Short and quick answer by GrammarGramps: A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition and clarify meaning in a sentence. Pronouns refer to people, objects, or ideas already mentioned, such as he, she, it, they, and which. In “Maria lost her keys,” her replaces Maria.
Definition and Special Introduction to Pronouns by GrammarGramps
Hey there. How’re you doing today? It’s GrammarGramps again. Let’s learn about pronouns.
Here is a quick definition to get started. After that, I will give you an explanation before diving in the details.
Pronouns are words that are used to replace nouns in a sentence. Instead of using nouns over and over again, we replace them with pronouns so that the sentence flows smoothly. Common pronouns in English are he, she, it, and they, with variations including him, her, their, etc.
So, on this site, you’ve probably come across Jack in some of the examples. Jack is sometimes in his mom’s basement. Sometimes, he is in Siberia. It doesn’t go well for him in many situations and he has to go through some stuff.
Now, I want you to read the paragraph above one more time.
You notice how I use the name “Jack” only two times? But, I use words like “he” and “his” to refer back to him without taking his name again and again.
The same goes for, let’s say…Siberia. Siberia is a cold place and it is quite majestic. You see how I use the word “it” to refer to Siberia? I don’t say “Siberia is a cold place and Siberia is majestic.” That would make the sentence very clunky to read.
These are some demonstrations of how pronouns work.
Why Pronouns Exist in Grammar
Pronouns exist in grammar for very important reasons: improving clarity and flow. They:
- Reduce repetition
- Connect sentences
- Maintain cohesion across paragraphs
Here is an example sentnece with pronouns. You can see how smooth it is to read.
Jack traveled to Siberia. He regretted it immediately.
Without pronouns, it becomes very odd and clunky:
Jack traveled to Siberia. Jack regretted Siberia immediately.
Functional writing depends on pronouns.
Understanding Antecedents in Relation to Pronouns
Antecedents are an important element in grammar. Below is a short description of antecedents, which is important to understand so that you can properly grasp the concept of pronouns:
An antecedent is a noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to in a sentence. The antecedent gives the pronoun its meaning and must agree in number and gender. In “Lisa lost her book,” Lisa is the antecedent of her.
When we use a pronoun, we’re avoiding the re-mention of a noun or noun phrase, right? That noun or noun phrase that we’re avoiding naming again is the antecedent.
Here are some examples that show the importance of properly linking a pronoun with its antecedent:
Clear example:
Jack forgot his gloves.
Antecedent: Jack
Unclear example:
When Jack met Alex, he was freezing.
Who was freezing? Jack or Alex? Ambiguous pronouns create confusion in sentences.
In a sentence, the pronoun must connect clearly to the antecedent. This rule is known as antecedent-pronoun agreement. In the next heading, we’re going to talk about that.
Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in:
- Number (singular/plural)
- Person
- Gender
This rule is known as pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Singular Agreement
Here is an example of a singular agreement, where a singular noun is referred using a singular pronoun:
- Jack forgot his coat.
Rule Regarding Indefinite Pronouns in Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Words like everyone, someone, each are treated as singular. These are known as indefinite pronouns. (We’ll cover these in the “Types” section below.)
However, the pronoun “their” is used to address words like this, even though “their” is normally considered a plural pronoun.
Here is an example:
- Everyone forgot their gloves.
Singular “they” is widely accepted in modern usage in order to address indefinite pronouns.
Rule Regarding Compound Antecedents for Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
For compound antecedents, a plural pronoun is used. Here is an example:
- Jack and Alex forgot their map.
A compound antecedent combines two or more nouns or noun phrases using the word “and” or “or.”
Types of Pronouns
There are 11 different types of pronouns in English grammar, according to GrammarGramps.
They are categorized based on the purpose they serve in a sentence and the way they refer to the antecedent.
Here is a list that names the various types of pronouns. Below this list, you will find brief descriptions of each type, along with examples.
- Personal Pronouns
- Possessive Pronouns
- Reflexive Pronouns
- Intensive Pronouns
- Demonstrative Pronouns
- Relative Pronouns
- Interrogative Pronouns
- Indefinite Pronouns
- Reciprocal Pronouns
- Distributive Pronouns
- Dummy/Expletive Pronouns
1. Personal Pronouns
Purpose: Replace specific nouns.
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- She survived the cold.
- They warned Jack.
2. Possessive Pronouns
Purpose: Show ownership.
Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, theirs
- The gloves are his.
- That tent is theirs.
3. Reflexive Pronouns
Purpose: Refer back to the subject.
Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves
- Jack blamed himself.
4. Intensive Pronouns
Purpose: Emphasize a noun or pronoun.
Examples: himself, herself
- Jack himself built the shelter.
5. Demonstrative Pronouns
Purpose: Point to specific things.
Examples: this, that, these, those
- This was a mistake.
- Those were not winter boots.
6. Relative Pronouns
Purpose: Introduce dependent clauses.
Examples: who, whom, which, that
- The storm that hit Siberia was brutal.
- Jack, who packed lightly, regretted it.
7. Interrogative Pronouns
Purpose: Used in questions.
Examples: who, whom, what, which
- Who sent Jack to Siberia?
- Which route is safer?
8. Indefinite Pronouns
Purpose: Refer to nonspecific people or things.
Examples: someone, anyone, everyone, something
- Everyone warned him.
- Someone forgot the map.
9. Reciprocal Pronouns
Purpose: Show mutual action.
Examples: each other, one another
- Jack and his guide blamed each other.
10. Distributive Pronouns
Purpose: Refer to members of a group individually.
Examples: each, either, neither
- Neither was prepared.
- Each carried supplies.
11. Dummy / Expletive Pronouns
Purpose: Fill a grammatical position but do not refer to a noun.
Examples: it, there
- It is freezing.
- There are wolves nearby.
Note from GrammarGramps: “They” refer to wolves. “There” does not refer to anything.
Pronoun Examples in Normal Sentences
Here are some more example sentences with a breakdown of where the pronoun is present and which type it belongs to. These examples will help to strengthen what you have learned from the section above.
Example 1: Jack lost his map.
- Pronoun in example: his
- Type: Possessive pronoun
Example 2: They warned Jack about Siberia.
- Pronoun in example: They
- Type: Personal pronoun
Example 3: The storm, which surprised Jack, lasted hours.
- Pronoun in example: which
- Type: Relative pronoun
Example 4: This was not Jack’s best idea.
- Pronoun in example: This
- Type: Demonstrative pronoun
Example 5: Everyone feared the cold.
- Pronoun in example: Everyone
- Type: Indefinite pronoun
The Various Grammatical Roles Played by Pronouns
Pronouns play different grammatical roles in a sentence. They can be the subject, object, subject complement, or the object of preposition. Below, you will find examples of pronouns in each of the aforementioned grammatical roles.
Pronoun As Subject
A pronoun as a subject performs the action in a sentence. For instance:
He survived the night.
Pronoun As Object
A pronoun as an object receives the action that is being performed in a sentence.
The wind followed him.
As Subject Complement
As subject complement, the pronoun replaces the subject. For instance:
The last one standing was she.
As Object of Preposition
Pronouns can also become the object of preposition. For instance, in the sentence below, the pronoun “them” is an object for the preposition “for”.
The supplies were for them.
Common Errors + Fixes
There are different errors that can be made with pronouns in written and spoken English. Among the common errors are incorrect agreement, incorrect subject case, misued reflexive, and so on. Below is a table that shows an example of common pronoun errors along with their correction.
| Error Example | Correction | Explanation |
| Jack lost their coat. | Jack lost his coat. | Singular agreement |
| Me survived Siberia. | I survived Siberia. | Subject case |
| The storm hurt myself. | The storm hurt me. | Misused reflexive |
| Everyone forgot his or her gloves. | Everyone forgot their gloves. | Modern usage preference |
How to Identify a Pronoun?
Here is quick and easy method to identify a pronoun by GrammarGramps.
When you read a sentence, look for a word that replaces a noun. If you find a word that replaces a noun, check and see which exact noun it replaces by seeing the agreement in number and gender. Once you do that, you will be able to not only identify a pronoun but also the exact antecedent that it replaces.
Here, let’s do a quick exercise.
Jack and Susan both gasped at the sight of her injury.
Now, there is a pronoun in that sentence: “Her”
We can identify it because it replaces one of the nouns in indicating the possession of the injury.
As for which antecedent it replaces, we can figure it out based on the gender of the pronun. “Her” is female, and Susan is the female referred in the sentence. Hence, we know that the pronoun “her” is being used to replace “Susan” in the sentence.
Pronoun Quiz: Multiple Choice by GrammarGramps
Here is a short quiz by GrammarGramps that you can take to see how much you have learned from the guide above.
- What is the pronoun in this sentence: Jack said he would survive Siberia.
A. Jack
B. he
C. Siberia - Can you tell me which word is the pronoun in this sentence: The storm surprised them.
A. storm
B. surprised
C. them - Point out of the pronoun in this sentence: Everyone warned Jack about the cold.
A. Everyone
B. warned
C. cold - Pick the pronoun in this sentence: The gloves are his.
A. gloves
B. are
C. his - Poor Jack is still around. Let’s see if you can find the pronoun in this sentence: Jack blamed himself for the trip.
A. blamed
B. himself
C. trip - Tell me this. Can there be more than one pronoun in a sentence?
A. Yes, absolutely, as long as there is a clear agreement between the pronouns and their antecedents.
B. No, there can’t be more than one pronoun in a sentence. - In this sentence, is the bolded word a pronoun or an antecedent: Jack found a big bone in his cereal.
A. The bolded word is a pronoun.
B. The bolded word is an atecedent.
Answer Key
- B
- C
- A
- C
- B
- A – There is no grammatical rule that states that there cannot be more than one pronoun in a sentence.
- B – The bolded word “Jack” is an antecedent, not a pronoun.
Resources Used for This Guide
Among others, here are some resources that I used for this guide:
