What is a Pronoun? 🤔
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun so we don’t have to keep saying the same name again and again. It makes sentences shorter and easier to read. ✨
"Riya is my friend. Riya likes Riya’s cat."
We say:
"Riya is my friend. She likes her cat." 🐱
1. Personal Pronouns 👦👧
Definition: Words that replace people, animals, or things in a sentence.
Words: I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them
Before: Riya is drawing a picture. Riya likes her picture very much. 🎨
After: Riya is drawing a picture. She likes it very much. 🎨
Tip: Ask yourself — can you use he, she, it, we, or they instead of repeating the name?
2. Possessive Pronouns 💎
Definition: Show ownership — who something belongs to.
Words: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
Before: Noah came to class with a pencil. That pencil belongs to Noah. ✏️
After: Noah came to class with a pencil. That pencil is his. ✏️
Tip: Replace it with his/her/mine/yours/ours/theirs to show ownership.
3. Reflexive Pronouns 🤹♂️
Definition: Used when someone does something to themselves.
Words: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Before: Riya looked at Riya in the mirror. 🪞
After: Riya looked at herself in the mirror. 🪞
Tip: Reflexive pronouns always end with -self or -selves and reflect back to the subject.
4. Demonstrative Pronouns 👉
Definition: Point out specific things — near or far.
Words: this, that, these, those
Before: I like the toy over there. It is very soft. 🧸
After: I like that toy. It is very soft. 🧸
Tip: If you can point to it, it’s usually a demonstrative pronoun!
5. Interrogative Pronouns ❓
Definition: Used to ask questions.
Words: who, whom, whose, which, what
Before: I want to know the person at the door. 🚪
After: Who is at the door? 🚪
Tip: Interrogative pronouns always ask a question!
6. Indefinite Pronouns 🌟
Definition: Talk about people or things in general, not specific ones.
Words: anyone, someone, everyone, nobody, everything, nothing, all, some, any, none
Before: I don’t know the person who is calling. 📞
After: Someone is calling. 📞
Tip: Indefinite pronouns are general. If you don’t know exactly who or what, use one of these!
7. Relative Pronouns 🔗
Definition: Connect parts of a sentence and describe nouns.
Words: who, whom, whose, which, that
Before: The boy is running. The boy is my friend. 🏃♂️
After: The boy who is running is my friend. 🏃♂️
Tip: Relative pronouns always link two parts of a sentence.
Pronoun Poem 🎵
Personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they 👫
Possessive pronouns tell what belongs to whom 💎
Reflexive pronouns show actions back to me or you 🤹♂️
Demonstratives point: this, that, these, those 👉
Interrogatives ask: who, what, which, or whose ❓
Indefinite pronouns: someone, anyone, everyone 🌟
Relative pronouns link: who, whom, whose, which, that 🔗
Use them all smartly — your writing will shine bright! ✨
Pronoun Summary Table 📋
| Type | Words (Grouped & Explained) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Personal |
1️⃣ First Person (speaking): I, me, we, us 2️⃣ Second Person (spoken to): you 3️⃣ Third Person (spoken about): he, him, she, her, it, they, them |
Riya is drawing a picture. ➡️ She is drawing a picture. 🎨 |
|
🧠 Note: Personal pronouns replace names of people or things to avoid repetition. Example: “Tom likes Tom’s car” ➡️ “He likes his car.” |
||
| Possessive |
Used Alone (independent): mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs Used Before a Noun (dependent): my, your, his, her, its, our, their |
That bag is hers. 🎒 / That is her bag. |
| 🧠 Note: Possessive pronouns show ownership or belonging. Tip: They never need an apostrophe — “its” (belonging to it) ≠ “it’s” (it is). | ||
| Reflexive | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves | Riya looked at herself. 🪞 |
| 🧠 Note: Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are the same person. Example: “I taught myself to draw.” ✏️ | ||
| Demonstrative |
Singular (one thing): this, that Plural (many things): these, those |
This is my toy. 🧸 / Those are my books. 📚 |
| 💡 Meaning: “Demonstrative” means *showing* or *pointing out*. Example: “This apple 🍎 (near me)” vs. “That mountain ⛰️ (far away).” | ||
| Interrogative | who, whom, whose, which, what | Who is at the door? 🚪 |
|
🧠 Note: Interrogative pronouns ask questions about people or things.
Tip: “Whose” shows possession (Whose bag is this?).
Who is used when the person does something. Whom is used when something is done to the person. Tip: If you can replace it with he/she, use who. If you can replace it with him/her, use whom. |
||
| Indefinite |
People 👩🦱: anyone, someone, everyone, nobody, somebody, anybody, everybody, no one Things 🧺: anything, something, everything, nothing Places 🏠: anywhere, somewhere, everywhere, nowhere Quantity 📦: all, some, any, none, few, several, many, each, both, either, neither, one |
Someone is calling. 📞 |
| 🧠 Note: Indefinite pronouns talk about people, things, or places in a general way — not one specific person or object. Example: “Someone is knocking.” → We don’t know exactly who, so it’s *indefinite*! 🌈 | ||
| Relative | who, whom, whose, which, that | The boy who is running is my friend. 🏃♂️ |
|
🧠 Note: Relative pronouns join two ideas together. They introduce a clause that adds information to a noun.
Example: “The book that I read was exciting.” → “that” connects two parts of the sentence. |
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