1. Pronouns

2. What is a Pronoun?
A word that takes the place of one or more nouns and the words that describe those nouns.

3. Personal Pronouns Used to refer to people or things.
Singular or plural
Two Kinds:
Used as the subject of the sentence OR
Used as the object of the verb or preposition

4. Personal Pronouns Singular Plural Used as Subjects I you he, she, itwe
they
Used as Objects me
him, her, it us
them

5. Subject Pronouns Used as the subject of the sentence Examples:
Rita likes books. She particularly likes novels.
The dog ran down the street. It was so fast no one could keep up.
Mom and Dad left this morning for vacation. They went to Jamaica.

6. Object Pronouns Used as the object of the verb or preposition
Examples:
The novel amuses Rita. The novel amuses her.
The boy knocked the chair over. The boy knocked it over.
The officer showed handcuffs to the class. The officer showed handcuffs to them.

7. Pronouns and Antecedents
Antecedent – the noun or groups of words that a pronoun refers to
Example:
Louisa May Alcott lived near Boston. She
had many famous neighbors.
Antecedent
Pronoun

8. Pronouns and Antecedents: Singular and Plural
Be sure every pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number (singular or plural) and gender.
Puccini and Verdi wrote many great operas. They wrote them in Italian.
The plural pronoun they refers to Puccini and Verdi. The plural pronoun them refers to operas.

9. Pronouns and Antecedents: Gender
The gender of a noun or pronoun may be masculine, feminine, or neither (referring to things).
Mary sent a letter to Aunt Fran. Mary sent it to her.
The singular pronoun it refers to letter. The singular pronoun her refers to Aunt Fran.

10. Demonstrative Pronouns
Pronouns that point something out. The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those.
This (singular) and these (plural) refer to something nearby.
That (singular) and those (plural) refer to something at a distance.

11. Demonstrative Pronouns
This is an interesting book. (singular, nearby)
These are interesting books. (plural, nearby)
That is a long book. (singular, at a distance)
Those are long books. (plural, at a distance)

12. Interrogative Pronouns
Pronouns used to introduce a question
Who
Whom
Whose
What
Which

13. Interrogative Pronouns Cont.
Who and Whom both refer to people.
Who is used when the interrogative pronoun is the subject.
Who borrowed the book?
Whom is used when the interrogative pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition.
Whom did the librarian call?
For whom did you borrow the book?

14. Interrogative Pronouns Cont.
Which and what are used to refer to things and ideas.
Which is it?
What interests you?
Whose shows that someone owns or has something.
I found a copy of Great Expectations. Whose is it?
*****Do NOT confuse whose with who’s.
Who’s is a contraction (who + is = who’s)

15. Indefinite Pronouns
Pronouns that do not refer to a specific person, place or thing.
Each thinks about the plot.
Singular
Plural
another
anybody
anyone
anything
each
either
everybody
everyone
everything much
neither
nobody
no one
nothing
one
somebody
someone
something
both
few
many
others
several

16. Singular or Plural all, any, most, none, some
When an indefinite pronoun is used as the subject, the verb must agree with it in number.
Everyone reads a part of the novel. (singular)
Several enjoy it very much. (plural)
Most of the story takes place in England. (singular)
Most of the characteristics are memorable. (plural)

17. Possessive pronouns often have indefinite pronouns as their antecedents. In such cases, the pronouns must agree in number.
Several are presenting their interpretations of the novel.
Each of the students has his or her ideas about its meaning.

18. Relative Pronouns
Pronouns that signal a subordinate clause, which `cannot stand alone.
Whose
That
Which
Who
Whoever
What
Whom
Divers search for reefs where much sea life exists.
Divers sometimes wear weights that they strap on.
**Take note: the relative pronouns are located in the half of the sentence that cannot stand alone (the subordinate clause.)