#8. PRONOUNS
Pronouns
In
grammar, a pronoun is defined as a word or phrase that may be substituted for a noun or noun phrase, which once replaced, is known as the
pronoun’s antecedent. How is this possible? In a nutshell, it’s because
pronouns can do everything that nouns can do. A pronoun can act as a subject,
direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, and more.
A pronoun is
used in place of a noun or nouns. Common pronouns include he, her, him, I, it, me, she, them,
they, us, and we. Here are some examples:
INSTEAD OF: Luma
is a good athlete.
She is a good
athlete. (The pronoun she replaces Luma.)
INSTEAD OF: The
beans and tomatoes are fresh-picked.
They are
fresh-picked. (The pronoun they replaces the beans and tomatoes.)
Often a pronoun
takes the place of a particular noun. This noun is known as the antecedent. A
pronoun "refers to," or directs your thoughts toward, its antecedent.
Let's call Luma and ask her to join the team. (Her is a pronoun;Luma is its antecedent.)
To find a
pronoun's antecedent, ask yourself what that pronoun refers to. What does herrefer to in the sentence
above—that is, who is the her? The her in the sentence is Luma; therefore, Luma is the antecedent.
Subjective
Pronouns
A subjective
pronoun acts as the subject of a sentence—it performs the action of the verb.
The subjective pronouns are he,
I, it, she, they, we, andyou.
He spends ages
looking out the window.
After lunch, she and I went to the planetarium.
Objective
Pronouns
An objective
pronoun acts as the object of a sentence—it receives the action of the verb.
The objective pronouns are her,
him, it, me, them, us, and you.
Cousin Eldred
gave me a trombone.
Take a picture
of him, not us!
Possessive
Pronouns
A possessive
pronoun tells you who owns something. The possessive pronouns are hers, his, its, mine, ours, theirs, and yours.
The red basket
is mine.
Yours is on the coffee
table.
Demonstrative
Pronouns
A demonstrative
pronoun points out a noun. The demonstrative pronouns are that, these, this, and those.
That is a good idea.
These are hilarious
cartoons.
A demonstrative
pronoun may look like a demonstrative adjective, but it is used differently in
a sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a noun.
Interrogative
Pronouns
An interrogative
pronoun is used in a question. It helps to ask about something. The
interrogative pronouns are what,
which, who, whom, and
compound words ending in "ever," such as whatever, whichever, whoever, and whomever.
What on earth is
that?
Who ate the last Fig
Newton?
An interrogative
pronoun may look like an interrogative adjective, but it is used differently in
a sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a noun.
Indefinite
Pronouns
An indefinite
pronoun refers to an indefinite, or general, person or thing. Indefinite
pronouns include all, any,
both, each, everyone, few, many, neither, none, nothing, several, some, andsomebody.
Something smells good.
Many like salsa with
their chips.
An indefinite
pronoun may look like an indefinite adjective, but it is used differently in a
sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a noun.
Relative
Pronouns
A relative
pronoun introduces a clause, or part of a sentence, that describes a noun. The
relative pronouns are that,
which, who, and whom.
You should bring
the book that you love most.
That introduces
"you love most," which describes the book.
Hector is a
photographer who does great work.
Who introduces
"does great work," which describes Hector.
Reflexive
Pronouns
A reflexive
pronoun refers back to the subject of a sentence. The reflexive pronouns areherself,
himself, itself, myself, ourselves, themselves, and yourselves. Each of these words can also act as an
intensive pronoun (see below).
I learned a lot
about myself at summer camp. (Myself refers back toI.)
They should
divide the berries among themselves. (Themselvesrefers back to they.)
Intensive
Pronouns
An intensive
pronoun emphasizes its antecedent (the noun that comes before it). The
intensive pronouns are herself,
himself, itself, myself, ourselves, themselves, and yourselves.Each
of these words can also act as a reflective pronoun (see above).
I myself don't like eggs.
The queen herself visited our class.
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