When you’ve said it, and you don’t really want to say it again Pronouns When you’ve said it, and you don’t really want to say it again

What does a pronoun do? A pronoun takes the place of a noun. It is used when a speaker or writer does not want to repeat a name several times. It should be used only when the word the pronoun is replacing has been used What does a pronoun do?

Personal Pronouns Personal pronouns change form depending on the antecedent (the word that the pronoun is replacing) Personal pronouns show number. This means they are either singular or plural Singular I/me you she/her he/him it Plural we/us they/them

Personal pronouns change form depending on the word being replaced Personal pronouns show person: First person I me/mine we us/ours Second person you your/yours Third person she/her/hers he/him/his they/them/theirs it/its Personal Pronouns

Personal Pronouns (continued) Pronouns have gender: Masculine: he, him Feminine: she, her Neuter: it There are pronouns that cannot be assigned a gender because they change gender depending on the word the pronoun is replacing: you, we, us, they, them

Subject Pronouns Here is the list of subject pronouns: I We He She You It They

Subject pronouns (cont.) Subject pronouns are used as the subject or subject complement in a sentence You will know that the pronoun is a subject complement if the simple predicate is a linking verb and the pronoun renames the subject Examples: They went shopping. The winner was she. Subject pronouns (cont.)

Object Pronouns Here is the list of object pronouns: Me Us Them You Him It

Object pronouns (cont.) Object pronouns are used as the object of the verb (meaning receiving the action) Example: I taught him last year. Object pronouns are also used as the object of a preposition Example: The photos had monuments in them. Object pronouns are used with indirect objects. Example: Harvey gave her the sandwich. Object pronouns (cont.)

Possessive pronouns show ownership. They replace possessive nouns Possessive pronouns show ownership. They replace possessive nouns. They stand alone in a sentence in the same way a possessive noun does. Example: Those are Barb’s shoes. They are hers. Possessive pronouns do not take apostrophes. Ever. This is a hard and fast rule; if you ever see it written differently, it is wrong. Possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, mine, yours, theirs, ours Possessive Pronouns

Pronouns as Adjectives Certain possessive pronouns are referred to as possessive adjectives. A possessive adjective must precede, or come before, the noun it is describing. Example: My book is on the desk. Just like possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives do not take apostrophes. Ever. Again, this is a hard and fast rule; if you ever see it written differently, it is wrong. Possessive adjectives: my, our, your, his, her, their, its Pronouns as Adjectives

Intensive pronouns emphasize a noun or pronoun which comes right before it. Example: He himself, the Grinch carved the roast beast. (from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”) These pronouns all end with self or selves. Intensive pronouns: myself ourselves yourself/yourselves himself herself itself themselves Intensive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are found in the predicate of the sentence. A reflexive pronoun may be a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition. Example: She considered herself an expert on small machines. These pronouns all end with self or selves. Reflexive pronouns: myself ourselves yourself/yourselves himself herself itself themselves Reflexive Pronouns

Antecedents The antecedent is the noun the pronoun is replacing. The pronoun must agree in: Number (singular or plural) Gender (male, female, or a thing with no gender) Person (first, second, or third) In the sentence pair Beverly is the owner of the bookstore on the corner. She opened the store in 2004. She is the pronoun replacing Beverly, and Beverly is the antecedent. Antecedents

Pronouns and Contractions There are a number of contractions formed by combining pronouns with certain helping verbs. As with all contractions, an apostrophe is used to form the contraction. This is different from the possessive pronouns, which (as you know) NEVER have an apostrophe. Some people confuse the contractions with the possessives, however.

Interrogative Pronouns Interrogative is related to questions. So, interrogative pronouns are pronouns used when forming questions. The interrogative pronouns are who, whom, what, and whose. Who and whom refer to a person or several people. Who is used as a subject and whom as a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition. Who is going to bathe Dixie? To whom did Cricket bring the mouse? Whose is used when asking about ownership. Whose coat is this? What has two uses – to ask for information and to ask about things. What airline are you using? What does Jim do for fun?

Demonstrative Pronouns Demonstrative pronouns point out a particular person, place, or thing. They are this, that, these, and those. These are the pronouns that refer to items that are near (this, these) or far (that, those). When trying to figure out the antecedent, remember that these pronouns point out a specific noun. This is a funny movie. (the movie the speaker is watching right now) That is my favorite chair. (the chair being sat in by the person you’re addressing) These are the best cookies I’ve ever had (the cookies on the plate) Those are some expensive earrings. (the earrings being pointed to by the speaker) Demonstrative Pronouns

One more reminder… Direct object: receives the action of the verb Bob threw it. Indirect object: The person or thing for whom or to whom the action was done. Bob threw him the ball. Object of the preposition: the person, place, or thing being related to another noun in the sentence. Bob threw the ball to her. One more reminder…

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement A pronoun must agree with its antecedent Antecedent: the word the pronoun is replacing. Pronouns should agree in person, number, and gender. Each of these antecedents is referred to by a singular pronoun: anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, one, somebody, someone Examples: When an employee does not agree with the boss, he should express himself tactfully. When students behave well, they will be praised. Pronoun Antecedent Agreement