PRONOUNS : FORMS AND USES

1. Personal Pronouns:-The Personal pronouns have different forms according to number, gender and case.

In the first person there is no difference in gender. The various forms are, therefore, as follows:-

Singular Plural

Nominative I we

Possessive my, mine our, ours

Accusative & Dative me us

In the second person also there is no difference in gender. The various forms are:-

Singular Plural

Nominative your you

Possessive your(yours) Your(yours)

Accusative & Dative you you

In the third person the various forms are:-

Singular

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nominative he she it

Possessive his(his) her(hers) its(its)

Accusative & Dative him her it

Plural

Masculine Feminine Neuter

They they they

Their(theirs) their(theirs) their(theirs)

Them them them

The passive forms my, our, your, his, her, its and their are used as adjectives and are known as Possessive Adjectives.

1) This is my bicycle.

The corresponding forms mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its and theirs have the function of pronouns. They serve as the subject of a sentence or the object of a verb or preposition.

1) Yours is a fine effort.

2) As he had no book she borrowed his.

3) Let us compare our experiences with theirs.

(Please note that there is no apostrophe in the forms our, yours, his, hers, its and theirs)

2. Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns:- A Reflexive pronoun should not be used in the place of a regular personal pronoun. Further, an Emphatic pronoun does not stand alone.

Correct Incorrect

I shall come. Myself shall come.

You yourself said so. Yourself said so.

3. Interrogative Pronouns:- Who and its different forms refer to persons, what refers to things and which to both.

e.g., 1) Who has written this letter?

2) What is the substance?

3) Which is your brother?

4) Which town is that?

‘What’ can be applied to a person to refer to his profession.

e.g., What is your brother?

He is a doctor.

4. Reciprocal Pronouns:- Each other is used of only two persons while one another is used of more than two.

e.g., 1) The two brothers are fond of each other.

2) The three sisters are fond of one another.

5. Relative Pronouns:- Who, whose and whom are used mainly when the antecedent refers to a person.

e.g., 1) I mislaid the book which I had brought.

2) The dog which you saw is mine.

That is used when the antecedent refers to a person or a thing, but its use is limited. It is preferred after a superlative,

e.g., This is the best film that I have seen.

After the words all, nobody, no one, someone, anybody, etc., it is correct to use that or who when it refers to persons.

e.g., All that/who saw him were impressed by his dignity.

When it refers to things, that is preferred to which, after, all, much, little, none, etc.

1) I understood little that was said.

2) He has forgotten all that he heard.