Lesson

Beginners

10. WHAT IS A PRONOUN?

A pronoun is a word used in place of one or more nouns. It may stand,

therefore, for a person, animal, place, thing, event, or idea.

For instance, rather than repeating the proper noun “Paul” in the fol-

lowing sentences, it is better to use a pronoun in the second sentence.

Paul likes to swim. Paul practices every day.

Paul likes to swim. He practices every day.

Generally a pronoun can only be used to refer to someone (or some-

thing) that has already been mentioned. The word that the pronoun

replaces or refers to is called the antecedent of the pronoun. In the

example above, the pronoun he refers to the proper noun Paul. Paul is

the antecedent of the pronoun he.

IN ENGLISH

There are different types of pronouns, each serving a different func-

tion and following different rules. Listed below are the more impor-

tant types and the sections where they are discussed in detail.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS—These pronouns change in form in the different

persons and according to the function they have in the sentence.

•           subject pronouns (see p. 30)

Jgo.

They read.

She sings.

•           direct object pronouns (see p. 139)

John loves her

Jane saw him at the theater.

•           indirect object pronouns (see p. 139)

John gave us the book.

My mother wrote me a letter.

•           object of preposition pronouns (p. 139)

Robert is going to the movies with us.

Don’t step on it; walk around it.

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS—These pronouns refer back to the subject of the

sentence (see p. 94).

I cut myself

We washed ourselves.

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS—These pronouns are used in questions (see

p. 153).

Who is that?

What do you want?

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS—These pronouns are used to point out per-

sons or things (see p. 160).

This (one) is expensive. That (one) is cheap.

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS—These pronouns are used to show possession

(see p. 165).

Whose book is that? Mine. Yours is on the table.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS—These pronouns are used to introduce relative

subordinate clauses (see p. 169).

The man who is my instructor is very nice.

Thi~ is the sweater that I bought last week.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS—These pronouns are used to refer to unidentified

persons or things.

One doesn’t do that.

Something is wrong.

IN SPANISH

Pronouns are identified in the same way as in English and generally

correspond in usage to their English equivalents. They can be studied

in your textbook. The most important difference is that in Spanish a

pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces; that is, it must correspond in

gender and usually in number with its antecedent.