Dr.

Fountain’s Lecture Notes

Copyright © 2009
For Educational Use Only

Pronouns Outline
• (Definition) A pronoun is a word that takes the place of one or more nouns

• (Definition) The word or words that the pronoun refers to is known as the antecedent

o Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

 If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must be singular

 If the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural

o In some case, the pronoun’s antecedent may be unknown.

(G.U.M. Connection) Use of pronouns in sentence structure helps to reduce some of the
dullness or monotony.

There are several types of pronouns to include:

1. Personal pronouns – are used to replace a specific noun; renames the person
speaking (1 person) or person being spoken to (2nd person)
st

a. First Person-

i. Singular-I, me

ii. Plural- We, us

b. Second Person-

i. Singular-you

ii. Plural-you

c. Third Person-

i. Singular-he, him, she, her, it

ii. Plural-they them

2. Reflexive Pronouns- refers to or reflects back to the subject of the sentence

a. Singular- myself, herself, himself, itself

b. Plural-ourselves, yourselves, themselves

 Dr. Fountain’s Lecture Notes
Copyright © 2009
For Educational Use Only

c. DO NOT USE hisself , theirself, or thierselves; they are not words

3. Relative Pronouns – used to begin a dependent clause (remember: of words that

cannot stand alone as a sentence)

a. Examples: who, whom, whomever, which, that, whose, whatever, whichever

4. Possessive Pronouns-takes the place of a possessive form of a noun

a. First Person-

i. Singular –my, mine

ii. Plural-our, ours

b. Second Person-

i. Singular-you, yours

ii. Plural-your, yours

c. Third Person-

i. Singular-his, her, hers, its

ii. Plural-their, theirs

5. Subject Pronouns – used in the subject of the sentence and after the linking verb
(connect the subject and the verb; example: is, are, am)

6. Demonstrative Pronouns- points out specific, persons, places, or things

a. Examples: this, that, these, and those

7. Interrogative Pronouns- these pronouns are used to ask questions; they usually
appear at the beginning of the sentence

a. Examples:

8. Indefinite Pronouns – used to refer to general nouns (think about

generalizations; these pronouns refer to all in a sense)

a. Common examples:

All another nobody several few

each many none some anybody
 Dr. Fountain’s Lecture Notes
Copyright © 2009
For Educational Use Only

everybody nothing much someone

somebody anyone everything anything
other

9. Object Pronouns- used after an action verb or a preposition (a word that relates a
noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence; examples: before, after, between,
beneath, with, etc.)

a. Example: me