Antecedents and Postcedents
If the noun is used before the pronoun, the noun is called the antecedent. It is what the pronoun refers back to. In the sentence: "My dog was ill, so I took her to the vet", my dog is the antecedent of her, because my dog is the noun phrase that the pronoun her refers back to.
If the pronoun comes before the noun, the noun is called the postcedent. It identifies the previously used pronoun. In the sentence: "Because she was ill, I took my dog to the vet", my dog is the postcedent of she, because my dog identifies the previously mentioned she.
The pronoun must agree with the noun in number and gender if known or applicable.
In this example, fruit is singular, so the singular pronoun it is used. There may be several items of fruit but it is viewed as one entity.
In this example, bananas is plural, so the plural pronouns those and they are used.
If a group of individuals are viewed as a single unit, a singular pronoun is used. If the individuals in that group are acting independently, a plural pronoun is used.
In this example, the committee is singular. It is several members making up one unit, so the singular pronoun its is used. However, each member of the committee had been free to express an opinion, so they agreed that it had been difficult to come to an agreement.
It is natural and acceptable to use they instead of he or she or their instead of his or her:
In the first example, each school child is a singular noun phrase, but their is used instead of his or her.
In the second example, no one is a singular pronoun, but they is used instead of he or she. (No one is an indefinite pronoun. See the table at the bottom of the page.)
What, which, who, whom and whose are known as interrogative pronouns. They are used in questions to replace the person, people, thing or things that the questioner is seeking to identify.
Note the interrogative pronouns in the following conversation:
"Why are you late for work?"
"My train was delayed."
"Which one was that?"
"The 7.15."
"How will you catch up?"
"I'll get help."
"Whom will you ask?"
"I'll ask Jane."
"When do you think you'll be finished?"
"I'll have everything done by today."
Which identified the 7.15, and whom identified Jane, both of which are nouns. (The 7.15 in this conversation refers to a train and not to time.) Why, how and when are not interrogative pronouns, because they seek a reason, an explanation and a time period (an adverb) respectively.
Why, how, when and where are never interrogative pronouns.
Who, whom and whose always are interrogative pronouns, as they seek the identity of a person or people.
What and which sometimes are interrogative pronouns, but not always.
If in conversation you can't remember whether to use who or whom, use who. Even if you get it wrong, no one will mind or notice. If you use whom when you should have used who, not only will you be wrong, but you'll also sound pretentious. That means that others will think that you are trying to hard to impress.
Indefinite pronouns refer to one, some, or all the people or things in a group. They don't refer to any person or thing in particular.
Nouns are countable or uncountable. We use many to describe a countable noun and much or a lot of to describe an uncountable noun. For example, a group of people can be counted. If you were in a crowd of people, you would say that there were many people. Water can not be counted. If there is a flood, you would say that there is a lot of water. If you were running out of sugar, you would say that you don't have much sugar left.
Things which are not made of atoms (concrete nouns) are said to be abstract. They can include ideas, qualities and concepts. Abstract nouns are uncountable.
A list of indefinite pronouns can be found in the table at the bottom of the page.
Sometimes you is used to mean any person, or people in general. If the pronoun comes before the noun, the noun is called the postcedent. It identifies the previously used pronoun. In the sentence: "Because she was ill, I took my dog to the vet", my dog is the postcedent of she, because my dog identifies the previously mentioned she.
Number and Gender Agreement
The pronoun must agree with the noun in number and gender if known or applicable.
If you don't eat the fruit it will go bad.
In this example, fruit is singular, so the singular pronoun it is used. There may be several items of fruit but it is viewed as one entity.
If you don't eat those bananas they will go bad.
In this example, bananas is plural, so the plural pronouns those and they are used.
If a group of individuals are viewed as a single unit, a singular pronoun is used. If the individuals in that group are acting independently, a plural pronoun is used.
After the committee made its decision, they agreed that it had been difficult to come to an agreement.
In this example, the committee is singular. It is several members making up one unit, so the singular pronoun its is used. However, each member of the committee had been free to express an opinion, so they agreed that it had been difficult to come to an agreement.
Singular They
It is natural and acceptable to use they instead of he or she or their instead of his or her:
Each school child is expected to hand in their homework on time.
No one should have to put up with that sort of treatment, should they?
In the second example, no one is a singular pronoun, but they is used instead of he or she. (No one is an indefinite pronoun. See the table at the bottom of the page.)
Interrogative Pronouns
What, which, who, whom and whose are known as interrogative pronouns. They are used in questions to replace the person, people, thing or things that the questioner is seeking to identify.
Note the interrogative pronouns in the following conversation:
"Why are you late for work?"
"My train was delayed."
"Which one was that?"
"The 7.15."
"How will you catch up?"
"I'll get help."
"Whom will you ask?"
"I'll ask Jane."
"When do you think you'll be finished?"
"I'll have everything done by today."
Which identified the 7.15, and whom identified Jane, both of which are nouns. (The 7.15 in this conversation refers to a train and not to time.) Why, how and when are not interrogative pronouns, because they seek a reason, an explanation and a time period (an adverb) respectively.
Why, how, when and where are never interrogative pronouns.
Who, whom and whose always are interrogative pronouns, as they seek the identity of a person or people.
What and which sometimes are interrogative pronouns, but not always.
If in conversation you can't remember whether to use who or whom, use who. Even if you get it wrong, no one will mind or notice. If you use whom when you should have used who, not only will you be wrong, but you'll also sound pretentious. That means that others will think that you are trying to hard to impress.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to one, some, or all the people or things in a group. They don't refer to any person or thing in particular.
Nouns are countable or uncountable. We use many to describe a countable noun and much or a lot of to describe an uncountable noun. For example, a group of people can be counted. If you were in a crowd of people, you would say that there were many people. Water can not be counted. If there is a flood, you would say that there is a lot of water. If you were running out of sugar, you would say that you don't have much sugar left.
Things which are not made of atoms (concrete nouns) are said to be abstract. They can include ideas, qualities and concepts. Abstract nouns are uncountable.
A list of indefinite pronouns can be found in the table at the bottom of the page.
Generic You
You only live once.
You don't see that every day.
The two statements above may be said directly to another person, but you in each case does not refer only to the listener, but to anyone. Another word that is used to mean people in general is one, but you is more informal and is used in everyday conversation.
One only lives once.
One does not see that every day.
Name of Pronoun
|
First Person
|
Second Person
|
Third Person
| ||||
Singular
|
Plural
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
Singular
|
Plural
| ||
Subjective
|
I
|
We
|
You
|
You
|
He / She / It / One /
|
They
| |
Objective
|
Me
|
Us
|
You
|
You
|
Him / Her / It / One
|
Them
| |
Possessive
|
Mine
|
Ours
|
Yours
|
Yours
|
His / Hers / Its / Ones
|
Theirs
| |
Reflexive or Intensive
|
Myself
|
Ourselves
|
Yourself
|
Yourself
|
Himself / Herself / Itself /
Oneself
|
Themselves
| |
Name of Pronoun
|
Examples
| |
Reciprocal
|
Each other / One another
| |
Relative
|
That / Which / Who / Whom / Whoever / Whomever / Whose
| |
Interrogative
|
What / Which / Who / Whom / Whose / Whoever / Whomever
| |
 |
Singular
|
This / That
|
Plural
|
These / Those
| |
Singular
|
Anyone / Anybody / Anything / Everyone / Everybody / Everything / Someone / Somebody / Something / No-one / Nobody / Nothing / Each / Every / One / Either / Neither / Any / All / Some / None / More / Most
| |
Plural
|
Both / Few / Several / Many / Much / Plenty / Any / All / Some / None / More / Most
| |
