Pronouns
Pronouns replace nouns to keep sentences natural and avoid repetition. English has many types of pronoun, each serving a different purpose.
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun — a person, place, thing, or idea that has already been named or is understood from context. Without pronouns, we would have to repeat names constantly, which would make English cumbersome and unnatural.
Maria is a doctor. Maria loves Maria's job and Maria works very hard.
Maria is a doctor. She loves her job and she works very hard. ✓
In the second sentence, she and her replace the noun Maria, making the sentence much more natural. The noun that a pronoun refers back to is called its antecedent.
The main types of pronoun
English pronouns are grouped by function. Click any card to explore that type in detail.
Subject pronouns
The pronoun doing the action.
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Object pronouns
The pronoun receiving the action.
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Possessive pronouns
Show that something belongs to someone.
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
Reflexive pronouns
When the subject and object are the same person.
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves
Demonstrative pronouns
Point to specific people or things.
this, that, these, those
Indefinite pronouns
Refer to unspecified people or things.
someone, anyone, nobody, everything, each
Relative pronouns
Link a clause to a noun it describes.
who, whom, whose, which, that
Interrogative pronouns
Used to ask questions.
who, whom, whose, what, which
The full pronoun reference table
| Person | Subject | Object | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun | Reflexive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | I | me | my | mine | myself |
| 2nd singular/plural | you | you | your | yours | yourself / yourselves |
| 3rd singular (m) | he | him | his | his | himself |
| 3rd singular (f) | she | her | her | hers | herself |
| 3rd singular (n) | it | it | its | — | itself |
| 1st plural | we | us | our | ours | ourselves |
| 3rd plural | they | them | their | theirs | themselves |
How to identify the right type of pronoun
Ask yourself what role the pronoun is playing in the sentence:
- Is it performing the action? → Subject pronoun: She runs every day.
- Is it receiving the action? → Object pronoun: Call me tomorrow.
- Does it show ownership? → Possessive: That seat is hers.
- Is the subject acting on itself? → Reflexive: He cut himself.
- Is it pointing to something? → Demonstrative: This is perfect.
- Is it referring to someone/something unspecified? → Indefinite: Everyone is welcome.
- Is it linking a clause to a noun? → Relative: The man who called is here.
- Is it asking a question? → Interrogative: Who told you that?
She (subject) introduced herself (reflexive) to everyone (indefinite) who (relative) was there. "This (demonstrative) is my (possessive adjective) colleague," she said. "The decision is hers (possessive pronoun)." Nobody (indefinite) asked her (object) what (interrogative) she thought.
Tip: The most common pronoun mistakes involve mixing up subject and object forms — saying "Me and John went..." instead of "John and I went...", or "between you and I" instead of "between you and me". When in doubt, remove the other person's name and test the pronoun alone.