Language Network

Pronouns

Pronouns

What is a Pronoun?
Heres the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply

Heres the Idea

Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that is

used in place of a noun or
another pronoun.

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A pronoun can refer to a person,

place, thing, or idea.

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The word that a pronoun refers

to is called its antecedent.
REFERS TO

Ramon visited Death Valley, and he

was impressed.

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Pronouns such as we, I, he,

them and it are called
personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns
have a variety of
forms to indicate
different persons,
numbers, and
cases.

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There are first-person,

second-person, and
third-person personal
pronouns, each having both
singular and plural forms.

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Singular
I went out.

Plural
We left early.

FIRST PERSON

FIRST PERSON

You left too.

You are leaving.

SECOND PERSON

He came by bus.
THIRD PERSON

SECOND PERSON

They came by car.

THIRD PERSON

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Each personal pronoun

forms three cases:
subject, object, and
possessive.

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Choose the pronoun form depending on

the pronouns function in the sentence.
He read about Death Valley.
SUBJECT

Julie asked him about the rocks.

OBJECT

Ramon bought his book.

POSSESSIVE

Why It Matters

Pronouns help you talk about people concisely

when youre telling a story.

Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.
1. DeathValleyisfamousforits
strangemovingboulders.

Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.
2. Therocksslideandleavelong
tracksbehindthem.

Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.
3. Doyouknowwhythishappens?

Pronouns

Pronoun Agreement
Heres the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply

Heres the Idea

Antecedent

The antecedent is the noun or

pronoun that a pronoun
replaces or refers to.

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Use a singular pronoun to refer to a

singular antecedent.

One story has its setting in Egypt.

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Use a plural pronoun to refer to a

plural antecedent.

The characters have their motives for murder.

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The pronoun must agree in person

with the antecedent.

Louis likes his mysteries to

have surprise endings.

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The gender of the pronoun must be the

same as the gender of its antecedent.

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Personal pronouns have three gender forms:

masculine he, his, him

feminine she, her, hers

neuter it, its

Why It Matters

In your writing, you will

sometimes refer to several
people or groups of people.
Correct pronoun-antecedent
agreement will help your
readers keep track of who is
who in your writing.

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Agatha Christie sets many of her

stories in England.

The hero has to use all his

wits to solve the crime.

Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in these sentences.
4. AgathaChristielovedreallife
mysteriesofthepast.Shehelpedto
investigatethemintheMiddleEast.

Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.
5. AgathaChristieandherhusband
wentonmanyarchaeologicaltrips
andfoundthemexciting.

Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.
6. Amysterywritermayuseexotic
placesandbackgroundsforhisor
herstories.

Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.
7. ChristiestartedMurderin
Mesopotamiainthedesert,butshe
finisheditinEngland.