What is a Pronoun? Types of Pronoun

In English grammar, there are several parts of speech that are the basic set of words we apply to form a proper sentence while writing or even in speech. While the most common amongst them would be nouns, pronouns come right after it.

When we talk about nouns, we automatically connect with pronouns. Pronouns are general words that are the substitute of nouns. And just like nouns, pronouns can be of different types.

There are certain rules concerning its usage and application. Let us learn what exactly are pronouns and what purpose do they serve.

What is a pronoun?

Pronouns are words that are core to English grammar. They are words that replace nouns in a sentence and make the sentence shorter and better looking. Pronouns help avoid the redundancy of nouns and remove confusion.

Pronouns are a daily part of our writing and speech. They can replace any type of noun, be it a person, animal, thing, or place. Pronouns help us use fewer words as they can take the place of literally an entire noun.

Pronouns are – he, she, they, we, some, it, who, what, them, etc.

These are just the basic examples of pronouns. Several other categories come within pronouns.

But first, let us understand pronouns with some examples;

Rina is my friend. She loves eating pizza.

Here, we see that ”she” took the place of ”Rina”. It avoided the repetition of the noun.

Rina is my friend. Rina loves eating pizza.

Here, we are repeating the noun “Rina” twice, which makes it sound very wrong and redundant.

Some other examples are;

  • I am going to Paris because it is a beautiful place.
  • Have you seen Mina and Tina? I have been looking for them since morning.
  • Not only is Sia a good teacher, but she is also a good player.

We notice that pronouns are very helpful words that make sentences simpler. Imagine saying, “Hi, my name is John. John likes to play guitar.” it sounds wrong. You do not talk about yourself using your name twice. Instead, you would say, “Hi, My name is John. I like to play guitar.”

Usage and types of pronoun

Pronouns are not only used to replace names of the place, person, or thing. They are also used for several other reasons. However, their main aim is to avoid the use of nouns repeatedly and represent it with smaller words.

Usually, pronouns are used in place of a particular noun. And they can be both plural and singular. Some pronouns are entirely singular and plural, while some can change accordingly. And sometimes, we make use of some pronouns, even for an unknown noun. There is no particular noun, and the pronouns represent an indefinite something.

Let us look at different kinds of pronouns and their examples.

1. Personal pronouns: I, he, she, we, you, us, them, me, they, him, her, etc.

Example: I saw her in the room. She was getting ready.

2. Possessive pronouns: his, hers, yours, theirs, etc.

Example: Is this book yours?

3. Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those, etc.

Example: Can you bring me that book?

4. Distributive pronouns: each, either, neither, etc.

Example: Each one of you can come to the party.

5. Reflexive pronouns: himself, herself, myself, etc.

Example: I can do it all by myself.

6. Indefinite pronouns: anything, something, anyone, etc.

Example: can anybody pass me a pen?

7. Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, etc.

Example: The girl who won the game is leaving.

8. Interrogative pronouns: what, who, how, etc.

Example: What is this?

These are the common types of pronouns. There are more to add on, such as exclamatory pronouns, reciprocal pronouns, and emphatic pronouns.

We see each type of pronoun has different intentions and usage. However, they all aim at representing a noun, and hence, they all come under the same part of speech.

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