Pronoun and Its Types [Definition+Examples]

PRONOUN

A Pronoun is a word used instead of a noun or noun-equivalent.

Kinds of Pronoun

Personal Pronoun
Impersonal Pronoun
Possessive Pronoun
Interrogative Pronoun
Demonstrative Pronoun
Indefinite Pronoun
Relative Pronoun
Distributive Pronoun
Reflexive and Emphatic Pronoun
Reciprocal Pronoun

(1) Personal Pronoun

When a Pronoun is used instead of a person, it is called a Personal Pronoun. Personal pronoun in different persons and cases

Person	Number	Subject (Nominative)	Object (Objective)	Possessive
First Person	Singular	I	me	my, mine
	Plural	We	us	our, ours
2nd Person	Singular	You	you	yours, yours
	Plural	You	you	your, yours
	Singular	He, She	him, her	his, her, hers
	Plural	They	them	their, theirs

Note: Though basically Pronouns, my, our,
your, his, her and their are Possessive Adjectives for their function. Download PDF Reader premium

(2) Impersonal Pronoun

There is another type of Pronoun called Impersonal Pronoun (e.g. It). It is used for non-living things, lower animals, etc. For example,

It is a pen.
The horse fell and broke its leg.
Pere is a book: take it.
When I saw the child, It was crying.

(3) Possessive Pronoun

A Pronoun is called a Possessive Pronoun when it denotes possession. Such Possessive Pronouns are: my, mine, our, ours, your. yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, Its.

But in Modern English: my, our, your, his, her, their — when used attributively before nouns — are classed as Possessive Adjectives.

For example: my pen, our home, your book, his house, her letter etc.

The alternative forms mine, ours, yours, hers, theirs are used as Possessive Pronouns.

For example

This book is mine.
That horse is yours.

However, “his” may be used both as a Possessive Adjective and as a Possessive Pronoun.

This is his book. This book is his.

(4) Interrogative Pronouns

They are pronouns which are used for asking questions. They are used in place of the noun which we get in answer to the question.

For example

What is this? It is a book.

The Following are the Interrogative Pronouns:

Who, Whom, Whose, Which, What

Who, Whom and Whose are used for indicating persons:

Who are you?
Whom do you like? / Whom do you like?
Whose is this book? [But Whose book is this? = Modern usage]

(Here Whose is an Interroative Adjective)

Note: ‘Today “Who“ is more usual than “Whom“, especially in spoken English.

“Which“ is used for selecting a person or a thing!

Which is your book?
Which is your friend?

What is used in general sense of asking:

What is he?
What is your name?
What are you doing?

In the following examples Which and What are not Interrogative Pronouns out Adjectives:

What book do you want?
Which book Is he reading’?
Which way leads to the post office?

(5) Demonstrative Pronouns

These pronouns are used in place of nouns to which they point In other words we use Demonstrative Pronouns to point out the Objects to which they refer.

This, That, These, Those are the Demonstrative Pronouns.

This is a gift from my elder brother.
These are merely excuses.
She may buy That.
Those are my books.

(6) Indefinite Pronouns

“Indefinite Pronouns” are those which refer to persons or things in general Inca in particular).

Some, few, many, all, much, none, one, any, little, others, enough, less etc. are the Indefinite Pronouns.

Anybody can do this easy task.
One must do one’s duty.
Many of them were injured but a few escaped unhurt.
What is everybody’s business is nobody’s business.

(7) Relative Pronouns

“Relative Pronouns” are also called “Linking Pronouns”. A Relative Pronoun is one that refers to a Noun or Pronoun and joins two sentences. It serves the purpose of both a Pronoun and a Conjunction.

1. I know the boy. The boy came from Faisalabad.

= I know the boy who came from Faisalabad.

2. This is the book. This book belongs to my father. = This is the book which belongs to my father.

3. This is the rat. It was caught by a cat.

= This is the rat that was caught by a cat.

Antecedent: The Noun or Pronoun to which the Relative Pronoun refers is called Its Antecedent. In other words, the Nouns or Pronouns immediately before the Relative Pronouns are called the Antecedents. In the above examples, “boy”, “book” and “rat” are Antecedents.

(8) DistriffiTve Pronouns

We use Distributive Pronouns in order to refer to persons or things one at a time. For this reason they are always singular. Each, Either, Neither are called Distributive Pronouns.

Each of the boys is healthy. Either of the roads leads to the market.

Neither of the students was late (

9) Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns

Singular

Plural

I — myself

You — yourself

He — himself

She — herself

It — Itself

We — ourselves

You — yourselves

They — themselves

We use Reflexive Pronouns when the subject and object refer to the same person or thing.

I cut myself.
She blamed herself.
Naila is looking at herself
You have hurt yourself.
You have enjoyed yourselves.
The prisoner hanged himself.
They gave themselves much trouble.

NOTE: A Reflexive Pronoun is used as the Object of Verb or of a Preposition.
Hence it comes after a Verb or a Preposition Sometimes, Reflexive Pronoun
is used emphatically. Such as Emphatic Pronoun comes after the Subject or after the Object.

We use a Reflexive Pronoun when an action turns back upon the Subject. We use an Emphatic Pronoun to give emphasis on the Subject or Object.

Emphatic Pronouns are used to emphasize that the action is done by no one else.

I myself saw him (to) do it
He himself said so.
She herself has cooked the meal.
I will do it myself.

NOTE: Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns have the same self-form. However, all the Self Pronouns are broadly called Reflexive Pronouns.

(10) Reciprocal Pronouns

“Each other” and “one another” are called Reciprocal Pronouns. We use Reciprocal Pronouns in order to refer to reciprocal relation.

1. The two boys hate each other.

2. They loved one another.

3 The brothers quarreled with each other.

4. They stood against one another.