*A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun or another pronoun. * It can refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. * The word that a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent.

Maria was lost. She didn’t panic.

Maria is the antecedent that the pronoun she refers to.

She checked the flashlight. It still worked.

Flashlight is the antecedent that the pronoun it refers to.

* Some pronouns are called personal pronouns. They have a number of forms to indicate different persons, numbers, and cases.

* The personal pronouns are listed on your Hands-on Grammar cards:I, me you we, us they, them he, him it she, her

* Person and Number: Personal pronouns can indicate singular, plural, or neutral person.

- I, me, he, him, she, her, and you are singular - you, we, us, they, and them are plural - it is neutral

* Case: Each personal pronoun can be one of two cases, depending on its function in the sentence – subject or object.

- Subject: I, you, he, she, it, they, we

Example: I needed the phone number.

- Object: me, you, him, her, it, them, us

Example: Sally gave me the phone number.

A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence or as a predicate nominative after a linking verb.

Singular PluralI Weyou youhe, she, it they

Use a subject pronoun when the pronoun is a subject or part of a compound subject.

The Apollo program was a great success. It got us to the moon.

It, referring to The Apollo program, is the subject of the sentence.

You and I both think of going to Mars.

You and I are the compound subject.

A predicate pronoun follows a linking verb and renames the subject. (same as a predicate nominative except it’s a pronoun instead of a noun) Always use the subject case for predicate pronouns.

The greatest astronauts were they. subject PN

The first astronaut to land on Mars will be I.subject PN

An object pronoun can serve any of the following functions: direct object, indirect object, or object of the preposition.

Singular Pluralme usyou youhim, her, it them

Direct Object: The pronoun receives the action of the verb and answers the question whom or what.

Bad storms scare me.

Me is the direct object.

Do you like them?

Them is the direct object.

Indirect Object: The pronoun tells to whom or what or for whom or what an action is performed.

Give me an explanation of how storms form. IO DO

I told him the story of Hurricane Floyd. IO DO

Object of the Preposition: The pronoun follows a preposition.

He threw the ball right at us. OPWhen he sees lightning, he runs away from it.

OP* Always use object pronouns after the preposition between:

Let’s keep this between me and you. OP OP

If the pronoun follows a linking verb, it is a subject pronoun.

If the pronoun follows an action verb, it is an object pronoun.

EXAMPLES:The best meteorologist is she.(subject case following linking verb is)

The weather reporter interviewed her. (object case following action verb

interviewed)

EXAMPLE: Yesterday the class and I studied a painting. subject/we

1. The painting was called Children’s Games.2. Mr. Smith gave the class and me an assignment.3. Find ten familiar games. Will someone list the games?4. Tell Janice the games one at a time, please.5. Janice will write as fast as possible. Go!6. The painter’s initials are P.B. Can you name the man?7. Was it Peter Berg? Yes, it was Peter Berg.8. (He, Him) and his relatives were artists.9. Five Bergs created important artworks. Admirers

include you and (I, me).10. Mr. Smith assigned Sue and (I, me) to write another

report on this famous family next week.

1. The painting – It/subject2. the class and me – us/indirect object3. the games – them/direct object4. Janice – her/indirect object5. Janice – She/subject6. the man – him/direct object7. Peter Berg – he/subject8. He - subject9. me – direct object10.me – indirect object

Possessive pronouns show possession of an object.

Singular Pluralmy, mine our, oursyour, yours their, theirshis, her, hers, its its

* Act as adjectives: my, your, his, her, our, their, its* Act as subject pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs

Some possessive pronouns can act as adjectives. Adj. Adj.

His mother couldn’t believe her eyes!

Other possessive pronouns can be subject pronouns.

The fries and salad are yours. subject PN

Reflexive pronouns end in self or selves and direct the action back to the subject. They are necessary for the sentence to make sense.

Singular Pluralmyself ourselvesyourself yourselveshimself, herself, itself themselves

Examples:

The Carsons were able to lift themselves out of poverty.

Ben Carson dedicated himself to becoming a surgeon.

Notice if you take the reflexive pronoun out of the sentence it no longer makes sense.

Intensive pronouns also end in self or selves and emphasize a noun or pronoun in the sentence. They are NOT necessary for the sentence to make sense.

Dr. Carson himself has survived overwhelming odds.

You yourself must strive to overcome hardships.

If you take the intensive pronoun out of the sentence, it still makes sense.

Hisself and theirselves are NOT words! Do not be tempted to use them in your work!

Use himself and themselves instead.

Identify the pronouns and label them as Pe (personal) Po (possessive), R (reflexive), or I (intensive).

1. By fifth grade, Ben Carson considered himself the dumbest kid in his class.

2. His mother was raising Ben and his brother herself.

3. When she saw his report card, she decided that she herself would give extra homework assignments; two book reports every week!

4. She also told her sons to limit themselves to only two TV shows each week.

5. Ben outdid himself.

1. Himself – R; his - P

2. his – P; herself - I

3. His – P; herself – I

4. Her – P; themselves – R

5. Himself - R

An interrogative prounoun is used to introduce a question. The following are interrogative pronouns:

Who WhomWhat Which Whose

Hint:Don’t confuse whose with who’s. Who’s is a contraction that means who is. (“Who’s missing?”) Whose is an interrogative pronoun. (Whose book is gone?)

Choosing who or whom in a question:•WHO is always used as a SUBJECT or PREDICATE PROUNOUN.

•Who called the power company?•The electrician is who?

•WHOM is always used as an OBJECT.•To whom did you speak?Example: (Who, Whom) will you see?

1.Rewrite the question as a statement. You will see (who, whom).

2.Decide if the pronoun is used as a subject or as an object. Choose the correct form.

You will see whom.3.Use the correct form in the question.Whom will you see?

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out a specific person or thing. The following are demonstrative pronouns:

this thatthese those

The pronouns this and these are used to refer to items that are nearby, and that and those are used to refer to items that are farther away.

Examples:This is my pen; these are my scissors.

That is not my last piece; those are the extras.

Helpful Hint:Don’t use “here” or “there” after a demonstrative pronoun, no matter how much it sounds “right.”

This here is an incorrect sentence.That there is another incorrect sentence.

Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Singular indefinite pronouns:another anybody anyoneanythingeither everybodyeach everyone

everythingmuch neither nobodyno one nothing somebodyone someonesomething

Plural indefinite pronouns:both few manyseveral

Singular or plural indefinite pronouns:all any mostnone several some

Helpful Hint: Pronouns that contain one, thing, or body are always singular.

Examples:

One of the girls put her soccer ball in the box.

Many contributed their favorite CDs or games.

Some of the time capsule looks like it is very old.

Nothing lasts forever.

Identify the pronouns. Label them as D (demonstrative), I (indefinite), or P (Personal).

1. Everyone likes to think he or she will leave a mark on the world.

2. That is a good question.

3. This is a situation in which you might not have access to food or water.

4. Each of the people who planned the event was honored.

5. Those could belong to anyone.

1. Everyone - I

2. That - D

3. This - D

4. Each - I

5. Those – D; anyone - I