pronoun

Question 1

pronoun

Answer 1

A word that takes the place of a noun

e.g. he, she, it, they, them, many, some

Question 2

antecedent

Answer 2

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Question 3

pronoun case

Answer 3

The form of a noun or pronoun indicating its relation to other words in a sentence.

Subject Pronouns - pronouns used as subject.
I
you
he, she, it we
they
who

Object Pronouns - pronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions.
me
you
him, her, it us
them whom

Possessive Pronouns - pronouns which express ownership.
my (mine)
your (yours)
his, her (hers), its our (ours)
their (theirs) whose

Question 4

personal pronoun

Answer 4

refer to:
1. the person speaking
2. the person being spoken to
3. The person, place, or thing spoken about

e.g. I, me, my, mine; we, us, our, ours; you, your, yours; you, your, yours; he, she, it, him, her, his, her, hers, its; they, them, their, theirs

Question 5

reflexive pronoun

Answer 5

used to add information to a sentence by pointing back to a noun or pronoun near the beginning of the sentence

first person: myself; ourselves
second person: yourself; yourselves
third person: himself, herself, itself; themselves

e.g. Cosmologists ready themselves for discovery.

Tip: Reflexive pronouns “reflect” back to the beginning of the sentence.

Question 6

Why does the reflexive pronoun matter?

Answer 6

A stranded reflexive prounoun mistakenly refers to an antecedent that is not present in the subject of the sentence.

Wrong: He came over to greet Linda and myself.
Right: He came over to greet Linda and me.

Wrong: If any readers would like to join our band of volunteers could they contact myself as detailed below.
Right: If any readers would like to join our band of volunteers could they contact me as detailed below.

Wrong: Whether yourself or the NYT like it or not it is the owner of the computer who states what is run on their own system.
Right: Whether you or the NYT like it or not it is the owner of the computer who states what is run on their own system.

Question 7

Intensive pronoun

Answer 7

emphasizes a noun or another pronoun

first person: myself; ourselves
second person: yourself; yourselves
third person: himself, herself, itself; themselves

e.g. He himself baked the cake.
Jane herself wrote the letter.

Question 8

demonstrative pronoun

Answer 8

points out a specific person, place, thing, or idea

this, that, these, those

Question 9

relative pronoun

Answer 9

A relative pronoun connects a noun or pronoun to a group of words that provide more information

that, which, who, whom, whose

Question 10

interrogative pronoun

Answer 10

pronoun that introduces a question; begins an “interogation”

who, whom, whose, what, which

Question 11

indefinite pronoun

Answer 11

a pronoun used to refer to persons, places, or things, often without specifying which ones

Singular: another, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, little, much, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, other, somebody, someone, something

Plural: both, few, many, others, several

Singular or Plural: all, any, more, most, none, some, such