Kinds of Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

The personal pronouns are the most important group of pronouns. They are also the pronouns that will give you the most trouble unless you are familiar with the various forms that belong to each pronoun. A personal pronoun  is a pronoun that shows by its form whether it refers to the person speaking, the person spoken to, or the person or thing spoken of. All the personal pronouns, with the exception of the pronoun it , refer to persons. The following sentences show the use of personal pronouns in the first, second and third person:

• I shall spend the winter in Texas. (I is the person speaking)
• You are working too hard. (You is the person spoken to)
• He bought a new car. (He is the person spoken about)
• We built the garage. (We refers to the persons speaking)
• They operate two farms. (They refers to the persons spoken about)
• Ted has a new car. It is a BMW. (It refers to the thing spoken about)
• Jan has two fur coats. They are both mink. (They refers to the things spoken about)

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that are used in asking questions. The interrogative pronouns are who (whose, whom), which, and what. An interrogative pronoun also has another function to perform in the sentence, just as any other pronoun has. It may be the subject of the sentence or it may be the object of the verb or of a preposition. The following are the examples of interrogative pronouns.

Who is the director of the band?

For whom are you waiting?

What did they say about his speech?

Which is your car?

Whose car did you borrow?

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are pronouns that point out definite persons, places, or things. There are only two demonstrative pronouns: this with its plural these, and that with its plural those.

This is my hat. (a definite hat is pointed out)

That is your book. (a definite book is pointed out)

These are the theater ticket. (definite tickets are pointed out)

Those are John’s shoes. (definite shoes are pointed out)

Indefinite Pronouns

A large group of pronouns are called indefinite pronouns because they do not point out particular places, persons, or things.

For example,

1. Somebody took my umbrella. (somebody is an indefinite pronoun)
2. A few left the hall early. (few is an indefinite pronoun)

The following list contains the commonly used indefinite pronouns.

all

any

anybody

anyone

anything

both

each

each one

each other

either

everybody

everyone

everything

few

many

neither

nobody

none

no one

nothing

one

one another

ones

other

others

several

some

somebody

someone

something

Relative Pronouns

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that joins the clause which it introduces to its own antecedent. The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun or pronoun to which it refers.

The relative pronouns are who, which, that and what. The pronoun who has two other forms, whose and whom. When the relative pronoun is combined with ever or soever, it is called a compound relative pronoun.

List of Compound Relative Pronouns

whoever

whomever

whatever

whosoever

whatsoever

whosesoever

whichsoever

whomsoever

whichever

The relative pronoun is always found in a clause which it introduces. For that reason, we shall postpone further study of relative pronouns until we take up the study of subordinate clauses.

The following distinctions are generally observed in the use of relative pronouns.

Who is used when the antecedent is a person.

That is used to refer to either persons or things.

Which is used to refer to anything except persons.

She is the girl who won the award.

(who refers only to persons)

This is the day that (or which) was lost.

(that or which refers to things)

She is the girl that won the award.

(that may refer to persons)