Pronouns

You NEED them more than you know!

WHAT IS A PRONOUN? •A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun

Alexis is a great friend! She is hilarious! Refers to

The word a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent.

PRONOUNS •Pronouns such as we, I, he them, and it are called personal pronouns. •Unlike nouns, pronouns change forms to reflect person, number, and case. •Person: pronouns can be first, second, or third person •Number: Pronouns can be singular or plural •Case: Pronouns can be subject, object, or possessive

Pronoun Chart Subject Object Possessive

Singular First Person Second Person Third Person

I You He, she, it

Me You Him, her, it

My, mine Your, yours His, her, hers, its

Plural First Person Second Person Third Person

We You they

Us You them

Our, ours Your, yours Their, theirs

WHY DO WE NEED PRONOUNS? Pronouns help us so that we do not have to repeat ourselves! Let’s take a look at how life would be without pronouns!

CASE OF THE PRONOUN PRANK

Brian walked into the room with no intention of doing any mischief until Brian saw Brian’s grandmother’s false teeth in a glass on the lamp stand next to Grandma’s bed. Brian approached the false teeth with a smile on Brian’s face. What a find! Brian knew exactly what Brian would do. Brian sneaked down to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Brian saw trays full of cheese snacks, and Brian knew who the snacks were for – Brian’s mother’s bridge club friends who came to play cards every Thursday night. Brian slipped the teeth out of Brian’s pocket and stuffed them into the bacon-onion dip. Then Brian closed the door and went upstairs. That night, far below in the dining room, Brian’s mother’s guests’ screams drifted up to Brian in sharp, pleasant waves.

AGREEMENT PROBLEMS

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, person, and gender.

The chair Abraham Lincoln sat in at the time of (his, their) assassination is at the Henry Ford Museum.

Stella enjoyed (her, his) visit to the park.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS

Use a subject pronoun when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence! Examples:

We eat pizza every Friday. They moved into our neighborhood last year.

OBJECT PRONOUNS Object pronouns are pronouns that are used as direct objects, indirect objects, or as objects of the preposition.

Direct Object

Bob hit me.

Indirect Object

Sally gave me a punch in the stomach.

Object of the Preposition

She gave the hamburger to him.

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

•Possessive Pronouns are personal pronouns used to show ownership. •They can come before nouns or stand alone in a sentence.

Examples: Some of my best friends go to Dickerson. All of our text messages were read by my mom. Your phone is super cool!

Possessive Pronoun Chart Singular Plural

My, mine Your, yours Her, hers, his, its

Our, ours Your, yours Their, theirs

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS Pronouns that end in –self or –selves are called reflexive pronouns. They refer back to the subject of the sentence. Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, herself, himself, itself, themselves.

The winners considered themselves lucky. How did you prepare yourself for the test?

Reflexive Hint • If you look into a mirror and see your REFLECTION,

you see yourself!

• If you flex your arm and point your thumb toward your head, you are pointing to yourself!

Intensive Pronouns • Intensive pronouns are the same words

used to emphasize the subject of the sentence. Intensive pronouns usually appear right near the subject of the sentence.

• I myself am sick of the heat. • You yourself are responsible for this mess! • The president himself appeared at the rally. • The actress herself wrote those lines. • We ourselves made the meal.

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

• A demonstrative pronoun points out a person, place, thing, or idea.

This That

These Those

Singular

Plural

Demonstrative Pronouns • Demonstrative pronouns are different from

demonstrative adjectives because demonstrative adjectives come directly before a noun.

• Examples:

• Demonstrative Pronoun: This is the best car in the world!

• Demonstrative Adjective: This car is the best car in the world!

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS

Interrogative Pronouns are used to introduce a question.

Who Whom What Which Whose

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUN EXAMPLES

Who has their homework from last night? What do you like about being a teenager? Who gave you that black eye? For whom did you buy that diamond?

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Indefinite pronouns refer to something in a general way.

Examples: Many shared their pencils today. Everybody had to eat lunch in the room today.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Indefinite Pronouns

Singular Plural Singular or Plural

anybody neither

anything nobody

each no one

either nothing

everybody one

everyone other

everything someone

much somebody

something

both

few

many

others

several

all

any

more

most

none

some

PRONOUN PROBLEMS

A common pronoun problem: I or me? I will always be the subject – doing the action.

Tom and I played chess last week.

Me will always be the noun receiving the action.

Catherine let Tom and me play chess at her house.

Check your answer by

taking the other name out!