Pronouns

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. They are used when your audience already knows what you’re talking about, and they help us avoid repetition. For example, you might say, “Jack’s sister is a doctor. She lives in Australia.” Here, the word “she” is a pronoun. It replaces “Jack’s sister,” which means “Jack’s sister” does not need to be repeated in the second sentence.

I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are all examples of pronouns. In the example sentences below, the pronouns are highlighted, and the nouns they replace are in bold.

• Sarah is my sister. She is also my best friend.
(The pronoun “she” replaces the noun “Sarah.”)
• If Martians exist, they are not “little green men” but tiny microbes.
(Here, the pronoun “they” replaces the noun “Martians.”)
• Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. It originates in clouds when temperatures are below the freezing point.
(Here, the pronoun “it” replaces the noun “snow.”)

Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that refer to non-specific persons or things. Common examples include:
Anyone
Anything
Each
Everybody
Someone
Nobody

These pronouns are used when the exact identity of the noun is not known or is not important. They can indicate singular or plural nouns depending on the context.

For example:

• Someone call an ambulance!
• I need something to hold this window open.

The most common indefinite pronouns are all, any, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody, and someone.

Why Do We Need Pronouns?

Pronouns provide brevity. They prevent us from having to repeat the nouns. Imagine how wearisome a long prose would be if writers had to use the full nouns every time.

Different Types of Pronouns

There are nine types:

Pronoun Type		Examples
1	Personal pronouns	I, you, he, she, it, we, they
2	Possessive pronouns	mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
3	Relative pronouns	which, who, that
4	Demonstrative pronouns	this, that, these, those
5	Emphatic pronouns	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves
6	Reflexive pronouns	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves
7	Indefinite pronouns	none, several, many, some, any, somebody, nobody
8	Interrogative pronouns	which, who, what
9	Reciprocal pronouns	each other, one another

Source:  grammar-monster.com

Related:  NOUNS – TUTORING YOU