What is Pronoun? Definition, Types, Example

What is Pronoun?

 A pronoun is a word which is used in place of a noun and used to avoid the repetition of words.

Definition of Pronoun:

Pronoun is a word used instead of a Noun.

Example of Pronoun: 

Look at Jack. He is studying. John and Mary have come to see him. They are glad to see him studying. He is also glad to see them. 

• Raju is my friend. He is a teacher.
• Khushboo is a student. She is intelligent.
• This is a bench. It is new.
• There are fifty girls in my office.  They are laborious.
• I know Trisha. She lives in my neighborhood.

Types of Pronoun / Kinds of Pronoun

A noun substituting word is called pronoun. There are following types of pronouns.

There are ten types of Pronoun:

1. Personal Pronoun

2. Reflexive Pronoun

3. Emphatic Pronoun (Definite Pronoun)

4. Possessive Pronoun

5. Demonstrative Pronoun

6. Interrogative Pronoun   

7. Relative Pronoun

8. Indefinite Pronoun

9. Distributive Pronoun

10. Reciprocal Pronoun

lets start to learn about types of pronoun in detail

1. Personal Pronoun

‘I, We, You, He, She, It and They’ are known as Personal Pronouns.

     Pronouns which are used in place of names, persons or things are called Personal Pronoun. 

     (A pronoun that is used for a person or thing is called a masculine pronoun.)

× First Person – 

Pronouns ‘I and We’ denote the person or persons speaking.

× Second Person – 

Pronoun ‘You’ denotes the person or persons spoken to.

× Third Person – 

Pronouns ‘He, She, It and They’ denote the person or persons spoken about.

Examples:

• She has lost her purse.
• I like it.
• They are going to Ahmedabad to see her brother.

Persons	Nominative/Subjective Case	Objective Case	PossessiveAdjective	PossessivePronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
First	I	me	my	mine	myself
	We	us	our	ours	ourselves
Second	You	you	your	yours	yourself
	You	you	your	yours	yourselves
Third	He	him	his	his	himself
	She	her	her	hers	herself
	It	it	its	–	itself
	One	one	one’s	–	oneself
	They	them	their	theirs	themselves

(A) Nominative/Subjective Case – I, We, You, He, She, It, They etc.

• I teach English. ()
• My teach English.(ℎ)
• Me teach English. (ℎ)
• Mine teach English. (ℎ)
• They saw many buildings. ()

(B) Objective Case – me, us, you, him, her, it, one, them etc.

• I teach they. (ℎ)
• I teach them. ()
• I liked him. ()
• She abused her. ()

(C) Possessive Adjectives – my, our, your, his, her, its, their, one’s etc.

• This is my book.
• This is your pen.

(D) Possessive Pronouns – mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs etc.

• This pen is yours.
• These books are not mine.
• Ours is a great country.

(E) Reflexive Pronouns – myself, ourselves, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves, oneself etc.

• He killed himself.
• I washed the car myself.
• You have to drive yourself.
• She baked a cake herself.

Uses of ‘It’

     ‘It’ is used for Singular Neuter Gender Noun but Pronoun ‘It’ has the following special uses:

(i) Sometimes ‘It’ is not used just for one noun, but for the idea of ​​the whole sentence. (Sometimes It is not used for a single Noun, but for the idea of ​​the whole sentence.)

• Ram speaks fluently. I know it.
• I am not to blame. You know it.

(ii)  ‘It’ is used for animals and birds.

• It is a cat.
• It is a lion.
• It is a sparrow.
• It is a parrot.
• It is an ostrich.

(iii) For a child, when ignorant of his gender-

• The baby was sleeping and its nurse was watching it.
• The baby is crying because it is hungry.
• The baby is crying because its toys have broken.

(iv) Natural Incident – like season, weather, earthquake etc. Or ‘It’ is used to tell time, day, year .

• It is raining.
• It is thundering.
• It snowed last night.
• It is morning.
• It is July.
• It is Monday.
• It is nine O’clock.

(v) ‘It’ is used for a lifeless object.

• It is a pencil.
• It is a table.
• It is a computer.

 (vi) ‘It’ is also used in some phrases .

• Make a clean breast of it. (to admit something)
• You are in for it. (You’re going to have bad days.)

2. Reflexive Pronoun

     Pronouns ‘myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself themselves’ are known as Reflexive Pronouns.

     These pronouns reflect the action of the verb on the subject itself.

     (When the subject and object of the sentence are the same person, the possessive pronoun is used.)

Examples:

• The lion fell and hurt itself.
• The man killed himself.
• I taught myself.
• She asked herself a question.
• We should help ourselves.
• I hurt myself.
• She killed herself.
• The man shot himself.
• She could not prepare herself for the situation.

Note: When “self” is used independently, it is a Noun instead of being a Pronoun. example:
(a) An honest man keeps himself free all vices.
(b) One’s self is always more important to one than anything else.

3. Emphatic Pronoun  

     Emphatic Pronouns are used for the sake of emphasis or nouns or pronouns.

     (When a Reflexive Pronoun is used to emphasize a Noun or Pronoun, it is called a Definitive Pronoun.)

Examples:

• He himself went to market.
• I myself wash up my plates.
• The boy himself has spoiled his life.
• I myself will do it.
• She herself believes in superstitions.
• I myself went to the station to receive them.
• He himself told me about it.
• You yourself know better than anybody else.
• We ourselves solved the problem.
• She herself does not remember anything of the episode

It should be remembered that Emphatic words cannot be used as Subjects. Hence it will be wrong to say:
(a) Gopalan and myself went to Delhi. It should be ‘Gopalan and I went to Delhi.’
(b) Myself met him. It should be ‘I met him’.
(c) I invited herself to tea. It should be ‘I invited her to tea’.
 

If the Reflexive Pronoun in a sentence is replaced by Reciprocal Pronoun “each other”, the meaning of the sentence changes drastically, example:
1 Ram and Sham blamed themselves for the loss. (Incorrect)     
   Ram and Sham blamed each other for the loss. (Correct)
2 Ram and Sham looked at themselves. (Incorrect)
   Ram and Sham looked at each other in the mirror. (Correct)

4. Possessive Pronoun  

     Pronoun which is used to denote possession or ownership is known as a Possessive Pronoun.

     (The pronoun which is used to give a sense of possession or ownership is called possessive pronoun.)

Examples:

• This note is mine.
• These tables are yours.    
• This book is hers.
• That is ours.
• Those are theirs.

Note: When most of Pronouns such as mentioned above, are followed by Nouns, they no longer remain Pronouns but they become Adjectives, example:
(a) We must die one day.
(b) All men are mortal.
(c) Few people try to know themselves.
(d) Many men and women are prone to listening to flattery.
(e) Some boys are very naughty.

5. Demonstrative Pronoun  

     ‘This, That, These, Those’            

     Demonstrative pronouns point out the persons or things for which they stand.

     (The Pronoun which is used to inform/indicate/direct a person or thing is called indicative pronoun.)

Examples:

• This is a good book.         
• These are sweet mangoes.
• Those were sour grapes.
• These are more useful than that.
• This question is difficult to answer.
• That man was very intelligent.

Use of “each”

When we have to refer to everyone of a number of things as a single entity, we make use of “each” However, to understand the proper use of “each”, the following delicate distinctions should be borne in mind:
(a) In the normal course, we say:
     Each of the boys got a prize. (Each + Noun)
(b) When we have to use “each” in a, sentence containing a numeral, the former generally follows the latter, example:
      The winners received one thousand rupees each. (Noun + Numeral + Each)

Use of “Either”
“Either” is used when we have to refer to one or the other of the two objects, example:
(a) On either side of river lie long fields of barley and of rye.
(b) Either of the books will do.

Use of “Neither”
“Neither” is the negative of either and, as such, is used to mean not the one, nor the other of the two:
(a) Neither of the two books is mine.
(b) Neither of the two culprits could be nabbed by the police.
Since “each”, “either” and “neither” refer to persons or things only one at a time, they are always treated as Singular and are hence followed by a Verb in the Singular.

6. Interrogative Pronoun  

     ‘What, Which, Who, Whom, Whose’

     The pronoun which is used to ask a question is known an Interrogative Pronoun.

     (The pronoun which is used to ask a question is called an interrogative pronoun.)

Examples:

• Who are you?
• Who is he?
• Whom were you speaking to?
• Whose is this book?
• Which do you prefer?
• What is the matter?
• What did she say?
• Which is the right answer?
• Who will teach us?
• Whom did you see?

7. Relative Pronoun  

     ‘That, Which, Who, Whom, Whose’

     The Relative Pronoun stands instead of a noun and also joins sentences.

     (When who, whom, which, whose, that, come in place of Nouns and prevent repetition of Nouns and join two sentences, then they are called Relative Pronouns.)

Examples:

• The dog which is mad should be shot dead.
• Rakesh who is a doctor, has earned a lot of money.
• The people who live upstairs are very friendly.
• I know the man whose car was stolen.
• The book that I bought is very costly.
• The student who is diligent, succeeds in the examination.
• The candidate whom they had called for interview, has not appeared yet.
• The words whose print is in bold letters, are to be understood.
• This is the house which made of stone.

8. Indefinite Pronoun  

     ‘One, someone, somebody, something, no one, none, nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody, anything, everybody, everyone, everything, some, few, little, many, much, all, several’ etc.

     Indefinite Pronoun refers to persons or things in a vague (अस्पष्ट) or general way. They do not refer them in particular.

     (The Pronoun which does not refer to any definite person or thing is called indefinite pronoun.)

Examples:

• One must mind one’s own business.
• None of them were present.       
• All that glitters is not gold.
• Some are born poets.
• Many were rewarded.
• Somebody has stolen my book.
• Nobody was there to help me.
• Something is better than nothing.
• Did anybody help you?
• All are happy.
• Everybody must do his duty.

9. Distributive Pronoun  

     When ‘Each, Either and Neither’ are used as Pronouns they are called Distributive Pronouns.

     (When Each, Either and Neither are used in the form of a Pronoun, it is called a distributive pronoun. It is used to separate one or two.)

Examples:

• Each of the girls gets a reward.   
• Each gets what he deserves.       
• Either of the two roads goes to the station.
• Neither of the two boys is diligent.
• You have two pens, but neither writes well.
• Each of the students is laborious.
• Either of the two pencils will do.
• Neither of the two houses is safe.
• Either of these computers can be used.
• Neither of you can be blamed.

10.  Reciprocal Pronoun

     ‘Each other and one another’ are called Reciprocal Pronouns.

Examples:

• The two boys quarreled with each other.
• Radha and Krishna love each other.
• All men fought with one another.
• We should help one another.
• Indians should not fight with one another.

 

RULES OF PRONOUNS

Rule 1 Verbs such as “acquit, absent, avail, resign, revenge, enjoy, exert, apply, adapt, adjust, avenge, pride” are used reflexively. Example:
1. You should avail yourself of every chance in life. (correct)
2. They enjoyed during summer vacation. (Place ‘themselves after enjoyed’)
3. He resigned himself to his failure. (correct)
4. The former D.M. acquitted very efficiently. (Place ‘himself’ after ‘acquitted’)

Rule 2 Such verbs as “keep, hide, stop, turn, qualify, bathe, move, rest” are not used reflexively. Example:
1. You should keep yourself from bad boys. (Drop ‘yourself)
2. He has qualified himself for the post. (Drop ‘himself’)

Rule 3  After preposition Let and verbs objective case of the Pronoun is used Example:
1. I gave money to Gita and he. (Change ‘he’ to ‘him’)
2. Let the teacher and I rest for some time. (Change ‘I’ to ‘me’)
3. Between you and I, he is fickly minded. (Change ‘I’ to ‘me’)
 

Rule 4 The verb “to be” should be followed by subjective form when the complement is Pronoun. Example:
1. It is me who have brought you home. (Change ‘me’ to ‘I’)
2. Was it her who did it for you? (Change ‘her’ into ‘she’)
3. It will be us who will buy a new house. (Change ‘us’ into ‘we’)
 

Rule 5 A Reflexive Pronoun cannot act as a subject or object of a verb unless it is preceded by pronoun or Noun concerned. Example:
1. Myself will see to it that you get your share of property. (Change ‘myself’ into ‘I’)
2. Yourself and he reached there in time. (Change ‘yourself’ into ‘you’)
3. I myself like it. (correct)
4. Raj will do it for myself and my sister. (change myself into ‘me’)

Rule 6  Good manners require that the order of Singular Pronouns should be. Second person, third person and first person (231) But in plural “we” is used before “you” and “they” after “you”. The latter order also is observed while referring to unpleasant acts (123).  Example:
1. I and you will attend her wedding tomorrow. (Correct use is “You and I)
2. He and you will share the mangoes. (Use ‘You and he’)
3. you, he and I will watch movie tonight. (correct)
4. We, you and they are leaving for Bombay tomorrow. (correct)
5. You and I will be punished. (Use ‘I and you’)

Rule 7 A Noun or Pronoun in the possessive case should not be used with the Noun such as “separation, leave, excuse, mention, report, pardon, sight, favour”, Example:
1. Your separation is very painful to me. (Say ‘separation from you’)
2. At his sight the robbers fled. (Say ‘At the sight of him’)

Rule 8 The case of a Pronoun after “than” ‘as’ should be according to the subject or object it is compared with Example:
1. Both of us love her but I love her more than him.(Use ‘he’ in place of ‘him’)
2. I found her cleverer than he. (Use ‘him’ in place of ‘he’)
3. My house is bigger than you. (Use ‘your house/ yours in place of ‘you’)
4. The cost of a clock is less than a wrist watch. (Place ‘the cost of/that of before ‘a wrist watch’)

Rule 9 A Relative Pronoun should agree with its antecedent as far as number and person are concerned and should be placed immediately after the antecedent. Example:
1. She is one of the most cultured ladies that are in our club.(correct)
2. This is one of the novels who I have read many times.(Use ‘which’ in place of ‘who’)
3. I have read hardy’s novels which are very interesting. (correct)
4. I have read Hardy’s novels who was a great novelist. (Say ‘the novels of hardy’)
5. It is only one of the books that are in the library. (Use ‘is’ in place of ‘are’)

Rule 10 “Either, neither, each other” are used in speaking of two persons or things. “Anyone, none, one another” are used while referring to more than two persons or things Example:
1. Indians should never fight with each other. (Use ‘one another’ in place of ‘each other’)
2. None of his eyes is defective. (Use ‘neither’ in place of ‘none’)

Rule 11 while writing question tag the subject and verb must be according to the main sentence. Example:
1. Our teacher is intelligent, isn’t it? (Use ‘isn’t he?)
2. The boys are not going on picnic, are they? (Correct)
3. They went to Delhi yesterday, isn’t it? (Use ‘didn’t they?’)
4. She comes here daily, does she? (Use ‘doesn’t she?)
5. She will help me, won’t she? (correct)

Rule 12 “Both” should be followed by ‘and’ and not by “as well as. Example:
1. Both you as well as my brother are going to attend her marriage tomorrow. (Use ‘and’ in place of ‘as well as’)

Rule 13 “Which” is used in place of “who” and “what” when we are referring to a choice between two or among more than two things or persons. Example:
1. Of the two sisters who is the more intelligent. (Use ‘which’ in place of ‘who’)
2. Who is your father in the crowd? (Use ‘which’ in place of ‘who’)
3. What book do you like most? (Say ‘which book’)

Rule 14 “Of which” is used while referring to lifeless objects and ‘whose’ is used for persons. Examples:
(1) I met a man whose leg is defective. (Correct)
(2) I disposed of the table the leg of which was defective. (Correct)

Rule: 15  When two subjects are joined by “as well as, together with, along with, and not, in addition to, like, with” the possessive case of the pronoun is used in accordance with the first subject. Example:
(1)  Reena as well as her children has returned to their home. (Use ‘her’ for ‘their’)

Rule: 16  When two subjects are joined by “either-or, neither-nor, not only-but also, none but”, the possessive case of the Pronoun should be according to the nearest subject. Example:
(1)  Neither the students nor the teacher was playing in their proper uniform. (Use ‘his’ in place of ‘their’)

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FaQ For Pronoun

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Pronoun Video

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Mcq for Pronoun

Q.1
John is my student…………… is very intelligent.

1
He

2
She

3
They

4
It

Solution
John is a name of a boy, so ‘he’ will be used as his pronoun.

Q.2
John and Mary are my students. ……. are very hard working.

1
They

2
She

3
He

4
It

Solution
John and Mary are two students, so ‘they’ will be used as their pronoun.

Q.3
My dog is smarter than…………….

1
Their

2
Theirs

3
Your

4
Her

Solution
My dog is possessive case, so we need another possessive case so answer will be ‘theirs’.

Q.4
Children went on a picnic……….. had a nice time.

1
He

2
She

3
They

4
It

Solution
Children is a plural case so ‘they’ will be used as pronoun.

Q.5
My parents live in a village. I visit ………… often.

1
They

2
Them

3
We

4
Us

Solution
‘My parents’ is plural so we need plural of an objective case. So answer will be ‘them’.

Q.6
His children are very hard working………….. is very proud of them.

1
He

2
She

3
They

4
We

Solution
‘His’ is a possessive case of ‘he’ so answer will be ‘he’.

Q.7
I have invited all of my friends and ………… have all agreed to come.

1
They

2
He

3
She

4
We

Solution
‘Friends’ is plural case, so they will be answer as it is subjective pronoun for the word friends.

Q.8
Her hair is black………has turned grey.

1
My

2
Mine

3
Me

4
I

Solution
Her hair is a possessive case so we need another possessive case so the answer will be mine.

Q.9
We bought some apples. ……………. were very sweet.

1
They

2
We

3
It

4
That

Solution
‘Apples’ is a plural subjective case we need an objective case for the same so the answer will be ‘they’.

Q.10
I have lost my keys. Did you see……….. ?

1
It

2
They

3
Them

4
That

Solution
‘Keys’ is a plural case we need an objective case for the same so the answer will be ‘they’.

Q.1
Did the letter carrier bring anything for Eli?

1
Emphatic Pronoun

2
Indefinite Pronoun

3
Interrogative pronoun

4
Distributive pronoun

Solution
Here in this sentence no exact number is there so the word ‘anything’ is an Indefinite pronoun.

Q.2
Tim saved himself an extra serving of ice cream, and his brother was jealous.

1
Relative Pronoun

2
Indefinite Pronoun

3
Personal pronoun

4
Reflexive Pronoun

Solution

• ‘Self forms’ of word are always used as reflexively so ‘himself’ is Reflexive Pronoun.

Q.3
I know you like the flavour of ice cream you have, but please try his and tell me what you think.

1
Relative Pronoun

2
Personal Pronoun

3
Interrogative pronoun

4
Indefinite Pronoun

Solution

• The word ‘his’ is used here for a person so it is a personal pronoun.

Q.4
Have you had any of those?

1
Personal pronoun

2
Relative Pronoun

3
Indefinite Pronoun

4
Demonstrative Pronoun

Solution
The word those is used in Demonstrative pronoun other than this, that, these.

Q.5
The soldier who spotted the sniper saved the platoon and won a medal.

1
Relative Pronoun

2
Personal pronoun

3
Interrogative pronoun

4
Reflexive Pronoun

Solution
The word ‘who’ is showing relation with the soldier so that it is a Relative Pronoun.

Q.6
Whose was the most impressive example of pie crust at the fair?

1
Reflexive Pronoun

2
Distributive pronoun

3
Interrogative pronoun

4
Relative Pronoun

Solution
The word ‘whose’ used here to ask a question so it is an interrogative pronoun

Q.7
The snake that startled Melissa was more frightened than she was.

1
Personal Pronoun

2
Indefinite Pronoun

3
Relative Pronoun

4
Interrogative pronoun

Solution
The word ‘that’ is showing relation with the snake so that it is a Relative Pronoun

Q.8
Rest assured that some of the vegetables will be left and none of the dessert will.

1
Interrogative pronoun

2
Personal Pronoun

3
Relative Pronoun

4
Indefinite Pronoun

Solution
Here in this sentence no exact number is there so the word ‘some’ is an Indefinite pronoun.

Q.9
Which of these would you like to wear to the awards dinner?

1
Interrogative pronoun

2
Personal Pronoun

3
Reflexive Pronoun

4
Distributive pronoun

Solution
The word ‘which’ used here to ask a question so it is an interrogative pronoun.

Q.10
The company provided itself every opportunity to succeed.

1
Reflexive Pronoun

2
Interrogative pronoun

3
Personal Pronoun

4
Distributive pronoun

Solution
‘Self forms’ of word are always used as reflexively so ‘itself’ is Reflexive Pronoun.