A good guide to pronoun to understand easily

pronoun_ guide

1. Pronouns

2. Parts of Speech Nouns Pronouns Verb Adverbs Adjectives Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections

3. Pronouns A Pronoun is a word which is used in place of a proper noun or common noun. Generally, a pronoun takes the place of a particular noun. A pronoun helps us avoid unnecessary repetition in our writing and speech. In other words, words that can be used instead of a noun are called pronouns. The word “ pronoun ” means “ for a noun ” For (e.g.). Sheela is my friend. She studies regularly. Anand loves to study. He is good at swimming The word ‘he’ takes the place of Anand and is called Pronoun .

4. Pronouns are of different kinds: Personal pronouns. Possessive pronouns. Demonstrative pronouns. Interrogative pronouns. Reflexive pronouns. Emphasising pronouns Indefinite pronouns Distributive pronouns Relative pronouns.

5. Personal Pronouns Pronouns that stand in place of people or things are called personal pronouns. We use personal pronouns depending upon— Number --- singular or plural. For (e.g.) The Children went to a party . They enjoyed it . Gender --- male, female or neuter. For (e.g.) Mahanya is in the pool. She loves swimming. Abijith is a good boy. He always obeys his parents.

6. Case---subject or object. Personal pronouns that come in place of the subject in a sentence are called subject pronouns . For (e.g.) Gaurav is a good student. He is also good in sports . Personal pronouns that come in a place of the object in a sentence are called object pronouns. For (e.g.) Jayant gave me the book.

7. Person--- First person, second person or third person. Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Possessive Pronouns First person singular I Me Mine Second person singular You You Yours Third person singular He She It Him Her It His Hers Its First person plural we us ours Second person plural you you Yours Third person plural they them theirs

8. Personal pronoun of the first person stands for the person(s)speaking. (I, we, me, us) . For (e.g.): This car belongs to us. I won the award. The problem is between Dinesh and me. We shall stand by the truth. Personal pronoun of the second person stands for the person(s)spoken to. (You) For (e.g.) Why are you crying?

9. Personal pronouns of the third person stands for the person(s)spoken of. (He, she, it, they, them, him, her) For (e.g.) I heard him telling them about the movie. He agreed to look after the baby. The headmistress likes her a lot. She asked me to review it by this evening. They went to the museum. It is an endangered species now. They were planning to hide it under the bed. Personal pronouns for people: I, you, he, she, we, they, me. You, him, her, us, them. Personal pronouns for things or animals : It, they, them

10. Possessive Pronouns Pronouns that show possession or ownership. For (e.g.) Your picture is more beautiful than mine. This book is yours Those books are theirs. The highlighted pronouns show possession or belonging.

11. Choose the correct pronouns from the brackets: You and __________must return on time. (me/I). This book is ________________. (mine/me). Do ______________ need a table for three? (you/he) Nobody but _______________ can help us in this matter. (she/her) You, he and ___________ are friends. (me/I)

12. Demonstrative pronouns Pronouns that are used to point out the objects which they refer to. Used to point to nouns. This, That , These and Those are demonstrative pronouns. For (e.g.) This is a nice surprise. That will run for an hour. Those are ripe mangoes.

13. Fill in the blanks with suitable Demonstrative Pronouns: Both the toys are nice; but this one is better than _____________. _______________ is a gift from a friend. ___________ is my bag and ____________ is her suitcase

14. Interrogative Pronouns Pronouns that are used to ask questions Pronouns like what , who, and which are used to ask questions. For (e.g.) Who wants a chocolate? Which of the two girls came first? What is used for asking questions about things. For (e.g.) What is your name? Which is used to ask about particular things or people. For (e.g.) Which is your camera?

15. Who, whom and whose are used to ask about people. For (e.g.) Who are you? For whom will you vote? Whose is this book?

16. Fill in the blanks with correct interrogative pronouns _________________ of these pens is yours?(which/what/ whose) ______________is your plan for the day? (which/ what/ when). ______________has drawn this? (who/ what/which).

17. Reflexive Pronouns When the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing. For (e.g.): He hurt himself. I enjoyed myself. They learnt themselves. The highlighted pronouns are reflexive pronouns

18. Note : A reflexive pronoun can never be the subject of a sentence For (e.g.) My sister and myself went to Mumbai. ( incorrect) . My sister and I went to Mumbai (correct). These pronouns are formed by the addition of the suffix –self(singular) or –selves(plural) to simple pronouns such as my, your, her, him, it, them, and our.

19. Emphasising Pronouns Pronouns that are used for emphasis For (e.g.) I myself should do this. My father himself made this toolbox. I himself should finish the work.

20. Reflexive and Emphasising Pronouns Reflexive and Emphasising pronouns may be identical in form but their functions are different. A pronoun is reflexive if the action of the subject reflects upon the doer(subject). Emphatic pronouns, on the other hand, are used to emphasise the action of the subject . For (e.g.) He cut himself . (reflexive) .Here the subject and the object refer to the same person. He himself cut the cake.(emphatic)Here the emphatic pronoun himself merely puts emphasis on the pronoun he.

21. Identify the highlighted pronouns are Reflexive or Emphatic : She herself told me this. I myself believe so. The children hurt themselves accidentally.

22. Indefinite Pronouns Pronouns that refer to some person or thing in a general way and do not refer to any person in particular. For (e.g.) Somebody has left the door open. One hardly knows what is right. Nobody was around at that time. Few escaped the wrath of the flood.

23. Note : The other indefinite pronouns are--- All, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody, someone. The indefinite pronoun one, if used in a sentence should be used throughout. For (e.g.) One must never abandon one’ s duties..

24. Distributive Pronouns Pronouns that refer to nouns one at a time. Distributive pronouns are always in the singular and take singular verbs. The pronouns each, either and neither refer to persons or things one at a time. For (e.g.) Each of us must contribute generously. Either of you can take down the notes. Neither of them attended the ceremony. Either of the two students may be sent to the competition.

25. Note : Either and neither can be used only when speaking about two persons or things. Either means one or the other of two. Neither means not one nor the other of two.

26. Fill in the blanks with suitable pronouns from the clues given below: __________________just knocked on the door. __________________of you is right. Thankfully, _____________got away in time. (everybody, someone, each, one, anybody)

27. Relative Pronouns Relative pronouns relate a noun to a group of words that follow. Who, Whom, Whose, Which, and that are relative pronouns which join tow sentences and refer back to the nouns going before them. For (e.g.) The man who you were talking to is my teacher. Here, the pronoun who relates the noun man to the group of words that follow the noun.

28. Note : Sometimes the relative pronoun is omitted. For (e.g.) This is the house I built last year. I am the monarch of all I survey. We can often leave out the relative pronoun in some cases. For (e.g.) This is the knife with which I cut the cake. This is the knife I cut the cake with. In the second sentence, which is omitted and the position of with changes.

29. Note: As the relative pronouns refers to a noun or a pronoun, it must be of the same number and person. It is the verb that will show the number and person of the relative pronoun. For (e.g.) The vegetables which grow in our garden are not for sale. It is the guard who is to blame.

30. Fill in the blanks with Relative pronouns He is the surgeon _________________operated on me. This the book __________________ I bought yesterday. The lady __________________you met at my house is my aunt.