PARTS OF SPEECH : PRONOUNS

Types of Pronouns

Personal Pronouns (Subject & Object)

These refer to specific people or things. They change form depending on whether they are the subject (performing the action) or the object (receiving the action).

1. I (Subject) gave the book to him (Object).
2. She (Subject) is waiting for us (Object).
3. They (Subject) saw me (Object) at the library.
4. He (Subject) told them (Object) a secret.
5. We (Subject) invited her (Object) to the party.
6. Did you (Subject) see the message I sent you (Object)?
7. The dog loves its (Possessive Adjective) owner; the owner loves it (Object).
8. The teacher praised him (Object).
9. She (Subject) is my best friend.
10. Please tell me (Object) the truth.

Reflexive Pronouns

These end in '-self' or '-selves' and are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. They reflect the action back to the subject.

1. He accidentally cut himself while cooking.
2. She taught herself how to play the guitar.
3. The cat is cleaning itself.
4. We must remind ourselves to stay positive.
5. You should be proud of yourself.
6. They found themselves in a difficult situation.
7. I promised myself I would study harder.
8. Be careful not to burn yourselves.
9. The computer restarted itself.
10. He reminded himself of the deadline.

Emphatic (Intensive) Pronouns

These have the same form as reflexive pronouns but are used to add emphasis to a noun or another pronoun. They are not essential to the sentence's meaning.

1. I myself will fix the computer.
2. The president himself attended the ceremony.
3. She baked the cake herself.
4. The students organized the event themselves.
5. He himself is responsible for this mistake.
6. The queen herself opened the new hospital.
7. We will complete the project ourselves.
8. You yourself must make the decision.
9. The city itself is beautiful, but the suburbs are not.
10. They admitted themselves that they were wrong.

Relative Pronouns

These introduce a dependent clause and connect it to an independent clause. They are: *who, whom, whose, which, that*.

1. This is the man who helped me find my wallet.
2. The book that you lent me was very interesting.
3. She is the artist whose paintings are famous worldwide.
4. This is the house which my grandfather built.
5. The person whom I admire the most is my father.
6. I have a friend who lives in London.
7. The car, which is red, belongs to my brother.
8. He is the student whose essay won the first prize.
9. This is the only thing that matters.
10. The manager, whom everyone respects, is retiring.

Interrogative Pronouns

These are used to ask questions. They are: *who, whom, whose, which, what*.

1. Who is at the door?
2. What do you want for dinner?
3. Which of these books is yours?
4. Whom did you see at the party?
5. Whose is this blue umbrella?
6. What is the capital of Australia?
7. Who told you that story?
8. Which do you prefer, tea or coffee?
9. To whom should I address this letter?
10. What happened after I left?

Indefinite Pronouns

These refer to non-specific people or things.

1. Someone left their keys on the table.
2. Everyone enjoyed the concert.
3. I don't think anyone knows the answer.
4. She gave a cookie to each of the children.
5. Many are called, but few are chosen.
6. Is there anything I can do to help?
7. Nobody was at home when I called.
8. He bought everything on the shopping list.
9. Several of the students were absent.
10. Both of the answers are correct.

Demonstrative Pronouns

These point out specific people or things. They are: *this, that, these, those*.

1. This is my favorite song.
2. That looks like a difficult problem.
3. These are the shoes I want to buy.
4. Those belong to my sister.
5. I prefer this, not that.
6. Are these the droids you're looking for?
7. Among all the paintings, I like this the best.
8. That is the house where I grew up.
9. Please don't touch those.
10. This is unbelievable!

Possessive Pronouns

These show ownership and replace a noun. They are: *mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs*.

1. The blue car is mine.
2. This book is yours.
3. The laptop on the table is his.
4. The beautiful house at the corner is theirs.
5. All the responsibilities are now ours.
6. The decision is hers to make.
7. My phone is broken, so I am using yours.
8. Our team played well, but their team played better than ours.
9. I found a wallet. Is it his or hers?
10. These seats are ours, and those are theirs.

How to Identify Pronouns: 10 Techniques

1. Meaning-Based Technique (Substitution Test)

Easy Explanation: A pronoun is a "stand-in" word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition. If a word is used instead of a person's or thing's name, it's a pronoun.

1. Original: **Maria** is a great singer. **Maria** will perform tonight. → **With Pronoun:** **She** will perform tonight.
2. Original: **The students** studied hard because **the students** had a test. → **With Pronoun:** **They** had a test.
3. Original: **My car** is old, but **my car** is reliable. → **With Pronoun:** **It** is reliable.
4. I told **John** to be careful. → I told **him** to be careful.
5. The children wanted **the cookies**. → The children wanted **them**.
6. The cat saw **the cat's** reflection. → The cat saw **its** reflection.
7. **My brother** is tall. → **He** is tall.
8. Give the report to **the manager**. → Give the report to **him**.
9. **Sarah** and **I** went to the store. → **We** went to the store.
10. The team celebrated **the team's** victory. → The team celebrated **its** victory.

2. Reference Test (Antecedent Link)

Easy Explanation: A pronoun usually refers back to a noun mentioned earlier (the "antecedent"). Look for a word that points back to another word.

1. The **doctor** (Antecedent) told the patient that **he** needed rest.
2. When the **students** finished the test, **they** were relieved.
3. The **book** was very long, but **it** was interesting.
4. My **sister, Sarah,** called to say **she** would be late.
5. The **cats** are sleeping; **they** look very peaceful.
6. The **company** launched **its** new product.
7. The **manager** told **his** team to work harder.
8. The **car** needs fuel because **it** is empty.
9. The **children** lost **their** ball in the park.
10. **John** said **he** would be here soon.

3. Types Test (Recognizing Categories)

Easy Explanation: If you can recognize a word as belonging to one of the pronoun categories (Personal, Possessive, Indefinite, etc.), you know it's a pronoun.

1. She** gave the book to **me**. (Personal Pronouns)
2. The blue coat is **mine**, not **yours**. (Possessive Pronouns)
3. Someone** left an umbrella behind. (Indefinite Pronoun)
4. Everything** is ready for the party. (Indefinite Pronoun)
5. **We** told **them** the news. (Personal Pronouns)
6. This is the man **who** helped me. (Relative Pronoun)
7. I hurt **myself**. (Reflexive Pronoun)
8. What** is your name? (Interrogative Pronoun)
9. That** is my house. (Demonstrative Pronoun)
10. Nobody** came to the meeting. (Indefinite Pronoun)