
“Whom have you told?” becomes “I have told her.”
What vs. which
What and which are sometimes used interchangeably, but they differ slightly in meaning. What is used in questions where there
is a wide range of possible answers.
Which is used when there are only a few possible answers to choose from, either explicitly listed or implied by the nature of the
question.
Examples: “What” and “which” as interrogative pronouns
 What is your favorite food?
 Which is better, The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings?
 It’s difficult to say what will happen next.
 Which of the following statements is true?
Compound interrogative pronouns
You can add “-ever” to any of the interrogative pronouns mentioned above to create the compound interrogative pronouns
whatever, whichever, whoever, whomever, and (quite rarely) whosever.
These pronouns are used to add emphasis, suggesting that the question is particularly perplexing to the person asking it. They
are often used in a facetious way to suggest that you know very well what the answer to your question is. It’s generally not
appropriate to use them in academic writing.
Examples: Compound interrogative pronouns
o Whomever could this scarf belong to?
o Whatever do you mean?
o Whoever is knocking at the door at this time of night?
Other interrogative words (adverbs and determiners)
Interrogative pronouns are not the only words used to ask questions. Other words used for the same purpose are classified as
different parts of speech. The other interrogative words are:
 The interrogative adverbs (when, where, why, and how)
 The interrogative determiners (what, which, and whose)
In the cases of what, which, and whose, whether they’re classed as pronouns or determiners depends on their role in the
question. When they replace nouns, as in the earlier examples, they are pronouns; when they modify nouns, they are
determiners.
Examples: Interrogative adverbs and determiners
When did the Second World War end?
Which dress do you prefer?
How is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed?
It’s important to consider whose perspectives are given most prominence.
Note
The conjunction whether can also be classed as an interrogative word, but it can’t introduce a direct question on its own.
Instead, it’s used in indirect yes-or-no questions (e.g., “I asked him whether he’d seen her,” “Do you know whether they’ve
arrived?”).
Interrogative vs. relative pronouns
All the interrogative pronouns can also function as relative pronouns. Relative pronouns are words used to introduce a relative
clause: a clause providing extra information about the preceding noun or noun phrase.

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Examples: Relative pronouns
 I know I have friends who will be there for me when I need them.
 The lost hat, which was green, wasn’t easy to locate underwater.
 The staff member whom I spoke to pointed me in this direction.
7-Distributive pronouns
Distributive pronouns refer to nouns as individual elements of larger groups. They enable you to single out individuals while
acknowledging that they’re part of a group. Distributive pronouns include the following:
Either,Each,Neither,Any,None
Examples
 All of my friends entered the costume contest, and none of them won.
 Cookies and muffins are available for dessert.Neither is appealing to me.
8-Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are words like “somebody” that refer to an unspecified person or thing. Many of them are formed using
some combination of some-, any-, every-, or no- with -thing, -one, -where, or -body.
There are also various indefinite pronouns used to describe quantity, such as “little,” “many,” “none,” and “enough.” And there
are distributive pronouns like “neither” and “each” that allow you to distinguish between options.
The impersonal pronoun “one” can also be regarded as indefinite.
Examples: Indefinite pronouns
 Try to think of somewhere nice to go for dinner.
 No one likes him, and he doesn’t like anyone.
 Some are born lucky, while others have to work hard for everything they get.
 Few are able to excel in such a competitive field.
9-Demonstrative pronouns
The four demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, and those) are used to indicate something previously mentioned or, in
conversation, something that is clear from the context. For example, in the sentence “Take this,” “this” has no explicit
antecedent, but it would be clear in context that it referred to whatever object you were being given.
The demonstrative pronouns give information about the relative closeness (literal or figurative) of the things they refer to,
especially when they’re contrasted with each other:
 The “near” demonstrative this (singular) or these (plural) indicates something close to you.
 The “far” demonstrative that (singular) or those (plural) indicates something farther from you.
Examples: Demonstrative pronouns
 This is an apple, and those are oranges.
 That isn’t fair! I wanted to go first.
10-Dummy pronouns (expletives)
A dummy pronoun (also called an expletive) is a pronoun that doesn’t have any explicit meaning but is necessary to the sentence
structure. Unlike other pronouns, dummy pronouns don’t actually replace a noun.
The two words used as dummy pronouns in English are it and there. Note that both words can also fulfill other grammatical
roles. Dummy pronouns are commonly used to talk about the weather, to emphasize certain elements in a sentence, or to
introduce the existence of something.
Examples: Dummy pronouns
 It rained yesterday, but today it’s bright and sunny.
 There are thousands of different species of birds in the world.
 It isn’t clear to me what you mean.
RULES AND CORRECTION
Let us look at some of the important rules of ‘Pronouns’. These rules will allow you to use pronouns with confidence and
accuracy. Usually, in any exam related to grammar, questions revolve only around these rules.

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RULE 1: While referring to personal pronouns of different PERSONS of PERSONAL PRONOUN, we need to
follow an order:

 When the personal pronouns are SINGULAR, we write them in the following order:- Second Person – Third Person – First
Person
 When the personal pronouns are PLURAL or when it is a regret, confession or punishment, we write them in the following
order:- First Person – Second Person – Third Person
While using personal pronouns of different persons, you need to remember the order.
 When the personal pronouns are singular, the second person has the highest priority, and the first person has the least
priority. While the third person has priority more than the first person but less than the second person (2,3,1).
 When the personal pronouns are plural, the first person has the highest priority, and the third person has the least priority.
While the second person has priority more than the third person but less than the first person (1,2,3).
Examples
 When personal pronouns are singular:
o She, I, and you are selected for representing our school at the quiz competition. (INCORRECT)
o You, she, and I are selected for representing our school at the quiz competition.(CORRECT)
o I and he will organize this event. (INCORRECT)
o He and I will organize this event. (CORRECT)
 When sentence expresses a regret, mistake or punishment:
o He, I, and you are responsible for this misunderstanding. (INCORRECT)
o I, you, and he are responsible for this misunderstanding. (CORRECT)
o 2.You and I have caused this blunder. (INCORRECT)
o I and you have caused this blunder. (CORRECT)
 When personal pronouns are plural:
o They, you, and we should forget the past disputes and should start afresh. (INCORRECT)
o We, you, and they should forget the past disputes and should start afresh. (CORRECT)
RULE 2: When a sentence starting with ‘IT’ and emphasises a pronoun, the pronoun following the
‘to be’ verb should be in SUBJECTIVE case:
The structure ‘It + to be verb + pronoun/noun’ is used to emphasise that a specific person does an action. In this structure, the
pronoun used should always be in the SUBJECTIVE case.

Examples

o It was him whom I met yesterday in the library. (INCORRECT)

o It was he whom I met yesterday in the library. (CORRECT)
o It will be us who have to face the consequences. (INCORRECT)
o It will be we who have to face the consequences. (CORRECT)
o It is them who recently moved to Paris. (INCORRECT)
o It is they who recently moved to Paris. (CORRECT)

RULE 3: ‘EITHER’, ‘NEITHER’, and ‘EACH OTHER’ are used to point to two nouns simultaneously. While
‘ANYONE’, ‘NONE’ and ‘ONE ANOTHER’ are used to refer to more than two nouns simultaneously:

Examples

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o Anyone of his arms fractured in the accident. (INCORRECT)
o Either of his arms fractured in the accident. (CORRECT)
o None of the watches shows the date. (INCORRECT)
o Neither of the watches shows the date. (CORRECT)
 Can anyone of you help me to carry these boxes?
 Both boys enjoy playing with each other.
 All countries must support one another during these tough times.

RULE 4: Reflexive pronouns are not used as a SUBJECT or OBJECT of a sentence:

We use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object of the sentence is the same person. But avoid using Reflexive pronouns
as direct subject or object in a ssentence. They are usually preceded by the subject or object of the sentence. But in this case,
they become Emphatic pronouns and emphasize that the action is done by the subject preceding them.

Examples

o John and myself will investigate this matter. (INCORRECT)

o John and I will investigate this matter. (CORRECT)
o John and I myself will investigate this matter. (CORRECT)
o My brother booked tickets to Hawaii for my husband and myself. (INCORRECT)
o My brother booked tickets to Hawaii for my husband and me. (CORRECT)

RULE 5: While using a pronoun as the object of a verb or a preposition, remember to use it in the
OBJECTIVE case:

Whenever a pronoun is used as an OBJECT of a verb or a preposition, we write it in the OBJECTIVE case. Pay special attention to
words like: BETWEEN, LET, LIKE, BUT and Except

Examples

o Let he face the consequences of what he has done in the past. (INCORRECT)
o Let him face the consequences of what he has done in the past. (CORRECT)
o Find they before sunset. (INCORRECT)
o Find them before sunset. (CORRECT)
o Whom you trust between her and I? (INCORRECT)
o Whom you trust between her and me? (CORRECT)
o Celina is an honest person like she. (INCORRECT)
o Celina is an honest person like her. (CORRECT)
o Nobody helped but me. (INCORRECT)
o Nobody helped but I. (CORRECT)

RULE 6: ’EITHER’, ‘NEITHER’, EACH’, ‘NONE’ and ‘ANY’ are singular pronouns; thus, they take
singular verbs and singular possessive pronouns. But remember that a PLURAL noun follows them:

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Examples

o None of the shop have the cookies I want. (INCORRECT)

o None of the shops has the cookies I want. (CORRECT)
o Either of the men have forgotten their report here. (INCORRECT)
o Either of the men has forgotten his report here. (CORRECT)
o Each of the employees are responsible for this setback. (INCORRECT)
o Each of the employees is responsible for this setback. (CORRECT)

RULE 7: Indefinite pronoun ‘ONE’ has its own possessive pronoun:

‘One’ should be used throughout the sentence if used at all. This means if the indefinite pronoun ‘one’ is the subject, every other
personal pronoun is replaced with the counterpart of ‘one’. In possessive case, it is one’s. And the reflexive form is oneself.

Examples

o If one faces a failure, he should not stop but should try even harder. (INCORRECT)
o If one faces a failure, one should not stop but should try even harder. (CORRECT)
o One must always follow his (INCORRECT)
o One must always follow one’s (CORRECT)
o Lying to oneself is deceiving himself. (INCORRECT)
o Lying to oneself is deceiving oneself. (CORRECT)

RULE 8: Pronoun ‘BOTH’ takes only ‘and’ as conjunction:

Examples

o Both you as well as your sister are invited. (INCORRECT)

o Both you and your sister are invited. (CORRECT)
o The complaint letter has the names of both James along with his friend John. (INCORRECT)
o The complaint letter has the names of both James and his friend John. (CORRECT)

RULE 9: Use of ‘SAME’ as a pronoun is incorrect:

Word ‘SAME’ should not be used as a pronoun. It is better to use ‘IT’ in such cases.

Examples

o I gifted her a book, and the same is very interesting. (INCORRECT)

o I gifted her a book, and it is very interesting. (CORRECT)
o They had a vintage Audi, and they sold the same last Monday. (INCORRECT)
o They had a vintage Audi, and they sold it last Monday. (CORRECT)

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RULE 10: Do not confuse between ‘WHO’ and ‘WHOM’. ‘WHO’ is used for nouns of subjective case while
‘WHOM’ is used for nouns of objective case:

While using ‘WHO’ and ‘WHOM’, check whether the noun they replace is subjective or objective.

Examples

o The teacher, who I met at the café, used to teach us history. (INCORRECT)
o The teacher, whom I met at the café, used to teach us history. (CORRECT) here, ‘whom’ is used for ‘the teacher,’ who is the
receiver of the verb ‘met’. Hence, ‘teacher’ is the object of the sentence.
o Sam, whom is my youngest brother, won the spell bee competition. (INCORRECT)
o Sam, who is my youngest brother, won the spell bee competition. (CORRECT) here, ‘who’ is used for ‘Sam’, and he is the
subject of this sentence.
 Who lives here?
 Whom can we trust in this office?
RULE 11: Do not confuse between ‘ITS’ and ‘IT’S’:
‘Its’ is a personal pronoun of possessive case. It is used to show possession of a noun. ‘It’s’ is a contraction or shorter form of
‘It is’. We often confuse between them and cause a blunder in the meaning.
Examples
o Its time to start working on our physical and mental health. (INCORRECT)
o It’s time to start working on our physical and mental health. (CORRECT)
o It is time to start working on our physical and mental health. (CORRECT)
o She baked a chocolate cake, and it’s taste is delicious. (INCORRECT)
o She baked a chocolate cake, and its taste is delicious. (CORRECT)
o Wish him. Its his birthday today. (INCORRECT)
o Wish him. It’s his birthday today. (CORRECT)
o Wish him. It is his birthday today. (CORRECT)
RULE 12: ‘WHICH’ is used as an interrogative pronoun in case of selection between a fixed number of
options:
‘Which’ can be used to interrogate about any noun. It is used in case of selection or choice from given options or from a
limited range. It usually becomes quite clear from the context of the sentence that the speaker is providing limited options
to select from.
Examples
 Which is your friend in the crowd?
 Which is your book in the stack?
 We have a wide variety of flavours, which would you like to try?
Conclusion
There are several different types of pronouns. Understanding the different types of pronouns and their uses is essential for
effective communication in English.
References
https://www.scribbr.com/
https://www.grammarly.com
https://www.britishcouncil.pk
https://firstenglishgrade.com

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