Pronoun in a Sentence | A Complete Guide + 10 Examples
Let's have a complete understanding of using a pronoun in a sentence. Also get clear explanations and 10 helpful examples to add quality in your information.
What are your pronouns? You must have heard this a lot on social media in recent times. Apparently, some people are changing their pronouns.
But what are pronouns? Why are they so important, and how do you use them in daily life conversations?
I am answering all these questions in this article so you can have a better understanding of pronouns.
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are the words we use in place of nouns, often to avoid repeating a noun again and again in a paragraph. It improves the readability of the passage.
Daily life communication is often a combination of simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences which involves using a single noun again and again. But with pronouns, we avoid that.
Pronouns perform the same function in a sentence as nouns in representing people, things, concepts, and places. That is why most sentences have at least one noun or pronoun.
Types of pronouns
Pronouns that we were discussing at the start of this article are personal pronouns, that are being changed in some parts of the world.
There are other types of pronouns too, which is the next thing we will discuss.
1. Relative pronouns
We define a noun with these pronouns in a sentence. They join two parts of a compound sentence.
Some of these pronouns are who, whom, which, whose, when, and that.
Example:
- The woman who lives next door is a doctor
2. Possessive pronouns
These pronouns show possession or ownership. We use them instead of an apostrophe “s” after the subject.
Common possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.
Examples:
- The book is mine, not yours
3. Demonstrative pronouns
These pronouns are used to point out specific things or people. The pointed objects are either mentioned before in the sentence just like a simple sentence clearly explains the meaning of the whole sentence.
Demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those. Objects that are nearby in space or time are represented by this and these. While the ones that are far in time or space take that and those.
Examples:
- This is my favorite song
- Is that your car over there?
These pronouns are used very commonly in imperative sentences; to give commands or orders, like in the following sentences.
- Do this
- Don’t do that
4. Interrogative pronouns
With these pronouns, we ask something about a noun. Sentences that have an interrogative pronoun are called interrogative sentences.
Interrogative pronouns are what, who, whom, whose, which, why, and where.
Example:
- What are you doing this weekend?
- Who is responsible for this?
Notice that the sentence structure of these sentences is different, as demonstrated in the following example.
5. Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to things or people that are not specified. Even the quantity of the reference is not specified.
These pronouns are mostly a combination of two or more words, like someone, somewhere, somebody, something, anybody, anything, anyone, anywhere, nobody, nothing, no one, everybody, everywhere, everyone, nowhere, and everything.
Quantitative indefinite pronouns are each, none, few, and many.
Example:
- Everyone loves a good story (non-specific quantity)
- Each of you is responsible for this (non-specific quantity)
6. Reciprocal pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns show a mutual relationship or action between two or more people. Common words used as reciprocal pronouns are each other, one another.
Example:
- They helped each other with their homework
- Our families know one another
7. Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used along with a noun or a pronoun as a subject in the same sentence. These pronouns refer back to that noun or pronoun.
Words commonly used as reflexive pronouns are herself, himself, themselves, myself, yourself, oneself, and itself.
Example:
- I did it by myself
- She made the cake herself
8. Personal pronouns
Finally, this type of a noun is that people are trying to change for themselves.
As the name suggests, these pronouns substitute proper names. They can take the place of proper nouns, like your name and mine too, in sentences.
These pronouns change their form according to the gender, person, number, and case.
There is also an impersonal pronoun, “one,” that is used just like personal pronouns but does not represent a particular person. Just like it supports the adjective in sentence making and represents the personal noun more clearly.
Personal pronouns are I, we, they, you, he, she, it, her, him, and them.
Example:
- He is a good chef
- I don’t know her
Forms of personal pronouns
As I mentioned earlier, personal pronouns change their form according to the type of sentence and their usage in it. But how?
That’s what we are going to look at now.
According to English grammar, pronouns change according to:
1. Gender
Different pronouns are used for each gender, and there are gender-neutral pronouns too.
- Masculine: He, him
- Feminine: She, her
- Gender-neutral: one, it
2. Number
Different pronouns are used for singular and multiple nouns. Plural pronouns are not gender-specific; they are neutral.
- Singular: He, she, it, her, him
- Plural: They, them
3. Person
Referring to different nouns according to time and space also requires different pronouns, like in declarative sentences, e.g. “He is a great soccer player.”
- First-person: I, we, me, us
- Second-person: He, she, it, him, her
- Third-person: They, them
4. Case
The position of the pronoun in a sentence decides what case of the pronoun will be used.
- Subject: I, we, he, she, they, you, it
- Object: you, me, us, him, her, them, it
- Possessive: mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, theirs
- Reflexive: myself, herself, himself, yourself, ourselves, itself, themselves
All of the above-mentioned forms of personal pronouns are quite helpful in forming a complete sentence. However, if you're unsure about pronoun placement, an AI sentence rewriter can help you with that.
It’s a useful tool that refines your sentences more effectively. Overall, it’s a versatile tool that can rephrase your sentence with more clarity.
Moreover, another tool paragraph generator is also available at free of cost to create new information by just entering your main keyword. Try both of these tools for writing purposes and get free assistance.
Uses of pronouns in a sentence with 10 examples
Here are some additional examples to help you better understand how to use pronouns. Let’s take a look at them:
Pronouns as a subject
- Adam is not here; he will call you as soon as he arrives here.
Pronouns as an object
- John is not here yet; call him
Pronouns to show possession
- This car is mine; do not touch it
Pronouns to describe a noun
- My friend who is a lawyer will take your case
Pronouns to refer to non-specific objects
- Does anybody have a lighter?
Pronouns to ask about a noun
- Who is responsible for this?
Pronouns to represent non-specific amounts
- I have many books
Pronouns to point out things
- This chair is not comfortable at all
Pronouns to refer back to the subject
- I will do it myself, thank you
Pronouns to show the plurality of a noun
- They are leaving for the wedding
Final words
In the end, I must add that pronouns are a vital part of our language. With them, our communication becomes more efficient and natural.
By understanding the different types of pronouns and their uses, you can improve both your written and spoken communication.
Now that you have a deeper understanding of pronouns, try identifying and using them more consciously in your daily conversations or writing.
Pay attention to how others use them, it will make your sentences clearer and easier.
Frequently asked questions
How can I use pronouns correctly in daily conversations?
To use pronouns correctly, pay attention to the context, the person you’re referring to, and the function of the pronoun in the sentence. Read this article to get clarity on how pronouns change with the person.
What are gender-neutral pronouns?
Gender-neutral pronouns are pronouns that don't specify a gender, such as “they/them” used for a single person or “it” for objects. “One” is also a gender-neutral pronoun used for singular, non-specific nouns.
Why are pronouns important?
Pronouns are important because they help us communicate clearly and avoid repetitive use of nouns. They improve the flow of sentences and make paragraphs easier to read.
