The Grammar Toolkit: Chapter 3 - Pronouns

Hello and welcome! Pronouns are one of the most useful tools in the English language. They help us speak and write naturally without sounding repetitive. If we didn't use pronouns, we would have to say things like: "Sarah is going to the park. Sarah loves the park."

That sounds strange, right? In this chapter, you will learn how to use pronouns to replace nouns (people, places, or things) smoothly and correctly. This skill will instantly make your English sound more fluent!

1. What is a Pronoun? (The Replacement Player)

Think of a pronoun as a replacement player on a sports team. A pronoun takes the place of a noun.

Goal of Pronouns: To avoid repeating the noun over and over again. They keep sentences short and clear.

  • Instead of: "My father fixed the car. My father is very clever."

  • Use a Pronoun: "My father fixed the car. He is very clever."

Key Takeaway: Pronouns help us be clear without being repetitive.

2. Personal Pronouns (Subject vs. Object)

Personal pronouns are the most common type. They refer to specific people or things. The biggest challenge is knowing when to use the 'doing' form (Subject) and when to use the 'receiving' form (Object).

2.1. Subject Pronouns (The Doers)

Subject Pronouns are the actors in the sentence. They are the ones performing the action (the verb).

Trick: The subject pronoun almost always comes before the verb.

Singular Plural
I We
You You
He (for males) They (for people/things)
She (for females)
It (for things/animals)

Examples:

  • I went to the cinema. (I am the one doing the going.)
  • She is reading a book. (She is the one doing the reading.)
  • We finished the homework quickly.
2.2. Object Pronouns (The Receivers)

Object Pronouns are the receivers of the action. They come after the verb or after a preposition (like to, for, with, at).

Analogy: If the Subject is throwing the ball, the Object is the one catching it.

Subject (Doer) Object (Receiver)
I Me
You You
He Him
She Her
It It
We Us
They Them

Examples:

  • The teacher called me. (The teacher called, I received the call.)
  • Can you give the file to him? (He receives the file.)
  • We saw them at the bus stop.

Common Mistake to Avoid:

Students often confuse I and Me when listing people.

  • Incorrect: "Sarah and I went to the store with John." -> NO.

  • Correct: "John went to the store with Sarah and me." (Think: Would you say "John went with I"? No, you would say "John went with me".)

Quick Review: Subject (I, She, We) = Doing the action. Object (Me, Her, Us) = Receiving the action.

3. Possessive Words (Showing Ownership)

These words show that something belongs to someone. We use them to avoid saying "the book of Ana", and instead say "Ana’s book" or "her book."

This section is tricky because English uses two different types of possessive words: Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns.

3.1. Possessive Adjectives (The Helpers)

Possessive adjectives must *always* be placed directly before the noun they describe. They act like helpers for the noun.

Memory Aid: Adjectives are Always Adjacent (next to) the Noun.

The Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.

Examples:

  • That is my phone.
  • Have you seen their new uniforms?
  • Its colour is red. (Its = belonging to it. *Be careful not to confuse 'its' with 'it's' which means 'it is' or 'it has'!*)
3.2. Possessive Pronouns (The Stand-Alones)

Possessive Pronouns take the place of the possessive adjective + the noun. They stand alone and do not need a noun immediately after them.

The Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

Did you know? His and its are the same word for both the adjective and the pronoun form!

Examples:

  • This book is mine. (Mine replaces 'my book').
  • The blue car is theirs. (Theirs replaces 'their car').
  • That jacket looks like yours.

Comparison Step-by-Step:

  1. Possessive Adjective + Noun: That is our house.

  2. Possessive Pronoun (Stands Alone): That house is ours.

Key Takeaway: Adjectives need a noun partner (my book); Pronouns stand alone (The book is mine).

4. Demonstrative Pronouns (Pointing Words)

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out specific things. They change depending on whether the object is near or far, and whether it is singular or plural.

The Four Demonstrative Pronouns:

Near Me Far From Me
This (Singular) That (Singular)
These (Plural) Those (Plural)

Examples:

  • If you hold one apple: "This is delicious."

  • If you point to one apple across the room: "I want that."

  • If you hold many apples: "These are ripe."

  • If you point to many apples far away: "Look at those."

Important Note: Demonstrative pronouns can also act as demonstrative adjectives if they are followed immediately by a noun. But at A2 level, focus on using them to replace the noun completely!

5. Reflexive Pronouns (The Mirror Words)

Reflexive pronouns are used when the object of the verb is the same as the subject. The action "reflects" back onto the person who did it. Think of it like looking in a mirror—you see yourself!

All reflexive pronouns end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).

The Reflexive Pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Examples:

  • I taught myself how to play the guitar. (I am the teacher and I am the student.)
  • Be careful not to cut yourself!
  • They bought themselves new phones.

Bonus Use: Emphatic Pronouns

Sometimes, we use these pronouns just to add emphasis (to show that something was done without help). This is sometimes called an emphatic pronoun, but it looks exactly the same as the reflexive one!

  • The President himself opened the door. (Meaning: No one else opened it, only the President.)

Common Mistakes and Quick Review

Here are the three most frequent errors students make with pronouns. Check these carefully!

1. Subject vs. Object Confusion (I / Me)

If you are part of a group doing the action, use I. If you are part of a group receiving the action, use me.

  • Wrong: They invited Sam and I to the party.
  • Right: They invited Sam and me to the party. (They invited me.)

2. Apostrophe Errors ('Its' vs. 'It's')

The possessive pronoun/adjective for 'it' never uses an apostrophe.

  • Its = belonging to it (Possession: The dog wagged its tail.)
  • It’s = It is / It has (Contraction: It’s a beautiful day.)

3. Possessive Pronoun Endings

Remember that possessive pronouns (the stand-alones) like yours, hers, ours, theirs never use an apostrophe.

  • Wrong: The pen is your’s.
  • Right: The pen is yours.

You have finished this chapter! Don’t worry if this seems like a lot of information. Practice recognizing the four main types—Personal, Possessive, Demonstrative, and Reflexive—and your fluency will improve immediately!