Download Pronoun Study Guide

Pronoun Test Study Guide
Test on Thursday, October 15, 2015
Pronoun:
A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun. You use pronouns like "he," "which," "none," and
"you" to make your sentences less cumbersome and less repetitive.
Personal Pronouns:
A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing and changes its form to indicate
person, number, gender, and case.
Possessive Pronoun:
A possessive pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as a marker of possession and
defines who owns a particular object or person. The possessive personal pronouns are
"mine," "yours," "hers," "his," "its," "ours," and "theirs." Note that possessive personal
pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives like "my," "her," and "their."
Demonstrative Pronouns:
A demonstrative pronoun points to and identifies a noun or a pronoun. "This" and
"these" refer to things that are nearby either in space or in time, while "that" and
"those" refer to things that are farther away in space or time. The demonstrative
pronouns are "this," "that," "these," and "those."
Interrogative Pronouns:
An interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions. The interrogative pronouns are "who,"
"whom," "which," "what" and the compounds formed with the suffix "ever" ("whoever,"
"whomever," "whichever," and "whatever"). You will find "who," "whom," and
occasionally "which" used to refer to people, and "which" and "what" used to refer to
things and to animals.
Indefinite Pronouns:
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun referring to an identifiable but not specified person or
thing. An indefinite pronoun conveys the idea of all, any, none, or some. The most
common indefinite pronouns are "all," "another," "any," "anybody," "anyone,"
"anything," "each," "everybody," "everyone," "everything," "few," "many," "nobody,"
"none," "one," "several," "some," "somebody," and "someone." Note that some indefinite
pronouns can also be used as indefinite adjectives.
Reflexive:
The reflexive pronouns are: myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves, and themselves.
A reflexive pronoun is used with another noun (or pronoun) when something does
something to itself.
For example: John pinched himself.
(The reflexive pronoun himself tells us that John did something to John.)
Intensive:
Intensive pronouns use reflexive pronouns to add emphasis to the subject of the sentence.
The intensive/reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves and themselves. You’ll usually find the intensive pronoun right after the noun
or pronoun it’s modifying, but not necessarily.
****The way to identify an intensive pronoun is to remove it from the sentence; if it’s an
intensive pronoun, the sentence will still make sense. If the sentence no longer makes
sense, it’s a reflexive pronoun.
Example: Did you yourself make the cake?
The subjective pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we and they. Subjective pronouns are
used to replace the name of a person and do the action the verb suggests.
Subject Pronoun:
Example: Should I go pick up the pizza now?
We like the new English professor.
Object Pronoun
The object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, us and them. Object pronouns receive the
action the verb suggests; look for a preposition which modifies the pronoun.
Example: Julia doesn’t want to go on a date with him. (comes after the preposition,
with)
The old woman was staring at her. (comes after the preposition, at)
Pronoun Agreement:

A pronoun must always agree in number and gender with its antecedent (the word or words to which the pronoun
refers).

Use a singular pronoun to refer to a singular antecedent; similarly, use a plural pronoun to refer to a plural
antecedent.
Examples:
After Christian scored the winning goal, his teammates voted him the most valuable player.
The boys were thrilled with their victory.

Use a singular pronoun when the antecedent is a singular, indefinite pronoun, regardless of intervening phrases.
Examples:
One of the boys on the hockey team broke his arm when he collided with the goalie.
Everyone must have his or her lines memorized by Monday.

Use a plural pronoun when there is more than one antecedent joined by and.
Example:
Juan and Maria effectively expressed their opinions, but the panel was unresponsive to their suggestions.

When compound antecedents are joined by or, nor, either/or, neither/nor; the pronoun should agree with the closer
antecedent.
Examples:
Either Wendell or Omar will bring his basketball to practice.
Neither the doctor nor the nurses blamed themselves for the patient's death.
(Placing the plural antecedent last helps to avoid unnecessary awkwardness.)
Antecedents:
An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, understood by the context.
Example: Even though the party was fun, it was crowded.
Pronoun:
Antecedent:
it
party