PRONOUNS

PRONOUNS
It is a word that can be used in place of a noun or noun phras

CLASSIFICATION:
 Personal pronouns: subject pronouns and object pronoun
 One/it
 Possessive adjectives and pronouns
 Reflexive pronouns
 Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
 Indefinite pronouns
 Relative pronouns
FUNCTION: pronouns and determiners
 Personal pronouns
Subject pronouns
1st person: I, we
2nd person: you
3rd person: he, she, it, they

object pronouns
Direct objects: Eg. Have you met Mary? I
haven’t met her.
Indirect object: Eg. If you see Nick, please
give him my regards.
 Gender in relation to animals,
things and countries
Animals: Eg. What kind of dog is
Spot? He’s a golden retriever.
Ships, cars, etc.: Eg. My car is not
fast, but she does 50 miles a
gallon.
Countries: Eg. In 1942 America
assumed her role al a world
 THE PRONOUN ONE
GENERAL STATEMENTS

One can be used as an indefinte pronoun

meaning everyone/anyone .
E.g. world trade is improving, but one
cannot expect miracles
One can be used to replace “I” but this
tends to sound pompous
Eg One likes to have one’s breakfast in
bed.
 ONE AS A PROP WORD AFTER A
DETERMINER
 One and ones used as substitution
words after a determiner.
E.g. Have you seen my dictionary? Is
that de one published recently?
 One and ones, particularly after
“which?” “This /that”
E.g. Which one would you like? This
one or that one .
 One and ones after adjectives
except after colour
 “IT”
“It” as an empty subject.
Time- the weather- temperature-
distance- environment, with “says”,
“takes”, or other expressions E.g. it
is 8 o’clock.
“It” as a preparatory subject. E.g.
It is pleasant to lie in the sun ( to
lie in the sun is pleasant)
“It” as a preparatory subject often
combines with adjectives, nouns and
verbs. E.g. It is easy to make
mistakes.
“It” in cleft sentences: e.g. it was
Freda who phoned Jack last night.
“It” as a preparatory object after
verbs like “find” to prepare us for
the indefinite or the that clause that
follows. Eg Tim finds it difficult to
 Possessive adjectives/
possessive pronouns
Whose…?

Emphasis: own
very
own
The use of THE
Parts of the body after prepositions
Hair and clothes
 REFLEXIVE
PRONOUNS
MYSELF/OURSELVES, YOURSELF/YOURSELVES,
HIMSELF, HERSELF, ITSELF / THEMSELVES
Obligatory use of reflexives
 Reflexive pronouns follow
certain verbs such as absent,
avail, pride. Eg. The soldier
absented himself
 Other verbs: assume, blame,
cut, enjoy, hurt, introduce, etc.
Optional use of reflexives after
certain verbs
 Optional use of reflexives after
certain verb: dress, hide,
shave, wash e.g. I must dress
(myself)
Verbs which are not normally
reflexive such as get up. Wake
up, sit down, stand up and
combinations with get.
Demonstrative adjectives and
pronouns
Nearness: THIS, THESE
Distance: THAT, THOSE

Demonstrative adjectives/
pronouns

Adjective + noun: I don’t like

this coat
Adjective + one: I don’t like
 Indefinite pronouns
They are compounds formed with
some, any, no and every +
one/thing/body. There is no
difference in meaning and use
between one forms and body forms.
They refer to male and female.
Some/any/no/every compounds
function as pronouns. They are
called indefinite because we do not
always know who or what we are
referring to.
Any compounds are used in
negative statements and in
questions . Eg
Is there anyone here?.
To replace indefinite we use he,
but with plural pronouns we
used “they or them”. Eg
everyone knows what they
have to do.
Adjective usually follow
 Relative pronouns

Wh- items: WHO, WHOM,

WHOSE, WHICH
THAT and
ZERO