Pronouns

1. Pronouns

There are different pronouns in English depending on their position in the sentence:

Subject pronouns replace the subject of the sentence and object pronouns replace the object.

Possessive determiners show us possession and go in front of the noun.

Study carefully this table of the English reflexive and possessive pronouns.

We use reflexive pronouns to refer back to the subject of the sentence.

Possessive pronouns replace a noun and show possession at the same time.

2. Subject and object

Subject pronouns stand in subject position in the sentence, and object pronouns stand in object position.

Study the following examples:

3. Possessives

The possessive determiners always stand before the noun. The possessive determiner + noun combination can be either the subject or object of the sentence.

Possessive pronouns replace the noun they refer to. They stand alone and can be the subject or the object of the sentence.

Study the following examples:

This is my book. This is mine. / This book is mine.

‘Whose car is it?’ ‘It is his car.’ or ‘It is his.’ / ‘The car is his.’

‘ Their garden is huge! What about yours?’ ‘Mine is small.’

4. Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns always refer back to the subject and they usually stand in object position.

Study the following examples:

I cut myself with a knife. He quickly washed himself.

We can also use reflexive pronouns to emphasise that the subject did an action.

Look at the following examples:

Peter repaired the car himself.

We baked the cakes ourselves.

5. Each other, etc.

Look at the following examples:

Peter and Tom looked at themselves in the mirror.

Peter looked at himself (Peter) and Tom looked at himself (Tom)

Peter and Tom measured each other / one another.

Peter measured Tom and Tom measured Peter.

Peter and Sarah looked at someone else.

Peter and Sarah looked at a third person.

6. There or it?

Both there and it can be used in several different ways.

1. We use it to refer to specific things:

It is an expensive blue car.

2. We use it to talk about time, whether and distance:

It is 5 o’clock. How far is it from the bank?

3. We use there to talk about the existence of a thing:

There are two people talking at the corner.

4. We can also use there in the meaning of ‘a far place’:

Yesterday I went there but I couldn’t find anyone at home.