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Definition of Pronoun (with Examples)

Definition of Pronoun (with Examples)

A pronoun is a word that can be used to replace a noun. For example:

• Marcel is tall enough, but he is not as fast as Jodie.
(The word he is a pronoun. It replaces the noun Marcel.)
• Our family loves flapjacks. We eat about a dozen of them a day.
(The word we is a pronoun. It replaces the noun phrase Our family. The word them is a pronoun. It replaces the noun flapjacks.)

In the examples above, it is quite easy to see how the pronouns replace the nouns. However, many words that are classified as pronouns take a bit more effort to understand why they replace nouns.

Types of Pronouns

There are several types of pronouns:

• Demonstrative Pronouns
(The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those.)
• Indefinite Pronouns
(The most common indefinite pronouns are all, any, anyone, anything, and each.)
• Intensive Pronouns
(The most common intensive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.)
(These look the same as reflexive pronouns, but they perform a different role.)
• Interrogative Pronouns
(The interrogative pronouns are who, when, why, what, which, and whom.)
• Personal Pronouns
(There are two forms of personal pronouns: the subjective form and the objective form. The subjective personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and who. The objective personal pronouns are me, you (same as subjective), him, her, it (same as subjective), us, them, and whom.)
• Possessive Pronouns
(The possessive pronouns are my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and whose.)
• Reciprocal Pronouns
(The most common reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another.)
• Relative Pronouns
(The relative pronouns are who, whom, that, which, where, and when.)
• Reflexive Pronouns
(The most common reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.)
(These look the same as intensive pronouns, but they perform a different role.)

A Quick Test

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