Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns are used to replace nouns in a sentence. See also:
They can refer to people or things and have different forms Verb patterns with objects 53
Possession 80 Contractions R13
depending on whether they are a subject or an object.
SUBJECT PRONOUNS
Subject pronouns
replace the subject of
a sentence. They are The subject pronoun “he” is used because the
speaker doesn't know the person's name.
used to avoid
repetition, or where
The verbs “be” and “have” are
a name is not known. often contracted with pronouns.
There are no formal
or informal forms of
pronouns in English.
“He” refers to Andy
to avoid repetition.
HOW TO FORM
The pronoun used
FIRST PERSON SECOND PERSON THIRD PERSON
depends on how
many nouns it is
replacing, and SINGULAR
person (first,
second, or third.)
PLURAL
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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OBJECT PRONOUNS
“Lizzy” is the object.
Object pronouns replace
the object of a sentence.
Most of them have a
different form from the
equivalent subject pronoun.
“Her” replaces “Lizzy.”
“Her” is the indirect object.
There is no difference
between direct and indirect
object pronouns.
“Her” is the direct object.
TIP
“You” is the same
whether it is singular,
plural, a subject,
HOW TO FORM or an object.
SUBJECT
OBJECT
FURTHER EXAMPLES “All” can be used to
show that “you” is plural.
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Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns show that the subject of a verb See also:
is the same as its object. They can also be used in Verbs patterns with objects 53
Personal pronouns 77
other situations to add emphasis.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
Reflexive pronouns in
English are formed by The subject pronoun A reflexive pronoun is used
adding the suffix refers to the person when the same person is
doing the action. affected by the action.
“-self ” or “-selves” to
simple pronouns.
HOW TO FORM FURTHER EXAMPLES
OBJECT REFLEXIVE
PRONOUNS PRONOUNS
This is the plural form
of “yourself.”
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VERBS THAT CANNOT BE REFLEXIVE
Several verbs that are
followed by reflexive The verb “relax” is not followed
pronouns in other by a reflexive pronoun.
languages are not
normally followed by
a reflexive pronoun
in English.
This is wrong.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
COMMON MISTAKES REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
A reflexive pronoun The subject of the sentence is “my boss,”
can only be used if so it is correct to use an object pronoun.
the subject and object
of the sentence are
the same. If the object
is different from the
subject, an object
pronoun should be
“I” is not the subject of the sentence,
used instead. so it is wrong to use a reflexive pronoun.
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USING REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS FOR EMPHASIS
Sometimes reflexive pronouns
are not essential to the grammar
of the sentence, but can be used
to add emphasis in different ways.
This sentence makes sense
without a reflexive pronoun. Adding the reflexive pronoun at the
end of the clause emphasizes that the
action was not done by someone else.
Adding the reflexive pronoun directly after
the subject emphasizes its importance.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
214
REFLEXIVE COLLOCATIONS
Many collocations contain
reflexive pronouns. They
often follow the pattern
verb plus reflexive pronoun
plus preposition.
FURTHER EXAMPLES Reflexive pronouns are often used
in the imperative. Here, “yourself ”
implies that “you” is the subject. TIP
Sometimes the subject
is not included, but
is implied by the
reflexive pronoun.
“By” is used with a reflexive pronoun to mean “alone.”
“EACH OTHER”
When two or more people or
things perform the same action
to the other, “each other” is used
instead of a reflexive pronoun.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
“One another” means the same as “each other.”
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Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns, such as “anyone,” “someone,” and See also:
“everyone,” are used to refer to a person or object, or a group Present simple 1
Forming questions 34
of people or objects, without explaining who or what they are.
“ANYONE” AND “SOMEONE”
“Someone” and “somebody” refer to an unspecified person in a positive statement or question.
“Anyone” and “anybody” refer to an unspecified person in a question or negative statement.
“Somebody” means the same as
“someone,” but is more informal.
"Anybody" means the same as
"anyone," but is more informal.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
216
“EVERYONE” AND “NO ONE”
“Everyone” refers to a whole group of people.
“No one” means no person in a group. “No one” is written as two words.
The singular form of the verb is used
with “everyone” and “everybody.”
“Everybody” means the same as
“everyone,” but is less formal.
The singular form of the verb is “Nobody” means
used with “nobody” and “no one.” the same as “no one.”
FURTHER EXAMPLES
COMMON MISTAKES “NO ONE” AND “ANYONE”
“No one” and “nobody” go in This is a negative statement, so
“anyone” or “anybody” is used.
positive statements and questions.
“Anyone” and “anybody” go in
negative statements and questions.
This is a negative statement,
so “no one” is incorrect.
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“SOMETHING” AND “ANYTHING”
“Something” and “anything” refer to an unspecified or unnamed object or
thing. “Something” can only be used in questions and positive statements,
whereas “anything” can be used in negative statements as well as questions
and positive statements. Here “something” has a more general
meaning, as the speaker may not
have a specific thing in mind.
Here “something” refers to a
specific, unnamed thing that
the speaker has in mind.
The singular form of the verb is used
with “anything” and “something.”
This statement is negative, so
“anything” is used, not “something.”
FURTHER EXAMPLES
“Anything” used in positive statements
shows the possibilities are unlimited.
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“NOTHING” AND “EVERYTHING”
“Nothing” means
that there are no
available objects
or things. There is no single thing that Tim
and James have in common.
“Everything” means
all the possible
objects or things
are available.
The verb is positive.
Where “nothing” is used
in a positive statement,
“anything” can be used
in a negative statement
with the same meaning.
The verb is negative.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
219
Possession
Possessive determiners, possessive pronouns, apostrophe See also:
with “s,” and the verbs “have” and “have got” are all used Forming questions 34 Verb patterns with
objects 53 “This / that / these / those” 65
to express possession in English.
POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS
Possessive determiners are used before a noun to show who it
belongs to. They change form depending on whether the owner
is singular, plural, male, or female.
I own the cat. The rabbit belongs
to you.
The dog belongs The parrot belongs
to a woman. to a man.
We are They are
her parents. his parents.
HOW TO FORM
220
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Possessive pronouns can also be used to explain who owns something. Unlike
possessive determiners, they replace the noun they are showing possession of.
The determiner comes
before the noun.
The noun comes The possessive pronoun is used
before the verb. after the verb. It replaces “my car.”
HOW TO FORM
DETERMINERS
PRONOUNS
FURTHER EXAMPLES
221
APOSTROPHE WITH “S”
An apostrophe and the letter “s” are added to the This form is correct in English,
end of a singular noun to show that what comes but it is not normally used.
after the noun belongs to it.
This is a common way of An apostrophe with an
talking about belonging. “s” shows ownership.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
The “s” after the apostrophe is optional If something belongs to more than one
when the noun already ends in an “-s.” noun, “-’s” is only added to the last one.
COMMON MISTAKES APOSTROPHES
Apostrophes are often
incorrectly added before
the “s” when talking
about years or decades.
This is neither possessive nor a contraction,
so there is no need for an apostrophe.
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APOSTROPHES AND PLURAL NOUNS
To show belonging with
a plural noun that ends
in “-s,” just an apostrophe
with no “s” is added. Plural nouns that end with “-s” use
an apostrophe with no extra “s.”
To show belonging with
a plural noun that doesn’t
end in “-s,” an apostrophe
and an “s” are added. This is formed in the same way as singular
nouns, with an apostrophe and “s.”
FURTHER EXAMPLES
It is important not to confuse “its”
with “it’s.” “Its” is a third person
singular possessive determiner, and
never has an apostrophe. “It’s” is only
ever a contraction of “it is.” This is a possessive so
needs no apostrophe.
This is a contraction of “it is,” so should
have an apostrophe before the “s.”
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“HAVE”
“Has” is used for the
The verb “have” can be used to third person singular
(he, she, or it).
talk about what people own.
HOW TO FORM
SUBJECT “HAVE” OBJECT
These subject pronouns
take “have.”
These subject pronouns
take “has.”
“HAVE” NEGATIVES
Although “have” is irregular, its negative is formed in the usual way.
The negative form can also be contracted as with other verbs.
“Does not” is used
instead of “do not”
for she, he, and it.
“Have” is always
“Does not” can used instead of “has”
“Do not” can be be shortened in the negative.
shortened to “don’t.” to “doesn’t.”
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“HAVE” AND “HAVE GOT”
“Have got” is another way to say “has” when talking
about possession. “Have” is appropriate in all situations, “I have” can become “I’ve”
but “have got” is only used in spoken UK English. when used with “got.”
“I’ve” cannot be “Got” doesn’t change
used in this context. when the subject changes.
“Have not” can become
“haven’t” when used with “got.”
The subject sits between The subject sits between
“do” and “have” in questions. “have” and “got” in questions.
ANSWERING “HAVE” QUESTIONS
Short answers to “Do” goes in the positive answer.
“Do” is added to
“have” questions form a question.
can be given using
“do” and “don’t.”
“Do not” or “don’t” go
in the negative answer.
Questions and answers “Have” goes in the
positive answer.
using “have got” are “Have” or “has” moves to
formed differently. the start of the question.
“Have got” is mostly
heard in UK English.
“Got” does
not move.
“Have not” or “haven’t” go
in the negative answer.
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