Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.
Pronouns can be subjects. |
My parents and
I are going camping in Big Bend National Park.
We will have to hike to our campsite.
We are completing the science project as a team, so if we win, the prize belongs to all of
us!
Pronouns can be possessive. |
Tonya found the pretty rock on the ground, so it is
hers, not
yours!
You and I worked very hard to fix up this broken tree house, so it is now truly
ours.
Jack built that amazing string of dominoes, so it is
his right to knock them down.
Joanna and Dean rode to school on
their new electric scooters.
Pronouns can be reflexive. |
Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves. They can be used when the subject and an object in a sentence are the same.
✲
Singular Reflexive Pronouns:
myself,
yourself,
himself,
herself, itself
✲
Plural Reflexive Pronouns:
ourselves,
yourselves,
themselves
The
twins made
themselves a breakfast of chocolate cake and milk this morning.
Pronouns can be indefinite. |
An indefinite pronoun does not fill in for a specific noun. Instead, it names any person, place, thing, or amount. It is "not definite." Indefinite pronouns can act as subjects or objects in sentences.
Somebody cleaned the house.
There was nothing left in the basket.
Sammy didn't like either of the two choices.
Common Indefinite Pronouns
anybody
anyone
anything
either
everybody
everyone
everything
neither
nobody
no one
nothing
one
other
some
somebody
someone
something |
✲ Most indefinite pronouns agree with singular verbs.
No one wants to admit to eating the last slice of pizza.
✲ Negative indefinite pronouns — neither, none, nobody, no one, and nothing — should not be used with the negative words, no or not.
Everybody likes the movie. CORRECT
Nobody dislikes the movie. CORRECT
❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ Go to the next page to practice working with pronouns. |