Pronouns
Learn how pronouns stand in for people, places, things and ideas—and discover the main pronoun topics you can explore in greater detail.
Start with the main idea
A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun. Once a person, place, thing or idea has been named, a pronoun can refer back to it without repeating the same word again.
In the sentence Maria opened the door. She stepped inside., the word she is a pronoun. It refers back to Maria without naming her a second time.
This page begins with the broad idea of what a pronoun is. Once that foundation is clear, you can explore the different categories of pronouns and the grammatical patterns connected to them.
The basic function
A pronoun stands in for something already understood.
Different pronouns do different jobs, from naming a specific person to pointing at something, asking a question, or leaving an identity unspecified.
Pronouns can refer to specific people or things.
I
you
he
they
These pronouns show who is speaking, who is being spoken to, or who or what is being spoken about.
Pronouns can show ownership.
mine
yours
his
theirs
These pronouns replace an entire noun phrase, such as my book, without repeating the noun.
Pronouns can point to something specific.
this
that
these
those
These pronouns identify a person, thing or idea by how close it is, and by how many there are.
Pronouns can ask a question.
who
what
which
whose
These pronouns stand in for the answer to a question that has not yet been given.
Pronouns can refer to something unspecified.
someone
everything
several
nothing
These pronouns refer to a person, thing or amount without naming it specifically.
Pronouns at work
A pronoun can play several different roles inside a sentence.
For now, focus on recognising a pronoun and understanding what it stands in for.
A pronoun can be the subject.
She finished the report early.
The pronoun she tells us who performed the action.
A pronoun can receive the action.
The manager thanked her.
The pronoun her tells us who the manager thanked.
A pronoun can show possession.
This is her desk.
The pronoun her here shows who the desk belongs to.
A pronoun can refer back across a whole passage.
Maria left early. She had a long drive home.
The pronoun she continues to refer to Maria as the passage carries on.
Recognition clues
Meaning is the strongest clue—but grammar can help.
No single test identifies every pronoun. Use several clues together and always consider the meaning of the sentence.
01
Does it stand in for a noun already mentioned?
Ask whether the word replaces a person, place, thing or idea named earlier, rather than naming something new.
02
Could you name the noun it replaces?
If a specific noun could be swapped in without changing the meaning, the word is very likely a pronoun.
03
Does its form change depending on its role?
Many pronouns change shape depending on their job in the sentence, such as he becoming him.
04
Does it refer to something understood without naming it?
Words such as someone or everything point to a person or thing without identifying it directly.
Where do you go next?
Explore the main pronoun categories.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains what a pronoun is. The topics below each explore one category of pronoun in much more detail. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Personal Pronouns
Learn the words that refer to specific people or things, such as the speaker, the listener, or someone already mentioned.
Examples: I • you • they
Subject & Object Pronouns
See how a pronoun’s form changes depending on whether it performs the action or receives it.
Examples: he • him
Possessive Pronouns
Discover how a pronoun can show ownership without repeating the noun.
Examples: mine • theirs
Reflexive Pronouns
Learn when the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing.
Examples: myself • themselves
Reciprocal Pronouns
See how two or more people or things can act toward one another in the same way.
Examples: each other • one another
Demonstrative Pronouns
Learn how to point to specific things depending on their number and how close they are.
Examples: this • those
Interrogative Pronouns
Discover the pronouns used to ask about a person, thing or choice that is not yet known.
Examples: who • which
Relative Pronouns
Learn how a describing clause can be connected to a noun to add more information about it.
Examples: who • that
Indefinite Pronouns
See how a pronoun can refer to a person, thing or amount without specifying exactly what it is.
Examples: someone • everything
Intensive Pronouns
Learn how a pronoun can add emphasis to a noun or pronoun already mentioned.
Examples: himself • themselves
Building your understanding
The same word can serve more than one job.
The pronoun categories you explored above are not always separate boxes. Several individual words belong to more than one category, depending on how they are used in a particular sentence.
Categories depend on the job a word is doing
Rather than being permanently fixed to one category, some pronoun words change category depending on the role they play in a specific sentence.
Examples
that — Demonstrative (“That is mine.”) • Relative (“the book that I read”)
who — Interrogative (“Who called?”) • Relative (“the man who called”)
what — Interrogative (“What happened?”) • Introduces a wh-clause (“What I need is rest.”)
himself — Reflexive (“He hurt himself.”) • Intensive (“He himself said so.”)
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each pronoun category highlights one job a word can do. The individual lessons explain how to tell these jobs apart when the same word could belong to more than one.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore pronouns in more detail.
You now understand what a pronoun is, the different jobs a pronoun can do, how to recognise one, and the main categories pronouns are organised into. From here, choose whichever pronoun topic is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one category of pronoun. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.