PRONOUNS

DEFINITION AND
TYPES
INDEFINITE PRONOUN
We use indefinite pronouns to refer to people or things without saying exactly who or what they are. We use
pronouns ending in -body or -one for people, and pronouns ending in -thing for things.
Some Indefinite Pronouns are:
• anybody
• everybody
• nobody
• somebody
• Anyone
• everyone
• no one
• someone
• anything
• everything
• nothing
• something
Eg:
• Everybody enjoyed the concert.

• I opened the door but there was no one at home.

• It was a very clear day. We could see everything.

 
DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUN:
Each, either, neither are called Distributive Pronouns
because they refer to persons or things one at a
time. For this reason they are always singular and
as such followed by the verb in the singular.
Eg:

• Each took it in turn.

• Either of these roads leads to the railway
station.
• Either of you can go.
• Neither of the accusations is true.
Each, either, neither are called Distributive
 
A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun which is used to indicate that two
or more people are carrying out or have carried out an action of
some type, with both receiving the benefits or consequences of
that action simultaneously.
Eg: each other,  one another 
   
We sent one another Christmas cards.
     = We sent them a Christmas card and they sent us a Christmas
card.
They didn't look at each other.
     = X didn't look at Y and Y didn't look at X.
• We also use the possessive forms each other's and one another's:
• They helped to look after each other's children.

• The group of students often stayed in one another's houses.

RELATIVE PRONOUN:
• A relative pronoun is one which is used to refer to nouns mentioned previously,
whether they are people, places, things, animals, or ideas. Relative pronouns
can be used to join two sentences. There are only a few relative pronouns in the
English language. The most common are which, that, whose, whoever,
whomever, who, and whom. In some situations, the words what,
when, and where can also function as relative pronouns.
There are few important rules to remember:
• Relative clauses are typically introduced by relative pronouns, and that the
relative pronoun can function as a possessive pronoun, an object, or a subject.
• When relative pronouns introduce restrictive relative clauses, no comma is used
to separate the restrictive clause from the main clause.
• In American English, the relative pronoun whom is used rarely. You may notice
this in conversations, but it is best to use the term when writing to ensure that
your work is grammatically correct.
Eg :
• The cyclist who won the race trained hard.
• The pants that I bought yesterday are already stained.
• The four team leaders, whoever the committee selects, will be at tomorrow’s
meeting.