Short Notes on Pronouns

Nouns serve a crucial function in our sentences. They take on the roles of both subjects and objects, which is vital. However, there are times when a noun requires a break or when a word does not quite match a sentence. Pronouns are shorter and more adaptable than nouns, and they can perform all of the same roles. Using pronouns, we can say things like “I am proud of myself” or “It is time to seek assistance”. Because pronouns are crucial in communication, knowing how to use them effectively will significantly improve your speaking and writing.

What is a pronoun? 

A pronoun is a word or phrase that replaces the pronoun’s antecedent, which is a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are short words that perform all of the functions of nouns and are used in sentences. Common pronouns include he, she, you, me, I, we, etc. A pronoun can take the place of any person, place, animal, or thing. We’d have to repeat nouns all the time if we didn’t have pronouns, which could make our speech and writing repetitive or burdensome. Barbara has a cup of coffee every afternoon, without pronouns, and prefers to have it before supper. Barbara enjoys a cup of coffee every afternoon, and she likes to have it before dinner. The use of pronouns improves the flow of sentences and adds interest to them.

Examples of pronouns

The examples below demonstrate how we utilise pronouns in sentences:

• We went to Britney’s house to look for her, but she wasn’t there.
• I went to the mechanic to have my automobile fixed.
• This is the most fantastic birthday I’ve ever had!
• Someone made a $500 donation to our charity.
• Andy believes that mayonnaise complements any dish.

Types of pronouns

Pronouns come in various forms that we employ in writing and speech. There are many different types of pronouns, including:

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns aren’t particular to a person, place, or thing. A collection of indefinite pronouns in English are produced with a quantifier and distributive preceded by any, some, every, and no.

Example: 

Is there anyone up for a cup of coffee?

Take whatever you want. Ben took one cookie as Jamie took the other.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns include pronouns that are primarily linked with one of three grammatical persons: first, second, or third. Number, grammatical or natural gender, case, and formality influence the appearance of personal pronouns.

Example: 

Jack and David are buddies. They are both basketball players.

I am wealthier than he.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Pronouns that point to specific things are known as demonstrative pronouns. They are stand-ins for a noun, noun phrase, activity, or circumstance. They always include this, these, that, and those, and occasionally none, neither, and so forth.

The following sentences provide examples of demonstrative pronouns in bold to enable easy identification.

Example:

These are lovely, but those belong to Riya.

Are you able to see that? 

Possessive Pronouns 

Possessive pronouns appear to perform precisely as they should. In a sentence, they, like all pronouns, substitute nouns. Possessive pronouns are used to show that a noun is owned or possessed. These are, therefore, distinct from possessive adjectives.

Example:

This handbag is mine.

Relative Pronouns 

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that indicates that a clause is relative. Its function is to combine altering information about an antecedent referent. 

The instances of relative pronouns in the following sentences are in bold for easy recognition.

Example:

The car that crashed into the wall was black. 

This is the man whose key you found.

Interrogative Pronouns 

A function word being used to pose a question, including what, which, when, where, who, whom, whose, why, whether, and how, is known as an interrogative pronoun. They’re sometimes referred to as wh-words because they all begin with the letter wh in English. They can be used to ask both direct and indirect queries.

The instances of interrogative pronouns in the following sentences are highlighted for easy identification.

Example:

Who will come to the wedding? 

What do you want? 

Reciprocal Pronouns

A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun that conveys a relationship between two people. In other words, reciprocal pronouns describe a circumstance in which someone or something performs an action on others and is rewarded with the same activity.

Example:

The couple loves one another unconditionally.

Intensive Pronouns 

A reflexive pronoun is nearly identical to an intense pronoun. It’s a self or selves-ending pronoun that emphasises its antecedent by linking to a noun or pronoun used earlier in the sentence. Intensive pronouns were frequently referred to as emphatic pronouns because of this.

For easy identification, intensive pronoun examples are highlighted in bold in the following statements.

Example:

I love myself.

Conclusion

Personal pronouns are a type of pronoun used to identify people, animals, and objects that are being discussed. In other words, it is used to replace a noun or a noun phrase that is written or spoken form that frequently refers to a person or thing. Some forms of pronouns can be used to terminate a statement. On the other hand, interrogative or relative pronouns are usually put first. One must be thorough with the rules and uses of different pronouns to avoid committing an error in spoken or written communication.