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11.  Pronouns

Previous:   Adverbs

11.1   Definition
11.2   Types of Pronouns
   11.2.1   Personal Pronouns 

        11.2.1.1   A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing and changes its form to indicate person,
                        number, gender, and case

        11.2.1.2   When we are talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. However, there are a few
                        exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he / him or she / her, especially if the
                        animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as some
                        countries are often treated as female and referred to as she / her

   11.2.2   Possessive Pronouns

   11.2.3   Demonstrative Pronouns 

        11.2.3.1   A demonstrative pronoun points to and identifies a thing or things

        11.2.3.2   Note that the demonstrative pronouns are identical to demonstrative adjectives. Obviously,
                        one uses them differently. A demonstrative pronoun stands alone, while a demonstrative
                        adjective qualifies a noun.            

        11.2.3.3   It is also important to note that “that” can also be used as a relative pronoun

        11.2.3.4   Normally we use demonstrative pronouns for things only. But we can use them for people when
                        the person is identified.

        11.2.3.5   More examples of demonstrative pronouns

   11.2.4   Indefinite Pronouns  
        11.2.4.1   An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun referring to an identifiable but not specified person or
                        thing. An indefinite pronoun conveys the idea of all, any, none, or some.

        11.2.4.2   Note that some indefinite pronouns also function as indefinite adjectives / determiners (see also 
                        9.2.1.3)

        11.2.4.3   Most indefinite pronouns are either singular or plural. However, some of them can be singular in
                        one context and plural in another.

        11.2.4.4   Note that a singular indefinite pronoun must take a singular verb

        11.2.4.5   Examples of singular indefinite pronouns

        11.2.4.6   Notice that any personal pronoun should agree (in number and gender) with the indefinite
                        pronoun

        11.2.4.7   More examples of indefinite pronouns

   11.2.5   Relative Pronouns 

        11.2.5.1   A relative pronoun is used to link one phrase or clause to another phrase or clause in a sentence.
                        It is called a “relative” pronoun because it “relates” to the word or phrase that it modifies.

        11.2.5.2   2 types of clauses: defining (restrictive) relative clause and non-defining (non-restrictive) relative
                        clause. In both types of clauses the relative pronoun can function as a subject, an object, or a
                        possessive.

             11.2.5.2.1   Relative pronouns in defining clauses

             11.2.5.2.2   Relative pronouns in non-defining clauses

        11.2.5.3   Omissions of the relative pronoun

        11.2.5.4   Different uses of the relative pronoun with and without a comma in front of it

   11.2.6   Interrogative Pronouns 

        11.2.6.1   Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions

        11.2.6.2   Singular verb after Who and What

        11.2.6.3   Singular or plural verb after What + noun (s), depending on whether the noun is singular or
                        plural

   11.2.7   Reflexive Pronouns 

   11.2.8   Reciprocal Pronouns 

11.3   Pronouns and determiners

11.4   Pronoun Case
          Subjective case (they act as the subject)
          Objective case (they act as the object)
          Possessive case (they show possession of something else)

11.5  Some confusions of pronouns and pronoun cases
   11.5.1   Mary and I or Mary and me?
   11.5.2   In comparisons
   11.5.3   In formal and semi-formal writing
   11.5.4   Everybody, anybody, everyone, anyone, each, neither, either, neither of, either of, neither…nor,
                either…or, nobody, someone, a person,
etc.
   11.5.5   For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use “he” or “she  
   11.5.6   Should “none” take a singular or a plural verb?
   11.5.7   When referring to people, both “that” and “who” can be used

11.6   List of Pronouns (totaling 73)

Next:   Prepositions

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