Types Of Pronouns
Just like other parts of speech, pronouns form a very fundamental part of the English language and therefore having an idea of the different types of pronouns is imperative for those who love and treasure a language. This variation depends on how these words are used in a sentence or the position they take in given sentence structure.
A pronoun is a word or a phrase which can be used instead of a noun or a noun phrase. Some of the most common examples of pronouns include he, it hers etc.
Pronouns can be classified as:
Demonstrative pronouns
They are used to indicate / demonstrate just as the name suggests. This types of pronoun point at a specific item in any given scenario in which they are used. Example of demonstrative pronouns include this, these, those etc.
Example in a sentence:
This is the one I left at that corner.
Indefinite pronouns
These types of pronouns do not point at any specific things. They simply generalize. In fact, they form the largest number of pronouns in the English language. Examples of these types of pronouns include some, all, each, several, nobody and no one amongst others.
Examples:
Somebody stole my pen yesterday.
No one was present at the party.
Interrogative pronouns
These types of pronouns are used to ask questions.
Examples:
Who took Mary’s pen?
In this sentence, the word ‘who’ is an interrogative pronoun. Others include which, what, where, how etc.
Possessive pronouns
These are words used to show possession. They tend to show who owns what. Examples include my, your, their, her, his, its and our.
Example of a sentence:
Have you seen her book?
Relative pronouns
These types of pronouns give additional information in the sentences in which they are used. They include who, whom, whose, where, that and which.
Example:
The thief who robbed him last night was shot.
Absolute possessive pronouns
These are independent pronouns which show possession. The only difference between these types of pronouns and the possessive pronouns is that possessive pronouns are also adjectives to nouns. Examples of absolute possessive pronouns include mine, yours, ours, hers, theirs and his.
Example
That car is ours.
Reciprocal pronouns
These types of pronouns are used for reciprocated actions just as the name suggests. The two commonly used reciprocated pronouns include one another and each other.
Example of a sentence:
They love one another.
Reflexive pronouns
These types of pronouns end wih ‘self’ in singular and ‘selves’ while in plural. Examples of reflexive pronouns are himself, yourself, and themselves.
Examples of sentences:
They took the books themselves.
You must go to the library yourself.
The list above are dome of the most commonly used types of pronouns in English. Using pronouns correctly is one of the most challenging but it can only be eliminated through constant practice either through communication or through writing. Pronouns such as whom and who or that and which are some of the most commonly misplaced pairs of pronouns in either written or spoken English.
