Pronouns
What you will be able to do
- Explain what a pronoun does and why we use one
- Use subject and object pronouns correctly (I/me, he/him)
- Tell apart possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives (mine vs my)
- Use reflexive, demonstrative, interrogative and indefinite pronouns
- Fix common pronoun errors such as 'between you and I'
1 Quick Introduction
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun so we don't repeat the noun again and again. Instead of "Ravi took Ravi's bag because Ravi was late," we say "Ravi took his bag because he was late."
सर्वनाम (Pronoun) वह शब्द है जो संज्ञा के स्थान पर प्रयोग होता है, ताकि एक ही नाम बार-बार न दोहराना पड़े। "Ravi took Ravi's bag because Ravi was late" के बजाय हम कहते हैं "Ravi took his bag because he was late."
2 A Real-Life Situation
Your mother calls out:
Mother: Where is your brother? Tell him dinner is ready.
You: He is in his room. I'll call him.
3 The Grammar Rule
| Person | Subject | Object | Possessive Adj. | Possessive Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | I | me | my | mine |
| 2nd | you | you | your | yours |
| 3rd sing. | he/she/it | him/her/it | his/her/its | his/hers/— |
| 1st pl. | we | us | our | ours |
| 3rd pl. | they | them | their | theirs |
4 Personal Pronouns: Subject vs Object
Subject pronouns do the action and usually come before the verb: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Object pronouns receive the action and come after the verb or a preposition: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
The classic test: ask who is doing the verb (subject) and who is it done to (object).
- He called her. (He = subject, her = object)
- Give the keys to them. (after preposition 'to' → object)
My friend and I went out. — 'I' is the subject doing the action. (Polite order also puts the other person first.)
him — it receives the action, so use the object pronoun.
Key Points
- Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) do the action
- Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) receive the action
- After a preposition (to, for, with) always use the object form
5 Possessives, Reflexives & Demonstratives
Possessive adjectives come before a noun: my book, your pen, their house.
Possessive pronouns stand alone (no noun after): This book is mine. That pen is yours.
Reflexive pronouns end in -self/-selves and point back to the subject: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves — She hurt herself.
Demonstrative pronouns point things out: this, that (singular), these, those (plural).
my — a noun ('seat') follows, so use the possessive adjective.
itself — the action points back to the subject (the cat), so use a reflexive pronoun.
Key Points
- Possessive adjective + noun (my book); possessive pronoun stands alone (mine)
- Reflexive pronouns (-self/-selves) point back to the subject
- Demonstratives: this/that (one), these/those (many)
6 Interrogative, Indefinite & Relative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns ask questions: who, whom, whose, which, what.
Indefinite pronouns refer to no particular person/thing: someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, each, both, all, many, few. Most are singular and take a singular verb: Everyone is here.
Relative pronouns join clauses and refer back to a noun: who (people), which (things), that (both) — The girl who won is my friend.
has — 'everyone' is singular, so it takes a singular verb.
that (or 'which') — it refers to the thing 'book' and joins the clauses.
Key Points
- Interrogatives ask: who, whom, whose, which, what
- Most indefinite pronouns (everyone, nobody, each) are singular
- Relatives join clauses: who (people), which (things), that (both)
7 Vocabulary Builder
| Word | Meaning | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|
| Antecedent | the noun a pronoun refers to | पूर्ववर्ती संज्ञा |
| Reflexive | pointing back to the subject | निजवाचक |
| Possessive | showing ownership | सम्बन्धवाचक |
| Indefinite | not specific | अनिश्चयवाचक |
| Refer | to point to or mean | संदर्भित करना |
8 Common Mistakes to Avoid
9 Practice Exercises
- Ravi is my friend. ______ is very kind.
- The mangoes are sweet. I like ______.
- Sita and I are sisters. ______ live together.
- Give the pen to ______ (Rani).
- This book is ______ (belongs to me).
- He
- them
- We
- her
- mine
- She cooked the meal ______ (reflexive).
- ______ of the two answers is correct? (interrogative)
- Nobody ______ (has/have) seen him.
- The man ______ called you is here. (relative)
- Is this ______ bag? (possessive adjective, you)
- herself
- Which
- has
- who
- your
- Him and me are friends.
- This pen is your's.
- Everybody were happy.
- She did it by hisself.
- He and I are friends. (error: Him and me)
- This pen is yours. (error: your's)
- Everybody was happy. (error: were)
- She did it by herself. (error: hisself)
- Me did my homework.
- Give it to he.
- Each of the boys have a bag.
- I did my homework.
- Give it to him.
- Each of the boys has a bag.
- herself / she / cut / the / cake
- is / who / there / knocking
- mine / book / is / this
- She cut the cake herself.
- Who is knocking there?
- This book is mine.
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. mine | a. interrogative pronoun |
| 2. myself | b. indefinite (singular) |
| 3. who | c. possessive pronoun |
| 4. everyone | d. reflexive pronoun |
10 Micro Quiz
11 Reading Practice
Aman and his sister Nisha love painting. They paint together every Sunday. "This brush is mine," says Nisha, "and that one is yours." Aman, who is younger, sometimes spills the colours, but he always cleans the table himself. Everyone in the family enjoys their bright pictures.
- Which word in the passage is a possessive pronoun?
- Find the reflexive pronoun.
- What is the antecedent of 'who' in the passage?
- mine (also 'yours') — it stands alone without a noun after it.
- himself — it points the action of cleaning back to Aman.
- Aman — 'who is younger' refers back to Aman.
12 Speaking, Writing & Daily Use
- He is my best friend.
- Please give the books to them.
- This bag is mine, not yours.
- She finished the project herself.
- Who is going to help us?
13 Challenge Zone
14 Chapter Mind Map
PRONOUNS
|
+-------+------+------+-------+------+
| | | | | |
PERSONAL POSS REFLEX DEMON INTERR INDEF
I/me my -self this who everyone
he/him mine -selves that which nobody
they yours these whose each15 One-Minute Revision
Remember these
- A pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition
- Subject: I, he, she, we, they · Object: me, him, her, us, them
- After a preposition, always use the object pronoun
- Possessive adjective + noun (my book); possessive pronoun stands alone (mine)
- Most indefinite pronouns (everyone, each, nobody) are singular