PRONOUNS

When you speak or write about a person, place, animal or thing, you can avoid repeating the word that
names them by using in their place pronouns, such as ‘he’, ‘her’, ‘yours’, ‘it’ or ‘this’. For example,
instead of saying:

Afifa went to Russia to study chemical engineering. Though Afifa missed Afifa’s family when Afifa
first reached the place, Afifa soon felt at home in the place. Afifa found the course interesting and
did very well in the course. Afifa loved Russia and Russia’s beautiful palaces, churches and beach
resorts. Afifa had friends in the country and, now that Afifa is back, misses the friends.

You can avoid repeating the same naming words by saying:

Afifa went to Russia to study chemical engineering. Though she missed her family when she first
reached the place, Afifa soon felt at home there. She found the course interesting and did very well
in the course. Afifa loved Russia and its beautiful palaces, churches and beach resorts. She had
friends in the country and, now that she is back, misses them.

✓ Note that:
• We use a pronoun instead of repeating a proper noun or a common noun in the same sentence or in the
one that immediately follows it.
• It does not sound natural to continue using pronouns in case what you speak or write has more than one
sentence, so go back to using the noun after a sentence or two.

KINDS AND USES

• Personal pronouns stand for the speaker (first person), the person spoken to (second person), and the
person, animal, place or thing that is neither the speaker nor the spoken to (third person). These pronouns
have different forms depending on whether they are used in place of nouns that represent one (singular) or
many (plural), and also on whether they are used before the verb (as subject) or after the verb (as object)
in a sentence. The table below gives

Subject Object

1st Singular Plural Singular Plural

pers
on
I We me us
I live in Goa We love Raj helped Mother hugged
reading. me. us.
2nd Singular Plural Singular Plural
pers
on
you you you you
Mini, you Shanta and Lata, I like Children, father
have done George, you you. missed you.
 well. must come
home.
3rd Singular Plural Singular Plural
per
son
he/she they him/her them
He/she is They will come Sharma Have you met
tall. today. knows them?
him/her.
they them
(non- The company it The stars shone
human) it has offices in Maya tried brightly, and the
Naren has a Mumbai and on the skirt girl looked at
dog. It is a Pune. They are before them with joy.
year old. big cities. buying it.

✓ Note that if you have to use more than one pronoun, ‘I’ is always the last and ‘you’ always the first, for
example you and I; she/he and I; you, they and I.
• Possessive pronouns are used in place of nouns to indicate the meaning of belonging or possession. The
group includes mine, ours, his, hers and theirs. Look at the sentences below to see how the words are
used.
This is not Shireen’s file. It’s mine.
The bag is his. Hers is larger.
• Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a verb (or preposition) both refer to the
same person, animal, place or thing. The group consists of myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself,
herself, itself and themselves. Look at the sentences below to see how the words are used.
I saw myself in the mirror.
Sarala cut herself while chopping vegetables.
Reflexive pronouns are also often used to emphasize a subject noun or pronoun they represent. The
sentences below will make their usage clear.
Akhtar painted the house himself. (on his own)
We can run the business ourselves. (on his own)
They are sometimes used to refer to nouns (but never pronouns) in object position.
Joseph went to the president’s office and met Mrs Patil herself. ( but not *Joseph went to the
president’s office and met her herself.)
Do not use reflexive pronouns to emphasize any word that is not a noun or a pronoun. Thus, for example,
do not say ‘She will send you the form now itself’, but ‘She will send you the form now’.
• Demonstrative pronouns, this, that, these and those (by themselves, without a following noun), are used
to point to someone or something close to the speaker in space or time.
Suma wrote this.
Those are M. F. Husain’s paintings.
• Indefinite pronouns are also used in place of nouns when we do not know or do not want to specify the
identity and number of the person or thing we are referring to. The group consists of the words some, any,
 others, another, someone, somebody, something, everyone, everybody, everything, anyone, anybody,
anything, one, no one, nobody and nothing.
She writes short stories. Some are very good.
He saw three tigers at Ranthambore, but I didn’t see any.
No one (nobody) knows where the papers are.
Everyone (everybody) says that Indore is a quiet city.
✓ Note that:
• the words in the pairs someone/somebody, anyone/anybody and no one/nobody mean the same and that
you can use them interchangeably.
• all the compounds above except no one are written as one word.
• Pronouns of number and quantity and numbers, one, two, three, etc., can also be used as pronouns in
place of nouns.
Margaret has four sisters, of whom three are engineers and one is in government service. (‘three’
for ‘three sisters’ and ‘one’ for ‘one brother’)
Other pronouns that can be used to refer to number as well as quantity are all, many, several, much, none,
more, most, both, few, a few, little and a little.
The hotel has twenty rooms; all face the park. (meaning the rooms)
Many are not happy with the way the company is being run. ( meaning many people, employees,
etc.)
• Distributive pronouns, each, either and neither are referred to individually, not as a group or a collection.
There were ten dancers on the stage. Each was dressed in brightly coloured costumes.
(meaning each of the dancers)
Would you like to have tea or coffee? Either will do, thanks. (meaning either one)
David has two pens, but neither writes. (meaning neither pen)
• Reciprocal pronouns, each other and one another, are used on their own in place of nouns that are two or
more in number. These pronouns show a reciprocal relationship among the members of a group.
Shabnam and her sister-in-law hugged each other.
The players congratulated one another on winning the football tournament.
• Interrogative pronouns, who, whom, whose, which and what are used in questions to refer to people or
things.
Who is your chemistry teacher?
Which is your torch?
What are you reading?
Note that the pronouns who, whom and whose are used only to refer to people, which is used for both
people and things, and what is used only when referring to things.
• Relative pronouns, who, whom, whose, which and that, refer to nouns coming before them in a sentence.
Note that who, whom and whose are used to refer back to nouns that represent people, but that and which
are usually used only for nouns that stand for animals, places and things.
This is the doctor who treated me for typhoid.
Have you met the young man whom Minu is engaged to?
Scientists have found a gene that may be linked to heart attacks.
My parents live in Patna, which is the capital of Bihar.
 EXCERCISES ON PRONOUNS

Errors in the use of PROUNOUNS

1. The man who they thought to be a gentleman is a rogue.

Note: check the case of relative pronoun, i.e. in subjective case/objective case/possessive case-
who/whom/whose.
2. Shankar is one of the greatest philosophers that has ever lived.
Note: check the relative pronoun whether it is singular/plural and see its verb in agreement.
3rd person Singular subject- has/does form verb(does+V1= V1+s)
3rd person plural/1st/2nd person subject- have/do form verb (do+V1= V1)
3. The prize was given to the girl whom they said stood first.
4. My father does not like me going to movies every day.
Note: see for the object of the verb.
5. She was more beautiful than either of her three sisters.
Note: b/w two- each/either/neither
More than two- Every/any/none
6. The more you read, the more you will like this book.
7. Between you and I, he is a rogue.
8. Zia can sing better than me.
9. This is the only one of his comments that deserve our attention.
10. Neither of the three candidates are fit for the post.
Note: b/w two- each/either/neither
More than two- Every/any/none
Note: each, every, anyone, no one, either, neither- singular pronouns
11. Both did not go.
Note: the word “both” should not be used in negative sentence.
12. You and he should not waste his money.
13. My watch is better than that of yours.
14. I who is your father should be respected.
Note: see the relative pronoun to whom/which it represents and see the verb should agree with it.
15. The man standing beside the Minister is a friend of me.
16. Too much of love is one of those things which spoils the child.
Note: check the relative pronoun whether it is singular/plural and see its verb in agreement.
3rd person Singular subject- has/does form verb(does+V1= V1+s)
3rd person plural/1st/2nd person subject- have/do form verb (do+V1= V1)

17. They invited my friend and I to tea./me

18. Mohan made your mention.
19. I who is standing here wrote that letter./am
20. I hate him talking too much. his talking
21. It was being a cloudy day, we stayed indoors./ It being a
22. We went to Batkal lake and enjoyed myself.
Note: usually verbs like enjoy, adjust, adapt, absent, present, pride, avail, etc. are followed by reflexive
pronouns.
Note: the verb “enjoy” when followed by its object does not require reflexive pronoun
We enjoyed the music.
We enjoyed ourselves.
Avail+ [Link]+ of + Sth
23. Those that do not look before they leap, repent./who
24. None of we accepted his invitation./us
25. He bought a beautiful pen and gave the pen to his sister./it
26. That is the first time that I have seen you./It
27. I, him and you must help that poor man.
Note: order of pronouns in positive sentence: 2nd person, 3rd person and 1st person in the same case.
Note: order of pronouns in negative sentence: 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person in the same case

28. I divided this apple between he and myself.

29. He stole a dog and sold the dog for Rs.50/-
30. Santosh being a poor man, cannot buy costly clothes.
31. Who are you referring to?
32. Whom did you say was digging the ground?
33. I shall take your leave now.
34. Is this book your’s or mine?
35. I do not like you talking to Radha.
36. Mohini’s looks are more charming than Sudha’s.
37. This is the man whose all sons are mad.
38. One ought to do his duty.
39. Everyone should love one’s country.
40. Every of the boys has taken his share.
41. Your need is greater than that of mine.
42. My coat is longer than you.
43. This is the pen that was presented to me by Mayuri.
44. Sangeeta and myself went to the Sohna Complex.
45. You and Ahmed have wasted their time.
46. The people that called yesterday want to buy the house.

Correct the following sentences where necessary.

1. This report looks at teaching aids and how it helps teachers.

2. The jewellery was given to Mary, who sold them for $6,000.
3. I took Martin and a friend of him to an opera.
4. I often ask me why I work so hard.
5. Although we worked very hard, we enjoyed.
6. The majority of viewers are children and it is them who are exposed to such scenes of violence.
7. Nowadays, anybody can use a computer if he or she really wants to.
8. Each subscriber was told that he would receive a refund.
9. Nobody is allowed to use the computer but I.
10. My sister plays the piano much better than I.
11. We have no objection to you paying a deposit now and the balance later.
12. I fully understand him not wanting to pursue the matter.
13. These errors the result of they trying to translate.
14. Rape is a very serious crime and they should be sent to prison.
15. My friends lent me some books. They were very helpful.
16. The people without their own shops they were selling their things on the pavement.
17. The research it will investigate some major traffic problems.
18. The second group Spitzer calls it ‘social dynamite’.
19. The computer is very easy to use it.
20. The book is certainly worth reading it.
21. Is this parcel too heavy to send it by air?
22. The music is very good to listen to it.
23. He gave me two cookery books, which I find them very useful.
24. The man who was sitting next to me he had blood on his shirt.
25. It was the same man he had stolen my wallet.
26. I shall show the letter which it arrived today.
27. He gave me two cookery books which I find them very useful.
28. I am returning the two diskettes that you lent them to us.
29. Several of the people we had invited them did not speak English.
30. It has 180 pages, which all of them have colour photographs.
31. The coat had two pockets of which both of them were full of money.
32. I looked at him who was sitting next to me.
33. She married someone called Sandro, who she met and won her heart soon after she arrived in the
country.
34. Yourself should cook your food.
35. He absented from the meeting.
36. You ought to avail this opportunity.
37. I can’t adjust to these surroundings.
38. She adapted to new conditions.
39. We enjoyed last week.
40. These journalists, whoever do they think they are?
41. She is one of those who does what she says.
42. One can’t live all alone, can one?
43. They each wants to get a medal.
44. Everyone of these two boys was rewarded.
45. He always prides on his wealth.
46. They enjoyed themselves a party last night.
47. It is BBC giving you the news.
48. The roads of London are wider than Delhi.
49. Were anybody hurt in the accident?
50. Our both countries get money from oil.
51. First of all, the both families must agree to the wedding.
52. Both of suitcases were completely empty.
53. In my opinion, both you need a good holiday.
54. Both of the letters didn’t arrive.
55. She looked very tired and her hands both were red sore.
56. We both have come to England to improve our English.
57. Both two stories are based fact.
58. Anusha plays both the piano as well as the guitar.
59. She didn’t buy both of the dresses because they were too expensive.
60. The school’s outdoor facilities are better than that of many country clubs.
61. All junk food, especially those sold at the canteen, should be avoided.
62. I am not sure whether either of these books are worth reading.