PRONOUN
A. Definition
A pronoun is a word that substitutes a noun or noun phrase used to prevent repetition of the noun to which they refer. A pronoun usually refers to something already mentioned in a sentence or piece of text.
B. Rule of Pronouns
A pronoun must agree with the noun it refer. Therefore, if the noun is singular, therefore the pronoun must be singular; if the noun is plural, use a plural pronoun; if the noun is feminine, use a feminine pronoun, and so on.
Example: Thetrains were late, the trains had been delayed.
Better: Thetrains were late, they had been delayed.
C. Types of pronouns
Type | About | Example |
Personal Pronoun | Takes the place of a specific or named person or thing. | I, you, he, she, etc.. |
Reflexive Pronoun | Adds information by pointing back to a noun or another pronoun. | myself, yourself, etc.. |
Demonstrative Pronoun | Points out a specific person, place, or thing. | this, that, these, those |
Relative pronoun | Begins a subordinate clause and relates the clause to a word in the main clause. | who, whose, which, that, etc.. |
Interrogative Pronoun | Is used to ask a question. | what, where, etc.. |
Possessive Pronoun | Used to substitute a noun and to show possession or ownership. | mine, yours, his, etc.. |
Reciprocal pronoun | Express an interchangeable or mutual action or relationship. | each other, one another |
Quantifier/ Indefinite | some, any, something, much, etc. |
1. Personal Pronoun
a. As a subject:
Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. You can remember subject pronouns easily by filling in the blank subject space for a simple sentence.
Example: ______ did the job.
I, you, he, she, it, we, and they all fit into the blank.
b. As an object:
Object pronouns are used everywhere else (direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition). Object pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.
Examples: Andi talked to him.
Are you talking to me?
2. Reflexive Pronoun
myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselvesshould be used only when they refer back to another word in the sentence.
Examples:
Correct: I worked myself until evening.
Incorrect: My brother and myself did it.
The word myself does not refer back to another word.
Correct: My brother and I did it.
Incorrect: Please give it to John or myself.
Correct: Please give it to John or me.
3. Demonstrative Pronoun
The family of demonstratives (this/that/these/those/such) can behave either as pronouns or as determiners.
As pronouns, they identify or point to nouns:
· That is incredible! (referring to something you just saw)
· I will never forget this. (referring to a recent experience)
· Such is my belief. (referring to an explanation just made)
As determiners, the demonstratives adjectivally modify a noun that follows. A sense of relative distance (in time and space) can be conveyed through the choice of these pronouns/determiners:
· These [pancakes sitting here now on my plate] are delicious.
· Those [pancakes that I had yesterday morning] were even better.
· This [book in my hand] is well written;
· That [book that I'm pointing to] is wet.
A sense of emotional distance or even disdain can be conveyed with the demonstrative pronouns:
· You're going to wear these?
· This is the best you can do?
When used as subjects, the demonstratives, in either singular or plural form, can be used to refer to objects as well as persons:
· This is my car.
· That is my book.
4. Relative pronoun
The relative pronouns (who/whoever/which/that) relate groups of words to nouns or other pronouns (The student who studies hardest usually does the best). The word who connects or relates the subject, student, to the verb within the dependent clause (studies).
There are 2 kinds of relative pronoun:
a. Definite relative: Just explain the subject and written without comma.
Example: The boy who broke the school-window is Tom.
b. Indefinite relative: Explain the subject and another thing about it and written with comma.
Example: Tom, who is naughty boy, broke the school-window.
5. Interrogative Pronoun
Like the relative pronouns, the interrogative pronouns introduce noun clauses, and like the relative pronouns, the interrogative pronouns play a subject role in the clauses they introduce:
Example: I already told them what I know about it.
We know who is guilty of this crime.
The interrogative pronouns also act as Determiners:
Example: It doesn't matter which shoes you buy.
He doesn't know whose car he hit.
6. Possessive Pronoun
We use the Possessive Pronouns when we want to substitute a group of words that are indicating a possession relation. (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
Example: This is my book.
* In this example, we can substitute "my book" for the possessive pronoun "mine". => This is mine.
A possessive pronoun indicates it is acting as a subject complement or a subject of the sentence.
Example: The smallest gift is mine.
This is yours.
* Here the possessive pronouns acts as a subject complement.
This is yours.
* Here the possessive pronouns acts as a subject complement.
His is on the kitchen counter.
Ours is the green one on the corner.
* Here the possessive pronoun acts as the subject of the sentence.
Ours is the green one on the corner.
* Here the possessive pronoun acts as the subject of the sentence.
7. Reciprocal pronoun
The reciprocal pronouns are each otherand one another. They are convenient forms for combining ideas.
Example: Lukman smiles to Lutfi, and Lutfi smiles to Lukman.We can say: Lukman and Lutfi smile each other.
If more than two people are involved, we use one another.
Example: PBI 3,4 students smile one another.
8. Indefinite pronoun
The indefinite pronouns (everybody/ anybody/ somebody/ all/ each/ every/ some/ none/ one) do not substitute for specific nouns but function themselves as nouns.
Example: Everyone can do that.
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