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)