GRAMMATHON PRONOUN: KINDS

BY- SUMAN SHARMA

PRONOUN: KINDS

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WHAT IS PRONOUN?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. If we didn't have pronouns, we'd have to keep repeating our nouns and that would make our sentences cumbersome and repetitive. Pronouns are usually short words.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRONOUN There are several different types of pronouns. These include: • Personal pronouns (e.g., he, they) • Possessive pronouns (e.g., his, theirs) • Relative pronouns (e.g., which, where) • Demonstrative pronouns (e.g., this, these) • Emphatic pronouns (e.g., itself, himself) • Reflexive pronouns (e.g., itself, himself) • Indefinite pronouns (e.g., none, several) • Interrogative pronouns (e.g., which, who) • Reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another)

PERSONAL PRONOUN

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Personal pronouns may be used as: the subject of a verb, or the object of a verb. Examples: car, man, bridge, town, water, metal, ammonia.

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SUBJECT PRONOUNS The subject of a verb does the action of the verb. The personal pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we and they can all be used as the subject of a verb. Study the following two sentences: Lisa likes cats. She has four cats. In the first sentence, the proper noun Lisa is the subject of the verb likes. In the second sentence, the pronoun she is the subject of the verb has.

Here are some more pairs of sentences that show personal pronouns used as subjects of verbs. My name is Michael. I am fourteen. My father works hard. He works in a factory.

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OBJECT PRONOUNS The object of a verb receives the action of the verb. The personal pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them can all be used as the object of a verb. Look at the following two sentences: Lisa likes cats. She likes to stroke them. In the first sentence, the noun cats is the object of the verb likes. In the second sentence, the pronoun them is the object of the verb stroke.

Here are some more pairs of sentences that show personal pronouns used as objects of verbs. I’m doing my homework. Dad is helping me. Goodbye, children! I’ll call you later.

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FIRST PERSON, SECOND PERSON, THIRD PERSON

In grammar, the person who is speaking is called the first person. The one spoken to is called the second person, and the one spoken about is called the third person. Here is a table to help you remember which pronouns to use.

SINGULAR PLURAL

SUBJECT OBJECT SUBJECT OBJECT

FIRST

PERSON

I

ME WE US

SECOND

PERSON

YOU YOU YOU YOU

THIRD

PERSON

HE, SHE, IT HIM, HER, IT THEY THEM

REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

Reflexive pronouns are words that refer to the noun or pronoun that is the subject of the verb. The words myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves are reflexive pronouns.

My brother built this computer himself.

Be careful not to cut yourself with that knife.

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Here is a table to help you remember which reflexive pronoun to use with which singular personal pronoun.

SINGULAR PERSONAL PRONOUN REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

I (subject pronoun) MYSELF

ME (object pronoun) MYSELF

YOU (subject/object pronoun)

YOURSELF

HE (subject pronoun) HIMSELF

HIM (object pronoun)

HIMSELF

SHE (subject pronoun) HERSELF

HER (object pronoun)

HERSELF

IT ITSELF

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Here is a table to help you remember which reflexive pronoun to use with which plural personal pronoun.

PLURAL PERSONAL PRONOUN REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

WE (subject pronoun) OURSELVES

US (object pronoun) OURSELVES

YOU (subject/object pronoun)

YOURSELVES

THEY (subject pronoun) THEMSELVES

THEM (object pronoun)

THEMSELVES

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RULES OF REFLEXIVE PRONOUN 1. Personal pronoun should match with reflexive

pronoun. 2. Exceptions of reflexive pronoun. a). Verbs which do not use reflexive pronoun. * Keep * Bathe * Stop * Turn * Qualify * Move * Rest * Hide b). Verbs which use reflexive pronoun after them. * Avail * Adapt *Adopt * Reconcile TRICK : Enjoy (v)

Ask WHAT?

If answer is Yes

Do not use Reflexive Pronoun

If answer is No Use Reflexive Pronoun

POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

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Possessive pronouns are used to talk about things that belong to people. The words mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are possessive pronouns. For example :

This book is mine.

Have you lost yours, Tom?

This pen is mine and that one is his.

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Here is a table to help you remember which possessive pronoun to use with which singular personal pronoun.

SINGULAR PERSONAL PRONOUN POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

I, ME MINE

YOU YOURS

HE, HIM HISMSELF

SHE, HER HERS Here is a table to help you remember which possessive pronoun to use with which plural personal pronoun.

PLURAL PERSONAL PRONOUN POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

WE, US OURS

YOU YOURS

THEY, THEM THEIRS

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RULES 1. It + is/was + subjective case pronoun + object. * It was me who made the mistake. (Wrong) * It was I who made the mistake. (Right) 2. Order of pronoun. a). 1 2 3 (Bad, Mistake) b). 2 3 1 (Good) * It was I, you, he who made the mistake. 3. Use objective case pronoun after the following: * Let * Like * But * Between Except any preposition. * Let he do the work. (Wrong) * Let him do the work. (Right)

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4. Rule for preposition. Exception : To + V1 * Used to * Accustomed to * Looking forward to

Preposition Pronoun Objective

case

Verb V1 + ing

EMPHATIC PRONOUN

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The emphatic pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. John can do it himself. I heard the lie myself.

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REFLEXIVE PRONOUN AND EMPHATIC PRONOUN A pronoun is a reflexive one if the action of the subject reflects upon the doer. Emphatic pronouns, on the other hand, are used to just emphasize the action of the subject. He cut himself. (Reflexive: here the subject and object refer

to the same person.) He himself cut the cake. (Emphatic: here the emphatic

pronoun himself merely puts emphasis on the noun he.)

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUN

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Demonstrative pronouns are used for pointing out things. The words this, that, these and those are demonstrative pronouns. These are sheep but those are goats. That is my friend’s house.

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The words this, that, etc., are Demonstrative Pronouns when they stand alone; but when they are followed by nouns they become Demonstrative Adjectives, as they do the work of adjectives by adding meanings to the nouns. * Do it in this way. * These pens are better than those pens.

This and a Possessive Pronoun cannot be used together. When both are needed, the following construction is used :

* This car of mine needs a thorough repair. (not this my car)

That or those is used to avoid repetition of a noun coming earlier in the sentence.

* His nature is just like that of his brother. * His nature is just like the nature of his brother.

INDEFINITE PRONOUN

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An indefinite pronoun does not refer directly to any other word. Most indefinite pronouns express he idea of quantity. Everybody is welcome at the meeting. Few choose to live in the arid desert.

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

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The biggest issue with indefinite pronouns is determining whether they are singular or plural. Here is a list:

SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUN

PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUN

INDEFINITE PRONOUN WHICH CAN BE

SINGULAR OR PLURAL Another, Anybody, Anyone, Anything, Each, Either, Enough, Everybody, Everyone, Everything, Less, Little, Much, Neither, Nobody, No-one, Nothing, One, Other, Somebody, Someone, Something

Both Few Fewer Many Others Several

All Any More Most None Some Such

DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUN

Distributive pronoun is a pronoun that describes members of a group separately and not collectively. It refers to person or thing. So this pronoun is always singular and we use it with singular noun and verb.

She has given ten notebooks each student.

Either of these has that information.

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Each of the articles is informative. (Don’t use ‘article’) Either of you can discuss this matter with the authority. Neither of the children can stand still for ten minutes. (Don’t use‘child’) Each of the students can participate in dance competition. Either of you is not perfect for this job. Neither of them could solve that algebraic sum. Each of you has to attend the extra class. Neither of the pen is useful. Any of them can attend the meeting. None of the committee members agreed to increase the building

maintenance. Neither of them supported him to dance in reality show. Every one of you is brilliant according to the principal. Each one of you will be permitted to attend the class. Every one, participated in drama, should recite their dialogues.

Distributive pronoun with plural noun and singular verb

RECIPROCAL PRONOUNS

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A reciprocal pronoun is used to express a mutual action or relationship. There are two reciprocal pronouns:

Each other – for 2 entities.

One another – for more than 2.

* The crayfish started eating one another.

* They gave each other presents.

“ “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best.” ― St. Jerome

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