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What are 8 Different Kinds of Pronouns?

 What is Pronoun?

Pronoun is a word which is used in the place of a noun to avoid the repetition of nouns in a sentence.

  1. Robin did not come because he was busy.

  2. Poonam drank water because she was thirsty.

  3. The book was cheap so he bought it.

  4. The dogs were hungry so they wanted food.

In the above given sentences, the words he, she, it and they have been used in places of Robin, Poonam, book and dogs (all Nouns). All these words are pronouns. To avoid the repetition of nouns in a sentence, we use Pronouns.

Kinds of Pronoun

There are eight kinds of Pronouns. They are -

1. Personal Pronoun

2. Demonstrative Pronoun

3. Interrogative Pronoun

4. Reflexive Pronoun

5. Possessive Pronoun

6. Distributive Pronoun

7. Indefinite Pronoun

8. Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronoun

Personal Pronoun

  • The pronoun that is used for a person or a thing is called a Personal Pronoun.

  • Personal Pronouns are used for both subjects and objects.

  • Examples :

  1. I was not involved in merry making.

  2. We would have reached there on time.

  3. You should help the poor.

  4. He / She completed the task.

  5. They are very arrogant.

  6. It is really a very tedious task.

In the sentences given above, the words - I, we, you, he, she, they, and it are Personal Pronouns.

Demonstrative Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used to indicate an object for which it is used, is called Demonstrative Pronoun.

  • Examples:

  1. This is a sensational story.

  2. That was an obsolete trend.

  3. These people are showing extreme emotions.

  4. Those days were really very funny and exciting.

In the sentences given above the words - this, that, these and those are the words that indicate something.Therefore, these are Demonstrative Pronouns.

Note : 

1) That is used with Singular Object which is far.

2) This is used with Singular Object which is near.

3) Those is used with Plural Objects which are far.

2) These is used with Plural Objects which are near.

Interrogative Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used to ask a question is called Interrogative Pronoun.

  • Examples: 

  1. Which option has the correct statement?

  2. What percentage of Indians think that India will be a super power in coming years?

  3. Why are you irritating me?

  4. Whom do you praise?

  5. Whose is this pencil?

     6. How are you?

In the above given sentences who, what, whom ,whose and how are used for asking questions. So these are Interrogative Pronouns.

Reflexive Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used as an object of the verb when the doer and the receiver of the action is same, is called Reflexive Pronoun.
  •  Examples:

  1. He went there himself.

  2. You talk about yourself.

  3. Children are swimming themselves.

  4. The child enjoys itself.

In the sentences given above himself, yourself, themselves and itself are used as object of the verb in each sentence, where the subject and object are the same person or thing. 

In another way it can be said that in these sentences the doer and the receiver of the action is the same person or thing.

Note:

  1. The noun to which the relative pronoun refers to is called 'Antecedents'.

  2. In general who, whom and whose are used for persons.

  3. Which and that are used for animals and things.

  4. Relative Pronouns join two sentences.

Possessive Pronoun

  • The pronoun which shows possession is called Possessive Pronoun.

  1. The smallest gift is mine.

  2. This is yours

Here, in above 2 sentences ,the possessive pronouns act as a subject complement.

  1. His is on the kitchen counter. .

  2. Theirs will be delivered tomorrow.

  3. Ours is the green one on the corner.

Here, in above 3 sentences , the possessive pronoun acts as the subject of the sentence.

In the sentences given above mine, yours, his, theirs and ours are used to show possession. So these are Possessive Pronoun.

Distributive Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used as distributer of a person or thing is called distributive Pronoun.
  •  Examples:

  1. Either of the highways goes to the town.

  2. Each of the girls got a prize.

  3. Neither of the plays is true.

In the sentences given above either, each and neither are used as distributer of person place/thing (all

nouns). So these are Distributive Pronouns.

Indefinite Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used to refer to a noun in general is called Indefinite Pronoun.
  • Examples:

  1. One should help the other.

  2. Someone helped me.

  3. Few were present in the class.

  4. None was there.

In the sentences given above the words one, someone, few and none refer to persons or things in general way, not in particular. So these are Indefinite Pronouns.

Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronoun

  • The pronoun which is used to emphasize a noun or a pronoun is called Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronoun.
  • Examples:

  1. I myself carried the bag to the station.

  2. We served the food ourselves.

  3. You solve your problem yourself.

  4. Krish planted the trees himself.

  5. Serena made coffee herself.

  6. They themselves arranged the meeting.

  7. The roof itself fell down on the ground.

In the sentences given above the words myself, ourselves, yourself, himself, herself, themselves, and itself have been used to emphasize either person or thing. These are Emphatic Pronouns.

Quick Revision of 8 Different Types of Pronouns

  • 1) Personal Pronouns: The pronouns that are used for a person or a thing.

  • 2) Demonstrative Pronouns: The pronouns used to point out the object we talk about are called Demonstrative Pronouns.

  • 3) Interrogative Pronoun: The pronoun which is used to ask a question is called Interrogative Pronoun.

  • 4) Reflexive pronouns: A Reflexive Pronoun is used to show the effect of the action done by the subject on itself.

  • 5) Possessive Pronoun: The pronoun which shows possession is called Possessive Pronoun.

  • 6) Distributive Pronoun: The pronoun which is used as distributer of a person or thing is called Distributive Pronoun.

  • 7) Indefinite Pronoun: The Pronoun which is used to refer to a noun in general is called Indefinite Pronoun.

  • 8) Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronoun: The Pronoun which is used to emphasize a noun or a pronoun is called Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronoun.

Practice Worksheet

Question 1 - Identify the Pronouns and their kinds in the following sentences.

  • That was an excellent innings.

(A) Reflexive Pronoun (B) Personal Pronoun

(C) Interrogative Pronoun (D) Demonstrative Pronoun

(E) Possessive Pronoun

 

  • Those people were extrovert.

(A) Reflexive Pronoun (B) Demonstrative Pronoun

(C) Interrogative Pronoun (D) Possessive Pronoun

(E) Personal Pronoun


  • Who has the stamina to run 10 kilometers continuously?

(A) Reflexive Pronoun (B) Demonstrative Pronoun

(C) Interrogative Pronoun (D) Possessive Pronoun

(E) Personal Pronoun


  • Whom do you praise?

(A) Possessive Pronoun. (B) Reflexive Pronoun

(C) Personal Pronoun (D) interrogative Pronoun

(E) Demonstrative Pronoun

  • We have to find the solution by ourselves.

(A) Possessive Pronoun (B) Interrogative Pronoun

(C) Demonstrative pronoun (D) Reflexive Pronoun

(E) Personal Pronoun

  • They are enjoying themselves.

(A) Reflexive Pronoun (B) Personal Pronoun

(C) Demonstrative Pronoun (D) Interrogative Pronoun

(E) Possessive Pronoun

  • Their letters were delivered on time.

(A) Reflexive Pronoun (B) Possessive Pronoun

(C) Interrogative Pronoun (D) Personal Pronoun

(E) Demonstrative Pronoun

  • Yours task would not be easy.

(A) Interrogative Pronoun (B) Demonstrative Pronoun

(C) Possessive Pronoun (D) Reflexive Pronoun

(E) Personal Pronoun

  • Each of the boys got a cycle.

(A) Personal Pronoun (B) Distributive Pronoun

(C) Reflexive Pronoun (D) Demonstrative Pronoun

(E) Interrogative Pronoun

  • Neither of the stories is true.

(A) Distributive Pronoun (B) Personal Pronoun

(C) Interrogative Pronoun (D) Reflexive Pronoun

(E) Possessive Pronoun


Answers

1. D 2. B 3. C 4. D 5. D 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. B 10. A


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