Pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns (names of people, places, animals, or things) so that we don’t have to repeat the same noun again and again.
Examples: she, he, it, they, them, etc.
Pronouns in sentences:
• Radhika is in her room. She might be sleeping now.
(Here the highlighted word is a pronoun used in place of the noun Radhika.)
• Shyama is absent today because Shyama is ill.
(The above sentence can be rewritten as- Shyama is absent today because she is ill.)
Types of Pronouns
Pronouns may be classified into different types based on their functions.
1. Interrogative Pronouns
The pronouns that are used for nouns to ask questions are called interrogative pronouns.
Examples: Who, what, which, whose, whom, etc.
- Ram did the work. Ans : Who did the work?
- Rohit met with his girlfriend. Ans : Whom did Rohit meet?
- This is her pen. Ans : Whose pen is this?
2. Reflexive Pronouns
The pronouns that is used to emphasis the personal pronouns is called Reflexive pronoun.
Examples: Myself, ourselves, himself, themselves, yourself etc.
- I can create it myself.
- He killed himself with a knife.
3. Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are the pronouns that are used in place of nouns referring to proper names.
Examples: I, we, you, she, he, it etc.
- Ram, Shyam and Sita are playing in a field. Ans: They are playing in a field.
- Ram is a good boy. Ram reads in class ten. Ans: He is a good boy. He reads in class ten.
4. Possessive Pronouns
The pronouns that are used to show possession are called possessive pronouns.
Examples: Mine, yours, hers, theirs, its etc
The stage is yours.
5. Indefinite Pronouns
To refer to things or people in a general way, indefinite pronouns are used. They don’t identify anyone specific.
Examples: Some, few, all, many, one, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, either, neither etc.
- All are present here.
- Many of them were badly injured in a recent road accident.
- One must obey one’s teacher.
6. Distributive Pronouns
Distributive Pronouns are used to indicate all the members of a group separately. These pronouns refer to individual members one at a time.
Examples: Each, every, none, anyone, either, neither etc.
- Each of the boys has received his marksheet.
- None can do it.
7. Reciprocal Pronouns
When two people are carrying out or have carried out an action and both have benefitted from it or have experienced the same consequences, then it is called Reciprocal pronoun.
Examples: Each other and one another etc.
- Ram and Sita love each other.
- Four brothers fight one another.
8. Demonstrative Pronouns
The words that are used for nouns to point out specific objects are known as Demonstrative pronouns.
Examples: This, that, these, those etc.
- This is my house.
- That is his book.
9. Relative Pronouns
When we want to join a noun/pronoun with a clause or phrase, relative pronoun is used at that time.
Examples: Who, which, that, whose, whom etc.
- Where did you purchase the watch that you wore yesterday?
- The boy who won the marathon race is my brother.
Rules of Pronouns
Pronoun is an important topic for all competitive exams. Standard and tricky questions are asked in competitive exams in the form of fill in the blanks or incorrect statements from this topic. So it is very important for aspirants to know the rules of pronouns to ensure that no mistake is made in questions.
Rule 1:
When comparison is made, the pronoun must be in the same grammatical case.
Example:
She can sing better than I. (Not: She can sing better than me. )
Rule 2:
Objective form should be used in a sentence when the pronoun is an object of the verb.
Examples:
- I killed him.
- He killed me.
Rule 3:
When a sentence expresses a positive idea (such as success, praise, reward, or good action), the order of pronouns should be:
Second Person → Third Person → First Person
Examples:
You, he and I will be awarded.
When a sentence expresses a negative idea (such as fault, blame, punishment, or mistake), the order of pronouns should be:
First person → Second person → Third person
Example:
I, you and he will be punished.
Rule 4:
Some verbs are used reflexively (Reflexive pronoun) .
Examples : Absent, adapt, avail, resign, enjoy, apply, adjust etc
- They should avail themselves of every chance. (Not: They should avail of every chance.)
- They enjoyed themselves during summer vacation. (Not: They enjoyed during the summer vacation.)
Rule 5:
Some verbs do not take reflexive pronouns.
Examples: keep, stop, qualify, hide, rest, move etc
- You should keep away from bad habits. (Not: You should keep yourself from bad habits.)
- The man has qualified for the post. (Not: The man has qualified himself for the post.)
Rule 6:
When a sentence begins with let, the pronoun must be in objective case.
Examples:
- Let them go. (Not: Let they go. )
- Let him go. (Not: Let he go. )
Rule 7:
Who → used in the nominative case (as the subject of the verb).
Whom → used in the objective case (as the object of the verb).
Examples:
- I saw the man who was a police officer.
- I saw him whom you met.
Rule 8:
Possessive pronouns such as yours, ours, hers, theirs are written without apostrophe.
Example:
Yours sincerely (Not: Your’s sincerely)
Rule 9:
When one refers to people in general, the possessive form should be one’s.
Example:
One should do one’s duties. (Not: One should do his duties.)
Rule 10:
When either…or or neither…nor joins two subjects, the verb and pronoun agree with the subject closest to them.
Example:
Either the manager or his subordinates failed in their duties.
Rule 11:
- Each other → used for two persons/things
- One another → used for more than two
Examples:
- These two students love each other.
- Those four friends respect one another.
