What is a Pronoun? Types of Pronouns Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Quick Tips Exercises
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he she they mine who myself this whom ours it
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Topic 3 · English Grammar

Pronouns

The handy little words that stand in for nouns — making your sentences smooth and smart!

🗣️ ✍️ 💡 🌟 📚
💡 What is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun. It helps us avoid repeating the same noun again and again in a sentence or paragraph.

The noun that a pronoun replaces is called its antecedent.

Example
Riya loves reading. She reads every day.
Here, "She" is a pronoun. Its antecedent is "Riya".
🤔 Why Do We Use Pronouns?

Imagine a world without pronouns — every sentence would sound clumsy and repetitive! Look at the difference:

❌ Without Pronouns

Aman went to Aman's school. Aman met Aman's friend Priya. Priya gave Aman Priya's notebook. Aman thanked Priya.

✅ With Pronouns

Aman went to his school. He met his friend Priya. She gave him her notebook. He thanked her.

🤩 Fun Fact: The word "pronoun" comes from the Latin pro (meaning "for" or "in place of") + nomen (meaning "name/noun"). So pronoun = for a noun!
📚 Types of Pronouns

There are six main types of pronouns you need to know. Let us explore each one with plenty of examples!

🧑 1. Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things. They change form depending on whether they are the subject (doing the action) or the object (receiving the action) of a sentence.

Person Subject Pronoun Object Pronoun Example (Subject) Example (Object)
1st SingularImeI like music.She called me.
2nd Singular/PluralyouyouYou are kind.I trust you.
3rd Singular (M)hehimHe runs fast.We saw him.
3rd Singular (F)sheherShe sings well.I helped her.
3rd Singular (N)ititIt is raining.I found it.
1st PluralweusWe won!Join us.
3rd PluraltheythemThey left early.I thanked them.
💡 Quick Tip: Subject pronouns do the action (I, he, she, we, they). Object pronouns receive the action (me, him, her, us, them). Ask: "Who is doing?" = subject. "To whom / for whom?" = object.
More Examples
1. I gave the book to her.
2. They invited us to the party.
3. Can you help him with the homework?
4. We watched the movie. It was amazing!
5. She thanked them for the gift.
6. The teacher praised me for my answer.

💎 2. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns show ownership or belonging. They stand alone — they do not come before a noun.

Person Possessive Adjective
(before a noun)		 Possessive Pronoun
(stands alone)		 Example
1st SingularmymineThis book is mine.
2nd Singular/PluralyouryoursIs this pen yours?
3rd Singular (M)hishisThe jacket is his.
3rd Singular (F)herhersThe victory is hers.
3rd Singular (N)itsitsThe dog wagged its tail.
1st PluralouroursThis classroom is ours.
3rd PluraltheirtheirsThose seats are theirs.
⚠️ Important: Do not confuse its (possessive) with it's (short for "it is" or "it has"). Possessive pronouns never have an apostrophe!
Examples — Possessive Adjective vs. Possessive Pronoun
1. My bag is red. → The red bag is mine.
2. Your answer is correct. → The correct answer is yours.
3. Their house is big. → The big house is theirs.
4. Her painting won. → The winning painting is hers.
5. Our team scored first. → The first goal was ours.
6. His idea was brilliant. → The brilliant idea was his.

💪 3. Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person. They end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).

Singular

  • myself — I taught myself to cook.
  • yourself — Did you hurt yourself?
  • himself — He blamed himself.
  • herself — She prepared herself.
  • itself — The cat cleaned itself.

Plural

  • ourselves — We enjoyed ourselves.
  • yourselves — Help yourselves to snacks.
  • themselves — They introduced themselves.
💡 Memory Trick: If the doer = receiver, use a reflexive pronoun. Think of it as a mirror — the action bounces back to the same person!
More Examples
1. She looked at herself in the mirror.
2. I promised myself I would study harder.
3. The children dressed themselves for school.
4. He accidentally cut himself while chopping vegetables.
5. We need to believe in ourselves.
6. The computer shut down by itself.
📝 Note: Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis (called emphatic pronouns):
• I myself saw the accident.   • The principal herself congratulated us.

👉 4. Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things. They tell us whether something is near or far, and whether it is singular or plural.

Near Far
Singularthisthat
Pluralthesethose
Examples
1. This is my favourite book. (near, singular)
2. That was an excellent movie. (far, singular)
3. These are fresh mangoes. (near, plural)
4. Those were the happiest days of my life. (far, plural)
5. This is better than that.
6. Are these your shoes or those?
⚠️ Careful! When this, that, these, those come before a noun, they act as demonstrative adjectives, not pronouns.
• This book is mine. (adjective — modifies "book")
• This is mine. (pronoun — replaces the noun)

❓ 5. Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. They stand in for the unknown noun we are asking about.

The Five Interrogative Pronouns

  • who — asks about people (subject)
  • whom — asks about people (object)
  • whose — asks about ownership
  • which — asks about a choice among options
  • what — asks about things or information
Examples
1. Who is your best friend?
2. Whom did you invite to the party?
3. Whose is this water bottle?
4. Which is your seat?
5. What is your favourite subject?
6. Who won the race?
7. To whom should I address this letter?
8. What happened at the assembly today?
💡 Who vs. Whom: Use who for the subject (the one doing the action) and whom for the object (the one receiving the action).
• Who called you? (Who = subject)
• Whom did you call? (Whom = object)

🔗 6. Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect a clause to a noun or pronoun. They introduce relative clauses that give extra information about a noun in the main sentence.

Relative Pronoun Used For Example
whoPeople (subject)The girl who won is my sister.
whomPeople (object)The teacher whom we met was kind.
whosePossession (people/things)The boy whose bag was lost is crying.
whichThings / AnimalsThe book which I read was thrilling.
thatPeople / Things (informal)The song that she sang was beautiful.
More Examples
1. The student who studies hard will succeed.
2. I met the author whom you recommended.
3. This is the house whose roof was damaged.
4. The cake which Mum baked was delicious.
5. The dress that she wore was stunning.
6. The dog which was barking belongs to my neighbour.
📝 Remember: That can replace who or which in most cases but is mainly used in defining (restrictive) clauses — clauses that are essential to the meaning of the sentence.
⚖️ Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in three ways:

1. Number

Singular noun = singular pronoun
Plural noun = plural pronoun

  • ✅ The boy lost his pen.
  • ✅ The boys lost their pens.
  • ❌ The boy lost their pen.

2. Gender

Masculine = he/him/his
Feminine = she/her/hers
Neutral = it/its

  • ✅ Priya completed her project.
  • ✅ Rohan completed his project.
  • ❌ Priya completed his project.

3. Person

1st person (I/we), 2nd person (you), 3rd person (he/she/they) must match.

  • ✅ I finished my homework.
  • ✅ You should bring your books.
  • ❌ I finished your homework.
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong

  • Every student must bring their book.
  • Neither Aman nor Raj did their work.
  • Someone left their umbrella.

✅ Correct

  • Every student must bring his or her book.
  • Neither Aman nor Raj did his work.
  • Someone left his or her umbrella.
📝 Note: Words like everyone, someone, anybody, each, every, neither, either are singular and take singular pronouns (he, she, his, her — not they/their).
🌟 Quick Tips & Memory Tricks
🧠 Tip 1 — The "Mirror Test" for Reflexive Pronouns:
If the subject can see itself in a mirror doing the action, use a reflexive pronoun.
• "She hurt herself." ✅ (She sees herself — same person)
• "She hurt her." ✅ (She hurt a different person)
🧠 Tip 2 — "He did it" Test for Who/Whom:
Rephrase the question as a statement. If you can say "he/she", use who. If you can say "him/her", use whom.
• Who/Whom wrote this? → He wrote this. → Use who.
• Who/Whom did you help? → You helped him. → Use whom.
🧠 Tip 3 — "Its" vs. "It's":
• its = possessive (belonging to it) — "The bird spread its wings."
• it's = it is / it has — "It's raining outside."
If you can replace it with "it is," use the apostrophe. Otherwise, don't!
🧠 Tip 4 — Subject or Object?
Remove the other person from the sentence and see which sounds right:
• "Me and Priya went to the park." → "Me went to the park." ❌
• "Priya and I went to the park." → "I went to the park." ✅
🤩 Memory Rhyme:
"A pronoun takes the noun's own place,
To keep your writing full of grace.
He, she, it, they, who, and me —
Learn them well and you'll be free!"
🧠 Tip 5 — Relative Pronoun Shortcut:
• Who / Whom → people
• Which → animals / things
• That → people / animals / things (universal!)
• Whose → possession (people and things)
✏️ Exercises

🎯 Exercise A: Identify the Pronoun and Its Type

Underline the pronoun in each sentence and write its type (Personal, Possessive, Reflexive, Demonstrative, Interrogative, or Relative).

  1. She is the best dancer in our school.
  2. Is this pen yours?
  3. The children enjoyed themselves at the picnic.
  4. Those are ripe mangoes.
  5. Who is knocking at the door?
  6. The book which you lent me was wonderful.
  7. Rahul hurt himself while playing cricket.
  8. The blue bag is mine.
  9. Whom did you meet at the station?
  10. The teacher who teaches us science is very patient.
📚 Solutions for Exercise A: Identify the Pronoun and Its Type
  1. She — Personal Pronoun (subject form, 3rd person singular feminine). It replaces the name of a girl/woman.
  2. yours — Possessive Pronoun. It shows ownership and stands alone (not before a noun).
  3. themselves — Reflexive Pronoun. The subject "children" and the object are the same, so we use the reflexive form.
  4. Those — Demonstrative Pronoun. It points to specific things (far, plural). It stands alone, not before a noun.
  5. Who — Interrogative Pronoun. It is used to ask a question about a person.
  6. which — Relative Pronoun. It connects the clause "you lent me" to the noun "book" and gives extra information.
  7. himself — Reflexive Pronoun. Rahul (subject) and the person hurt (object) are the same.
  8. mine — Possessive Pronoun. It shows ownership and replaces "my bag."
  9. Whom — Interrogative Pronoun. It is the object form of "who" used in a question (You met whom?).
  10. who — Relative Pronoun. It introduces the relative clause "who teaches us science" and refers to the noun "teacher."

✍️ Exercise B: Fill in the Correct Pronoun

Fill in the blanks with a suitable pronoun from the options given.

  1. Neha forgot to bring ________ (her / she) homework.
  2. The students completed the project by ________ (themselves / them).
  3. ________ (This / These) is the tallest building in the city.
  4. ________ (Who / Whom) do you admire the most?
  5. The prize is ________ (our / ours).
  6. ________ (He / Him) and I went to the library together.
  7. The dog wagged ________ (it's / its) tail happily.
  8. Is there anyone ________ (who / which) can solve this puzzle?
  9. We must learn to respect ________ (ourselves / us).
  10. ________ (Whose / Who's) notebook is lying on the floor?
✍️ Solutions for Exercise B: Fill in the Correct Pronoun
  1. her — We need a possessive adjective before the noun "homework." "She" is a subject pronoun and cannot modify a noun.
  2. themselves — The subject "students" and the object are the same, so we need the reflexive form. "Them" is a simple object pronoun.
  3. This — "Building" is singular, so we use the singular demonstrative "this" (not "these" which is plural).
  4. Whom — The pronoun is the object of "admire" (you admire whom), so we use the object form "whom."
  5. ours — The pronoun stands alone (no noun after it), so we need the possessive pronoun "ours," not the possessive adjective "our."
  6. He — The pronoun is part of the subject ("He and I"), so we need the subject form "He," not the object form "Him."
  7. its — We need the possessive form "its" (belonging to the dog). "It's" means "it is" or "it has," which does not fit here.
  8. who — We are referring to a person ("anyone"), so we use "who." "Which" is used for things and animals.
  9. ourselves — The subject is "we" and the object refers back to the same people, so we need the reflexive form "ourselves."
  10. Whose — We are asking about ownership (who does the notebook belong to?). "Who's" means "who is" or "who has."

🔄 Exercise C: Replace Nouns with Pronouns

Rewrite each sentence by replacing the underlined noun(s) with suitable pronouns.

  1. Ravi gave Ravi's notebook to the teacher.
  2. Meena and Sita are going to Meena and Sita's grandmother's house.
  3. The cat licked the cat's paws.
  4. Mr Sharma told the students to open the students' textbooks.
  5. Anika bought a gift for Anika's mother.
  6. The children were proud of the children for winning the match.
  7. My brother and I cleaned my brother's and my room.
  8. The book was on the shelf. The book was very interesting.
🔄 Solutions for Exercise C: Replace Nouns with Pronouns
  1. He gave his notebook to her.
    Explanation: "Ravi" (subject) becomes "He"; "Ravi's" (possessive) becomes "his"; "the teacher" (object) becomes "her" (assuming a female teacher) or "him" (male).
  2. They are going to their grandmother's house.
    Explanation: "Meena and Sita" (subject, plural) becomes "They"; "Meena and Sita's" (possessive) becomes "their."
  3. The cat licked its paws.
    Explanation: "The cat's" (possessive, animal) becomes "its." We keep "The cat" as subject for clarity.
  4. He told them to open their textbooks.
    Explanation: "Mr Sharma" (subject) becomes "He"; "the students" (object) becomes "them"; "the students'" (possessive) becomes "their."
  5. She bought a gift for her mother.
    Explanation: "Anika" (subject) becomes "She"; "Anika's" (possessive) becomes "her."
  6. The children were proud of themselves for winning the match.
    Explanation: Since the subject and the object are the same people, we use the reflexive pronoun "themselves."
  7. My brother and I cleaned our room.
    Explanation: "My brother's and my" (joint possession) becomes "our."
  8. The book was on the shelf. It was very interesting.
    Explanation: The second "The book" is replaced by "It" to avoid repetition.

🔧 Exercise D: Correct the Errors

Each sentence below has a pronoun error. Find and correct it.

  1. Each of the girls brought their lunch box.
  2. Him and me went to the market.
  3. The dog hurt hisself while jumping.
  4. Who's book is this on the table?
  5. The students which won the quiz were happy.
  6. Everyone should do their best in the exam.
  7. Her and Priya are best friends.
  8. The cat drank it's milk quietly.
🔧 Solutions for Exercise D: Correct the Errors
  1. Corrected: Each of the girls brought her lunch box.
    Explanation: "Each" is singular and refers to individual girls, so it takes the singular feminine pronoun "her," not the plural "their."
  2. Corrected: He and I went to the market.
    Explanation: "Him" and "me" are object pronouns, but here they are the subject of the sentence. Use subject pronouns: "He and I."
  3. Corrected: The dog hurt itself while jumping.
    Explanation: "Hisself" is not a real word. Since the dog is an animal (gender-neutral), we use "itself." (If referring to a male pet with a name, "himself" is also acceptable.)
  4. Corrected: Whose book is this on the table?
    Explanation: "Who's" means "who is." We need the possessive interrogative pronoun "Whose" to ask about ownership.
  5. Corrected: The students who won the quiz were happy.
    Explanation: "Which" is used for things and animals. For people, we must use "who."
  6. Corrected: Everyone should do his or her best in the exam.
    Explanation: "Everyone" is singular, so it takes a singular pronoun "his or her," not the plural "their."
  7. Corrected: She and Priya are best friends.
    Explanation: "Her" is an object pronoun. Since the pronoun is part of the subject, we need "She" (subject form).
  8. Corrected: The cat drank its milk quietly.
    Explanation: "It's" means "it is." We need the possessive form "its" (no apostrophe) to show that the milk belongs to the cat.
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Fantastic Work!

You have mastered Pronouns! Remember — every time you say "he," "she," "they," or "it," you are using a pronoun. Keep practising and your grammar will shine!

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