Let’s break down the different types of pronouns for intermediate ESL learners:
Pronouns: Little Words with Big Jobs
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns (people, places, or things). They help us avoid repetition and make our sentences sound smoother.
Types of Pronouns
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Personal Pronouns: These replace the names of people or things.
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Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them
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I love to eat pizza.
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The book belongs to her.
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Possessive Pronouns: These show ownership.
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Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
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This pencil is mine.
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That house is theirs.
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Reflexive Pronouns: These refer back to the subject of the sentence.
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Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
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I taught myself how to play the guitar.
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She looked at herself in the mirror.
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Demonstrative Pronouns: These point out specific people or things.
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Examples: this, that, these, those
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This is my favorite book.
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Those are my shoes.
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Interrogative Pronouns: These are used to ask questions.
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Examples: who, whom, whose, what, which
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Who is coming to the party?
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What is your name?
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Relative Pronouns: These connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun.
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Examples: who, whom, whose, which, that
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The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
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The car that I bought is red.
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Let’s Practice!
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Choose the Correct Pronoun:
- The cat chased (it/its) tail.
- (Who/Whose) book is this?
- (This/That) is my new phone.
- We enjoyed (ourselves/himself) at the party.
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Replace the Noun with a Pronoun:
- Sarah loves to sing. 👉 She loves to sing.
- The boys played soccer. 👉 They played soccer.
- Give the book to John. 👉 Give the book to him.
Remember:
- Pronouns help us avoid saying the same noun over and over again.
- Use the correct type of pronoun to make your sentences clear and grammatically correct.
Let’s Write!
Write a short paragraph about yourself or someone you know. Use as many different types of pronouns as you can.
