What Are Pronouns by Felipe hbisca

What Are Pronouns? A COMPLETE REVIEW FOR INDEPENDENT LEARNERS WITH EXPLANATIONS, EXAMPLES, AND EXERCISES WITH ANSWERS.

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Pronoun: A word used in place of a noun.

Teach yourself online about PRONOUN CASE

Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Essential Vocabulary 12 Types of Pronouns All Pronouns Review Common Errors of Pronouns w/ Verbs BONUS: Pronouns Number Rule BONUS: Prepositions

PRELIMS: #4, #5, #6. See this also.

iNTRODUCTION (Part 1)

1. ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

1. Essential Vocabulary

• Antecedent: When a word refers to another word that comes before it, that preceding word is its antecedent. • Case: The subjective case refers to pronouns that are used as subject of a sentence or clause, or a doers of verbs. The objective case refers to pronouns that receive the action of verbs. • Clause: Like a sentence, a clause is a group of words that express a complete thought. An independent clause can stand alone. A dependent clause cannot stand alone because it begins with a connecting word such as a conjunction or a preposition. • Demonstrative Adjectives: Pronouns that point out something near or far, singular or plural • Indefinite Pronoun: A pronoun that refers to one or more unspecified people, objects, or places. • Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject and verb in a sentence agree in number (singular or plural) and in gender (masculine or feminine).

Vocabulary: Parts of Speech

2. WHAT ARE PRONOUNS?

What Are Pronouns? • The term pronoun refers to words that take the place of nouns. • Some pronouns do not fall easily under the description of words that replace nouns. • There are several different kinds of pronouns. The big list of pronouns in alphabetical order

12 Types of Pronouns 1. 2. 3. 4.

Personal Pronouns Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Demonstrative Pronouns 5. Demonstrative Adjectives 6. Interrogative Pronouns

7. Interrogative Adjectives 8. Indefinite Pronouns 9. Possessive Pronouns 10.Reciprocal Pronouns 11.Relative Pronouns 12.Reflexive Pronouns 13.Intensive or Emphatic Pronouns

PRELIMS: #1 to #4. MIDTERMS: #5 to #9. FINALS: #10 to #12

3. WHAT ARE PERSONAL PRONOUNS?

The 8 Persons of Personal Pronouns PERSONS

4 Elements of Personal Pronouns Whether we know it or not, we all use a personal pronoun after we determine its: • Number: Is the personal pronoun representing something singular or plural? • Person: Is the personal pronoun representing something: – In the first person? (This is the speaker himself or a group that includes the speaker, i.e., I, me, we, and us.) – In the second person? (This is the speaker's audience, i.e., you.) – In the third person? (This is everybody else, i.e., he, she, it, they.)

• Gender: Is the personal pronoun representing something male, female, or neuter? • Case: Is the personal pronoun representing something which is a subject or an object?

The 3 Types of Personal Pronouns

Subject & ObjectPronouns SUBJECT (DOER) OF A VERB

OBJECT (RECEIVER) OF A VERB

4. WHAT ARE SUBJECT PRONOUNS? NOMINATIVE CASE • DOERS OF VERBS OF ACTION • ORIGINS OF VERBS OF BEING • SOURCES OF PREPOSITIONS

Subject or Nominative Pronouns The list in the preceding slide shows the subjective (also called nominative) personal pronouns. These are called subjective pronouns because can be used as subjects in a sentence. These are the pronouns that can be used as the doers, origins, sources, or subjects of verbs or prepositions.

Subject Pronouns (1)

Subject Pronouns (2)

Subject Pronouns (3)

Subject Pronouns (4)

Case Agreement Rule 1 • Only a subject pronoun can be used as subject of a sentence or as subject of clause. – She is happy as I take her picture. – They are happy when we visit. – It is behaving as if you are not here. – These are eating the ones that she made. – This is mine but that is yours. – Those are clearer but these are cheaper.

Case Agreement Rule 2 • Only a subject pronoun can be used as doer of a verb of action. – She smiles whenever I take her picture. – They jump with joy when we visit. – It is behaving as if you will not go. – Those are eating the clothes that she made. – You must pay me so he can go. – Who will tame the wind? Neither you nor I. – Why is not the question; how is. Interrogative pronouns (question pronouns: who, what, when, where, how, why) can serve as doers of verbs, subjects of clauses, or subjects of sentences.

Case Agreement Rule 3 • Only a subject pronoun can be used as origin of a verb of being. – She is happy because I miss her. – They feel tense when we are depressed. – It is boiling just like you imagined. – It is raining as if it was wintertime. – This will be mine but that is yours now. – Those are clearer but these are cheaper. – You must have missed me so badly that you forgot to eat.

5. WHAT ARE OBJECT PRONOUNS? • TARGETS OF VERBS OF ACTION • RECEIVERS OF VERBS OF BEING • TARGETS OF PREPOSITIONS

Object or Target Pronouns • The objective personal pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. • These are the pronouns used when the personal pronouns are objects, such as – direct objects of verbs – indirect objects of verbs – objects of prepositions

PRONOUNS IN THE OBJECTIVE CASE

What object pronouns do (1) Pronouns in the objective case receive the actions of verbs.

As object of verbs, object pronouns receive the action of verbs and prepositions.

What object pronouns do (2) Pronouns in the objective case receive the action of verbs

As object of verbs, pronouns can serve as the target of verbs or prepositions.

Case Agreement Rule 4 • Only an object pronoun can be used as receiver of a verb: – She is happy as I take her away. – They are happy when we visit them. – It is behaving as if you are me. – We are closing them. – This is me but that is us. – She likes this but I like these. – You love him even if he hates you. – She will choose neither him nor me.

Personal Pronouns SUBJECT (DOER) OF A VERB I KNOW

OR PREPOSITION

OBJECT (RECEIVER) OF A VERB FOR ME

YOU CAN

SEE YOU

HE MISSES

TOUCH HIM

SHE GOES

LIKE HER

IT ATE

FOLD IT

WE SLEPT

TO US

YOU ARE

ON YOU

THE WILL BE

AMONG THEM

Case Agreement Rule 5 • Only an object pronoun can be used as receiver of a preposition (more about prepositions). – She is happy for her son. – They are happy when we smile at them. – It is behaving as if you are with me. – We are closing in on them. – This is for me but that is for us. – She sleeps on this and I sit under these. – You care for him even if he spits at you.

See Also • What are pronouns? • • The different types of • pronouns? • • What are subjective personal pronouns? • • What are objective personal pronouns? • • What are objects? • What is the subject of a • verb? • What is number? • • What is person?

What is gender? What is case? What are the possessive adjectives? What are the absolute possessive pronouns? What is the objective case? What is the subjective case? Glossary of grammatical terms

6. WHAT ARE DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS?

Demonstrative Pronouns These pronouns are used to demonstrate, indicate, or point out. This, that, these and those are demonstrative pronouns. Examples: â&#x20AC;˘ This is the one I left in the car. (In this example, the speaker could be indicating to a mobile phone, in which case, the pronoun this replaces the words mobile phone.) â&#x20AC;˘ Shall I take those? More about demonstrative pronouns Exercises in using demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns • Like all pronouns, they replace nouns. • They replace specific ideas that are previously mentioned or are understood from context. • A demonstrative pronoun tells us whether it refers to something – singular or plural and – close by or farther away Are demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjective the same or not?

What Demonstrative Pronouns Do (1)

finished

What Demonstrative Pronouns Do (2)

finished

Number Agreement Rule 0 • Only a plural pronoun is used to refer to a plural antecedent. – I love my family. I’m happy for them. – The healthy flowers are those that bloom. – The healthy flower is that that blooms. – Some flowers are red. Among the roses, only these are red. – I saw a rose. I saw this. Yes, this is the rose that I saw.

7. WHAT ARE DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES?

Demonstrative Adjectives (1) • The demonstrative adjectives are the same as the demonstrative pronouns: – this, that, these, those

• However, demonstrative adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. They cannot stand alone to play the role of a noun. • For example:

Demonstrative Adjectives (2) Demonstrative adjectives this, that, these, those modify nouns or pronouns.

• This soup is very smelly. • You see that factory from here. You see that one over there. • These apples smell rotten. These ones smell rotten. • Do not paint those fences.

8. WHAT ARE INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS?

Interrogative Pronouns â&#x20AC;˘ The main interrogative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and what. (Whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever can also be interrogative pronouns.) â&#x20AC;˘ Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. â&#x20AC;˘ The interrogative pronoun represents the thing that the question is about.

Examples of Interrogative Pronouns Here are some examples of interrogative pronouns (shaded): • Who won the race? • Whom shall we ask? • Whose did they take? • Which is the greater? • What is that?

Interrogative Pronouns Ending –ever The interrogative pronouns with the suffix -ever are used for emphasis or to show surprise. They are quite rare. For example: • Whoever would want to eat such a gross thing? • Whatever did you say?

8A. WHAT ARE INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES?

8 Kinds of Adjectives

The Interrogative Adjective Now look at this question: • Which feat is the greater than that? This is not an interrogative pronoun. It is an interrogative adjective.

• This is the feat which is greater than that. The word which modifies feat. Therefore, it's an adjective. • • • • •

How to use interrogative pronouns Interrogative Pronouns Exercises W Words that are not interrogative pronouns Examples of interrogative pronouns The nature of interrogative pronouns

Interrogative Adjectives

• Whose shoes are these? • Which one is the cheapest pair? • What lesson is the most interesting?

Interrogative Adjectives

9. WHAT ARE INDEFINITE PRONOUNS?

Indefinite Pronouns • Most commonly-used indefinite pronouns: all, some, any, several, anyone, nobody, each, both, few, either, none, one and no one. • This is the largest group of pronouns. There are two groups: (1) specific and non-specific and (2) singular and plural • • • •

How to use indefinite pronouns [Examples] [Test] Indefinite pronouns [Complete list] [Explanations] Avoid mistakes in using indefinite pronouns [1] [2] Indefinite pronouns exercise with answers [1] [2]

Indefinite Pronouns & Number Agreement â&#x20AC;˘ Do indefinite pronouns use a plural or a singular verb? â&#x20AC;˘ See the answer here.

Quick-Help Codigos • • • • • • •

Indefinite Pronouns List and Key.doc Indefinite Pronouns by Type and Number.doc Singular Indefinite Pronouns.doc Singular Indefinite Pronoun Chart.doc Singular Indefinite Pronoun Chart KEY.doc Indefinite Pronouns: Subject-Verb Agreement Indefinite Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Number

10. WHAT ARE POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS?

What Are Possessive Pronouns? â&#x20AC;˘ Possessive pronouns show ownership. â&#x20AC;˘ The term possessive pronoun covers possessive adjectives and absolute possessive pronouns. The possessive pronouns are:

Personal Pronouns: 2 Possessive Cases A possessive pronoun can be a receiver of a verb: a possessive adjective cannot. Possessive Case

Person

Subjective Case

Objective Case

Possessive Adjective

Possessive Pronouns

mine

you

your

yours

he/she/it

him/her/it

his/her/its

his/hers/its

First Person Plural

our

ours

Second Person Plural

you

your

yours

Third Person Plural

they

them

their

theirs

First Person Singular Second Person Singular Third Person Singular

Receiver or Target Pronouns

Case Agreement Rule 6 • A possessive pronoun can be used as receiver of a verb: – She is happy as I take hers away. – They are happy when we visit theirs. – It is behaving as if you are mine. – We are closing theirs. – This is me but that is ours. – She likes hers but I like his. – You love his even if he hates yours. – She will choose neither his nor mine.

Case Agreement Rule 7 • A possessive pronoun can be used as receiver of a preposition (more about prepositions). – I’m happy for my family, she is happy for hers. – They are happy when we smile at theirs. – It is behaving as if you are with mine. – We are closing in on theirs. – This is for her parents, but that is for ours. – She sits on our bed and I sit under yours. – He cares for my art even if I spit at his.

Possessive Pronouns & Adjectives Possessive Adjectives •my •your •his •her •its •our •their •whose

Absolute Possessive Pronouns •mine •yours •his •hers •ours •theirs

Possessive Pronouns: 2 Types

TYPE 1:

TYPE 2:

Possessive Pronoun (shows ownership)

Adjective (describes a noun) Subject Complement (describes the subject)

Possessive Pronouns Replace Nouns (1) â&#x20AC;˘ Possessive pronouns are used to indicate who (or what) owns something. â&#x20AC;˘ Like all pronouns, possessive pronouns take the place of nouns in sentences. Look at these examples:

Possessive Pronouns Replace Nouns (2) • Take Sarah's car to the party. • Take her car to the party. – (In this example, the possessive adjective her replaces Sarah.)

• Take hers to the party. – (In this example, the absolute possessive pronoun hers replaces Sarah's car.)

Examples of Possessive Pronouns • The next slides show examples of possessive pronouns. • The examples include possessive adjectives. • The examples include absolute possessive pronouns.

• Take her spoon and put it by your plate. (These are both possessive adjectives.) • His view is that it's come to the end of its working life. (These are both possessive adjectives.) • Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined. (Samuel Goldwyn, 1882-1974) (This is a possessive adjective.) • Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs. (P J O'Rourke) (This is an absolute possessive pronoun.) • We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them. (Evelyn Waugh, 1903-1966) (our and their = possessive adjectives / ours = absolute possessive pronoun)

See Also: • What are possessive adjectives? • • What are absolute • possessive pronouns? • What are adjectives? • What are nouns? • What are pronouns? • Indefinite adjectives • Interrogative

adjectives Predicate adjectives Glossary of grammatical terms

Possessive Nouns: Apostrophe S

11. WHAT ARE RECIPROCAL PRONOUNS?

What Are Reciprocal Pronouns? The term “reciprocate” means “to return an action”. A reciprocal pronoun expresses a mutual action or relationship. In English, the reciprocal pronouns are: • Each other • One another

Examples of Reciprocal Pronouns • Jack and Jill hate each other. (Note: Jack hates Jill, and Jill hates Jack. The action is reciprocated.) • The crayfish starting • attacking one another. • The team members played their hearts out for one another. • They gave each other presents. • Have you seen each other's solution? (Note:

Each other is treated as singular. Therefore, the possessive apostrophe is placed before the s.) The competitors were deliberately blocking one another's view to gain an advantage. (Note: One another is treated as singular. Therefore, the possessive apostrophe is placed before the s.)

Each Other or One Another? (1) Here's the quick answer: â&#x20AC;˘ If the antecedent is two things, use each other. â&#x20AC;˘ If it's more than two, use one another.

Each Other or One Another? (2) Here's a longer explanation: â&#x20AC;˘ A reciprocal pronoun is used when at least one thing reciprocates another's action (i.e., does the same thing back). â&#x20AC;˘ As a result, the antecedent of a reciprocal pronoun (i.e., what it refers back to) is always something plural.

Each Other or One Another? (3) For example: â&#x20AC;˘ Our dog and cat love each other. (Here, the antecedent of each other is our dog and cat, which is plural.) â&#x20AC;˘ They love each other. (Here, the antecedent of each other is they, which is plural. In this example, they refers to our dog and cat.)

Each Other or One Another? (4) â&#x20AC;˘ Each other: When the antecedent is two things (like in both examples in the preceding slide), use each other as the reciprocal pronoun. â&#x20AC;˘ Another: However, when the antecedent is three or more things, use one another.

Each Other or One Another? (5) For example: â&#x20AC;˘ Our two dogs and your cat love one another. (Here, the antecedent of one another is our two dogs and your cat, which is three things.) â&#x20AC;˘ They love one another. (Here, the antecedent of one another is they, which we know represents three things.)

Each Other's Not Each Others' The pronouns each other and one another are singular entities (despite having plural antecedents). Therefore, when showing possession, the apostrophe comes before the s. This is a 100% rule. • Do you two admire each other's courage? – Each other is treated as singular. Therefore, the possessive apostrophe is placed before the s.

• Do you three admire one another's courage? – One another is treated as singular. Therefore, the possessive apostrophe is placed before the s.

What types of pronoun are these?

See Also: • What is an antecedent? • What are pronouns? • The different types of pronouns • Demonstrative pronouns • Indefinite pronouns

• Interrogative pronouns • Personal pronouns • Possessive pronouns • Relative pronouns • Reflexive pronouns • Glossary of grammatical terms

PART 7

WHAT ARE RELATIVE PRONOUNS?

What Are Relative Pronouns? A relative pronoun relates a noun to its description. A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces an adjective clause. In English, the relative pronouns are: • That • Which • Who • Whom • Whose

Relative Pronouns: Identify a Noun (1) A relative pronoun is used to start a description for a noun. This description is called an adjective clause or a relative clause. The description comes after the noun to (1) identify it.

Relative Pronouns: Identify a Noun (2) For example: • The lady who made your dress is waiting outside. – The noun is the lady. The relative pronoun is who. The adjective clause identifying the lady is shaded.

• I saw the dog which ate the cake. – The noun being identified is the dog.

• We did not know the tune that had been playing. – The noun being identified is the tune.

Relative Pronouns: Modify a Noun (1) A relative pronoun is used to start a description for a noun. This description is called an adjective clause or a relative clause. The description comes after the noun to (2) tell us more information about it.

Relative Pronouns: Modify a Noun (2) For example: • Mrs. Miggins, who owns a pie shop, is waiting outside. – The noun is Mrs. Miggins. The adjective clause tells us some information about her.

• I rode my bike, which now had two flat tires, back home. – The noun is my bike. The adjective clause tells us some information about it.

Relative Pronouns: People & Things Your choice of relative pronoun is determined by whether it refers to a person or a thing. Your choices are: • Who and whom refer to people. • Which refers to things. • That and whose refer to people or things. – Many do not like using that for people. – Avoid using that for people, particularly in formal writing.

Relative Pronouns: Different Cases Your choice of relative pronoun is not just determined by whether it refers to people or things. It is also determined by the role the relative pronoun plays in its clause. For example:

9 Cases of Relative Pronouns People or Things People

Things

People or Things

Subjective Case

Objective Case

Possessive Case

who

whom

whose

(The boy who rang the bell)

(The boy whom you (The boy whose met) bike was stolen)

which

whose

(The candle which melted)

(The candle which you made)

(The candle whose wick had snapped)

that

(The dog that bit the postman)

(The dog that the postman hates)

whose (The dog whose bark sounds like cough)

Prepositions with Which and Whom When whom or which is the object of a preposition, you can start the adjective clause with the preposition (unlike the relative pronoun). For example: â&#x20AC;˘ The council will meet Professor Dobbs, from whom they expect an apology. â&#x20AC;˘ My greatest concern was the tide, against which we stood little chance.

Prepositions with Which and Whom It is not a mistake to leave the preposition at the end of the clause. However, some readers might think it is a bit informal, more so if the preposition also ends the sentence. Therefore, in formal writing, try to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition. However, if doing so makes your sentence sound stilted, then either try to reword your sentence or just leave your preposition at the end. Read more about ending sentences in prepositions.

See Also: • What is an adjective clause? • What is the subjective case? • What is the objective case? • What is the possessive case? • What are pronouns? • The different types of pronouns

• Demonstrative pronouns • Indefinite pronouns • Interrogative pronouns • Personal pronouns • Possessive pronouns • Reciprocal pronouns • Reflexive pronouns • Glossary of grammatical terms

PART 8

WHAT ARE REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS?

What Are Reflexive Pronouns? • The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. • These words can be either reflexive pronouns or emphatic pronouns. • This presentation is about their use as reflexive pronouns.

Reflexive Pronouns A reflexive pronoun is used with another noun (or pronoun) when something does something to itself. For example: â&#x20AC;˘ John pinched himself. (The reflexive pronoun himself tells us that John did something to John.) Contrast the example above with this:

â&#x20AC;˘ John pinched his sister. (There is no reflexive pronoun in this example.)

What are Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive Pronoun Examples Using a reflexive pronoun means you do not have to repeat the subject (shown here in bold). (Repeating the subject would be clumsy.) • Alison still does not trust herself. (Alison does not trust Alison.) • The members argued amongst themselves for an hour. (The members argued amongst the members.) • We often ask ourselves why we left London. (We often ask us.) (Note: The subject is known as the antecedent of the reflexive pronoun.)

The Number of Reflexive Pronouns

What can reflexive pronouns do? Reflexive pronouns return verbs to the doer

As object of verbs, reflexive pronouns receive the action of verbs.

Identifying Reflexive Pronouns (1) In most sentences, somebody does something to someone else. For example: • I like him. • He spoke to her. • She thumped him. • The dog bit her.

Identifying Reflexive Pronouns (2) However, sometimes people (or things) do things to themselves, and this is when you can use myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves as reflexive pronouns. For example: • I like myself. • He spoke to himself. • She thumped herself. • The dog bit itself.

What can reflexive pronouns do? Reflexive pronouns return verbs to the doer

As object of verbs, eflexive pronouns receive the action of verbs.

Reflexive Pronouns: Real Examples • I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation. • We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people. (Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860) • If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done. (Peter Ustinov, 1921-2004) • If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience. (George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950)

PART 8A

WHAT ARE EMPHATIC PRONOUNS?

What Are Emphatic Pronouns? The intensive pronouns (also called emphatic pronouns) are: • myself • yourself • herself • himself • itself • ourselves • yourselves • themselves

Intensive (or Emphatic) Pronouns An intensive pronoun (or emphatic pronoun) refers back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence to emphasize it (e.g., to emphasize that it is doing the action).

Examples of Emphatic Pronouns • She will do it herself. The emphatic pronoun herself emphasizes that she will do it. The waiter won't do it. Her husband won't do it. Her son won't do it. SHE will do it.

• The scouts cooked these cakes themselves. This emphasizes that the scouts cooked the cakes, i.e., not their mothers.

• I heard the lie myself. This emphasizes that I heard the lie, not somebody else.

How to Use Emphatic Pronouns An emphatic pronoun emphasizes by refers back to another noun (or pronoun). For example:

â&#x20AC;˘ The Queen herself attended the party. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (The Queen is the noun being emphasized. It is called the antecedent of the emphatic pronoun.)

When used for emphasis, a word like herself is called an emphatic pronoun.

Intensive (or Emphatic) Pronouns More examples:

• John bakes all the bread himself. The intensive pronoun himself refers back to the noun John. It means that John bakes all the bread by himself without anyone’s help.

• The cat opened the door itself. More on intensive pronouns...