Types of Pronouns

By using various types of pronouns (subject, object, possessive, reflexive, and intensive), the writer creates variety, which adds interest and holds the reader's attention.

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Common Core standards l.6.1.a; L.6.1.b; L.6.1.d

Subjective / Subject

Subject pronouns act as the subject of the sentence. The subject is who or what does the action or is being described.

Example: Stuart threw the ball.

Subject: Stuart

If we replace “Stuart” with a pronoun, we would use a subject pronoun – in this case, “he.”

Example: Amanda is a teacher.

Subject: Amanda

“Amanda” could be replaced by the pronoun “she.” She is a teacher.

Subject pronouns: He, she, I, we, they, you, it, who

How it can go wrong:

If you use a different pronoun as the subject of a sentence, the sentence sounds weird.

Example: Him threw the ball.

Example: Her is a teacher.

Make sure to only use subject pronouns as the subject of sentences!

Practice: Find the subject pronouns

She likes dancing.

It was a dark and stormy midday picnic.

They aren’t happy here.

You are a rock star.

I never meant to do that.

Answers: She; It; They; You; I

Objective / Object

Object pronouns receive the action done by the subject. They might be a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.

Example: Stuart kicked Jimothy.

“Jimothy” is a noun. It is acting as a direct object. “Jimothy” could be replaced by the pronoun “him.” Stuart kicked him.

Example: The parents gave the kids ice cream.

“Kids” is a noun. It is acting as an indirect object. “Kids” could be replaced by the pronoun “them.” The parents gave them ice cream.

Example: I found $20 in my coat.

“Coat” is a noun. It is acting as the object of a preposition. “Coat” could be replaced by the pronoun “it.”

I found $20 in it.

Object pronouns: Him, her, me, us, them, you, it, whom

How it can go wrong:

If you use a subject pronoun instead of an object pronoun, the sentence sounds weird.

Example: Stuart kicked he.

Example: The parents gave they ice cream.

Note: “you” and “it” are both subject and object pronouns. They will sound right no matter how they’re used in the sentence.

Practice: Identify the object pronouns

She asked him out on a date.

I didn’t do it!

Mikey hit me.

My parents gave us a choice.

Stuart ate 12 of them.

Answers: him; it; me; us; them

Possessive

Possessive pronouns show ownership. They overlap with object pronouns if the object pronoun is followed by a noun, in which case they directly replace a possessive noun. There is also a separate list of possessive pronouns.

Example: Agatha’s book is under the table.

“Agatha’s” is a possessive noun. “Agatha’s” can be replaced by the pronoun “her.”

Her book is under the table.

Example: The tomatoes are mine.

“Mine” is a possessive pronoun denoting that the subject (tomatoes) belong to me.

Possessive pronouns: His, hers, mine, ours, theirs, yours, its, my + noun, her + noun, their + noun, your + noun, our + noun

Special note: Possessive pronoun its does NOT use an apostrophe.

Practice: Fill in the possessive pronoun

The bike is ____.

The dog wagged ___ tail.

____ book is lost.

I kept ___ coat until you came back.

My little cousins think everything is ____.

Answers: (suggested) mine; its; (suggested) My; (suggested) your; theirs

Reflexive

Reflexive pronouns reflect the subject. The subject is also the antecedent for the reflexive pronouns. They typically act as indirect objects.

Reflexive pronouns are when someone does something to itself. The action is done BY the subject TO the subject.

Reflexive pronouns overlap intensive pronouns (see next section) in words, but not in use.

Example: I would buy myself a Ferrari.

The subject (I) is doing something (buy) to myself.

Example: Stuart hit himself with a hammer.

The subject (Stuart) did something (hit) to himself.

Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Note: Reflexive pronouns are necessary to the meaning of the sentence. If they are removed, the meaning of the sentence is unclear.

Practice: Fill in the reflexive pronoun

She treated ___ to a spa day.

The dog scratched ___.

My friends and I bought ___ prom dresses.

You need to watch ___ or you’ll get in trouble!

I gave ___ a birthday gift.

Answers: herself; itself; ourselves; yourself; myself

Intensive

The purpose of intensive pronouns is emphasize, or stress, the importance of a noun by referencing it again. In other words, the sentence still makes sense without an intensive pronoun, but using one emphasizes the writer's meaning.

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Intensive pronouns intensify the subject as the doer of the action. They are used to place extra emphasis on the fact that the subject was really, truly, for sure the one who did the action. The action is not done to the subject.

Intensive pronouns overlap reflexive pronouns (see previous section) in words, but not in use.

Example: I did it myself.

The intensive pronoun emphasizes the fact that I am the one who did it – no one else. (I did not do it to myself.)

Example: Nataliana heard the lie herself.

The intensive pronoun makes it clear that Natialiana heard the lie with her own ears.

Intensive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Note: Intensive pronouns are optional. If they are removed, the meaning of the sentence stays the same. Instead, they are used to enhance the meaning of the sentence.

Practice: Fill in the intensive pronoun

The heroes stopped the ticking bomb ___.

That door just opened by ___!

I chose the music ___.

He cooked the entire meal ___.

Did you do that ___?

Answers: themselves; itself; myself; himself; yourself

Practice: Intensive or reflexive?

He mailed the letter to his grandma himself.

She stared at herself in the mirror.

Birds clean themselves by preening.

I’ll bike around the block by myself.

They themselves caught the culprits.

Answers: intensive; reflexive; reflexive; intensive; intensive

Indefinite

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Antecedent – the noun a pronoun replaces

Indefinite pronouns deliberately have no antecedent. This might happen because the antecedent is unknown; sometimes the antecedent is unimportant to the meaning of the sentence.

Example: Somebody stole a penguin from the zoo.

At the moment, it’s not important (or possibly not known) who stole the penguin. The important thing is that a penguin is missing!

Example: Stuart saw everyone in the auditorium.

Rather than naming every single person Stuart saw, it’s clearer to use an indefinite pronoun.

Indefinite pronouns: compounds of –body, -one, -thing (everybody, someone, nothing, anybody); another; each; either; neither; much; both; few; several; many; all; any; more; most; none; some

Practice: Find the indefinite pronouns

Most of the brownies were eaten.

All of the cake is delicious.

We saw few people we knew.

Either is an acceptable option.

Everyone knows that!

Answers: Most; All; few; Either; Everyone

Vague

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Antecedent – the noun a pronoun replaces

Vague pronouns have no clear antecedent. Unlike indefinite pronouns, which have no antecedent because it’s unknown or unimportant, vague pronouns have no antecedent because of sloppy writing.

Example: Stuart and Jimothy were late to school. Hehad a dentist appointment.

Based on this sentence, the reader can’t tell which boy had the dentist appointment.

Example: Only my brother rode the train because we were arriving separately.

Sure, the reader can guess that the antecedent is the narrator’s family, but it’s not clear. That makes this a vague pronoun.

How to fix it:

1) Be aware of it! Reread your writing with a focus on pronouns. Does each have a clear antecedent?

2) Switch any vague pronouns to their intended antecedents.

Example: Stuart and Jimothy were late to school. Stuart had a dentist appointment.

Example: Only my brother rode the train because my family and Iwere arriving separately.

Practice: Find the vague pronouns

Sarah and Sally argued. Agnes believed that she was right.

The whole class thought that he was being unfair.

Stuart and Jimothy survived the storm, but then his basement flooded.

Agatha answered the phone because we were busy.

The lawnmower and the hedge trimmer are in the garage. It needs to be repaired.

Answers: she; he; his; we; it

Practice: Fix the vague pronouns

Sarah and Sally argued. Each believed that she was right.