9 types of Pronouns with examples

What are Pronouns?

Definition: Pronouns are words that replace nouns in sentences. Instead of repeating a noun, like a person's name, over and over, we use pronouns to make our sentences less repetitive and smoother. Common pronouns include 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' 'they,' 'we,' and 'I.'

For instance, instead of saying, "Sarah went to the store, and Sarah bought apples," we can say, "Sarah went to the store, and she bought apples." Pronouns help us speak and write more efficiently and sound less repetitive.

Note: It is important to note that because pronouns replace nouns, they are used the same way the nouns are used in a sentence. You would use them as subjects or objects in a sentence.

Before we move forward, following is a graphics showing relationship between nouns, pronouns and adjectives.

Let's consider the following examples:

1. Sam is a good singer. He is good with drums.

Here, in the second sentence we have replaced the noun, Sam, with the pronoun, he.

2. John and Paul are going for a picnic tomorrow. They will leave early in the morning.

In this sentence, we have replaced the nouns John and Paul with the pronoun they.

Types Of Pronouns:

1. Personal Pronouns:

Personal pronoun replaces a particular person, thing or group. There are two types of personal pronouns:

1.1 Subject Pronouns:

Subject pronoun pronouns can only be used as the subject of the verb, in a sentence. Subject pronouns perform the action in the sentence. The following are some examples of subject pronouns:

I will eat pizza today.
You are very friendly.
He helps the poor.
She is a singer.
It is hot today.
We went to the market.
They will meet their friends.

1.2 Object Pronouns:

When a pronoun is used as the object of a verb in the sentence, it is called object pronoun. Object pronoun receives the action. The following are some examples of object pronouns.

I am going to buy a gift for them.
I saw him yesterday.
I will meet you tomorrow.
She gave us some sweets.
He does not like me.
I will call her tomorrow.
You should eat it.

	Subject Pronoun	Object Pronoun
1st person singular	I	Me
1st person plural	We	Us
2nd person	You	You
3rd person singular (male)	He	Him
3rd person singular (female)	She	Her
3rd person (thing)	It	It
3rd person plural	They	Them

2. Possessive Pronouns:

Possessive pronoun tells us about close relationship, possession, or ownership of a thing / person to another thing / person. The following are some examples of possessive pronouns.

This pen is mine.
That key is hers.
This dog is yours.
Ours is a better choice.
These clothes are theirs.

3. Reflexive Pronouns:

Reflexive pronouns always act as an object, not subject. They require an interaction between the subject and the object. The following are some examples of reflexive pronouns.

She looked herself in the mirror.
I did it myself.
He injured himself.
We will do it ourselves.
You should buy yourself a new car.

Possessive Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
mine	myself
yours	yourself
his	himself
hers	herself
ours	ourselves
theirs	themselves

4. Relative Pronouns:

Relative pronoun is a pronoun which joins relative clause and relative sentences. The following are some examples of relative pronouns.

This is the girl who got the first prize.
We had pizza, which is my favourite food.
The boy who is playing polo is my best friend.
This is Lily, whom you met at our party.
I have a friend whose house is very big.

5. Demonstrative Pronouns:

Demonstrative pronoun is a pronoun that points to a place, person or thing. The following are some examples of demonstrative pronouns.

This is light.
That is old.
These are very tasty.
Those are mine.

6. Interrogative Pronouns:

These pronouns are found in questions. Interrogative pronouns often begin interrogative sentences. The following are some examples of interrogative pronouns.

Who stole the book?
Whose is this coat?
What do you want?
Whom did you meet?

7. Indefinite Pronouns:

These pronouns do not refer to a specific person, place, or things. The following are some examples of indefinite pronouns.

All were late to the school.
Anyone can do this work.
Somebody ate my crisp.
Many have gone already.
All have reached.

Note: An indefinite pronoun refers to a non-specific person or thing, but an indefinite adjective modifies nouns or pronouns.

Indefinite Pronouns List:

all
anyone
everyone
everybody
nobody
many
somebody
few
most
some
anything

8. Reciprocal Pronouns:

These pronouns are used when two or more than two people or things are doing and feeling the same action. The following are some examples of reciprocal pronouns.

Max and his brother respect each other.
They are helping one another.
Peter and Nimmy were talking to each other.

9. Intensive Pronouns:

Intensive pronouns, like "himself" or "themselves," are used to add emphasis or intensify the subject in a sentence. They serve the purpose of highlighting or drawing attention to a specific person or thing in the sentence. You should use intensive pronouns when you want to stress the self-action or the self-involvement of the subject.

Common places to use them include when emphasizing personal achievements (e.g., "She built the entire website herself") or to make it clear that the subject is solely responsible for an action (e.g., "They solved the puzzle by themselves"). These pronouns contribute to precision in communication and ensure that the intended message is effectively conveyed.

The following are some examples of intensive pronouns:

I myself did this work.
She made this cake herself.
They made these drawings themselves.
I heard the noise myself.

Intensive Pronouns List:

myself
herself
themselves
himself
yourself
ourselves

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