PronounsPart 1

Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, a group of words acting as a noun, or another pronoun. The word or group of words to which a pronoun refers is called its antecedent. A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural) and gender (male or female).

Pronouns

Common Error: Number of pronoun and antecedent do not agree.

Example: When a student reaches high school, they can expect to have homework.

Correction: When a student reaches high school, she (or he) can expect to have homework.

Personal Pronouns

A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing by indicating the person speaking (the first person), the person being addressed (the second person), or any other person or thing being discussed (the third person).

Personal pronouns express number. They are either singular or plural.

Third-person personal pronouns express gender. He and him are masculine. She and her are feminine. It is neuter (neither masculine nor feminine).

Personal Pronouns

Singular Plural

First Person I, me we, us

Second Person you you

Third Person he,him they,them

she,her,it

Possessive Pronouns

A possessive pronoun indicates possession or ownership. It takes the place of a possessive noun.

Singular PluralFirst Person my,mine our,ours

Second Person your,yours your,yours

Third Person his,her their,theirshers,its

Possessive Pronouns

Some possessive pronouns are used before nouns. Other possessive forms are used by themselves. Notice that possessive pronouns do not contain an apostrophe.

Used before a noun: Take your bathing suit.

Used alone: That bathing suit is yours.

Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun refers, or reflects back, to a noun or pronoun earlier in the sentence.

Singular Plural

First Person myself ourselves

Second Person yourself yourselves

Third Person himself themselves

herself

itself

Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun adds information and emphasis

Examples:

You outdid yourself when you wrote that song.

The basketball players prepared themselves for the game.

Intensive Pronouns

An intensive pronoun adds emphasis to another noun or pronoun earlier in the sentence.

Singular Plural

First Person myself ourselves

Second Person yourself yourselves

Third Person himself themselves

herself

itself

Intensive Pronouns

An intensive pronoun does not add information.

I myself ate the pizza.

The team itself chose the captain.

Maria herself opened the door.