The Pronoun

Personal pronouns

The personal pronouns (I, me, he, she, it, etc.) stand for one or more persons or things and differ in form depending on their case, that is, how they are used in a phrase, clause, or sentence. For example, when acting as a subject, the first person singular pronoun is I. When acting as an object, I becomes me.

Reflexive (intensive) pronouns

The reflexive, or intensive, pronouns combine some of the personal pronouns with - self or - selves ( myself, himself, themselves, etc.). Reflexive pronouns are used to reflect nouns or pronouns, as in He hurt himself, or to provide emphasis, as in I myself don't believe it. Don't use reflexive pronouns as subjects and objects, however.

• Tom and I don't like it.

• not  Tom and myself don't like it.

• Bob doesn't like Harold or me.

• not  Bob doesn't like Harold or myself.

Demonstrative pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) single out what you are talking about.

• These are the ones we want, but this is the most economical choice.

When they stand alone in place of nouns, these words are pronouns. But when they precede nouns, they are adjectives: this wagon, that dog, these words.

Relative pronouns

The relative pronouns (who, whom, which, that) introduce clauses that describe nouns or pronouns.

• The professor who wrote the textbook is teaching the class.

• The storm that caused the blackout has moved east.

The current trend is toward using the relative pronouns that and which interchangeably, although many teachers and editors prefer that a distinction be made. Use that when the clause that follows it is restrictive, that is, when it is necessary to define your subject. Use which when the clause that follows it is nonrestrictive, that is, when it adds information that isn't necessary to define your subject.

• The car that hit her was green.

• not  The car which hit her was green.

The relative clause that hit her restricts or limits the subject car. The information in the clause is necessary to the main statement.

• The car, which I bought a week ago, gets good mileage.

• not  The car, that I bought a week ago, gets good mileage.

The clause which I bought a week ago adds information about the subject that isn't necessary to our understanding of the main statement that the car gets good mileage.

Use commas with a which clause but not with a that clause.

Interrogative pronouns

The interrogative pronouns (who whom, whose which, what) introduce questions.

• Which is the best one to choose?

• Who asked the question, “To whom does this belong?”

Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns don't specify the persons or things they refer to. The most frequently used indefinite pronouns are all, any, anybody, anyone, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, few, many, neither, nobody, none, no one, one, several, some, somebody, someone. There are many others (for example, others here is an indefinite pronoun). Like other pronouns (here, other is an adjective), indefinite pronouns stand in for nouns, even if those nouns aren't specified.

• Many are called but few are chosen.

• Nobody likes a tattletale.