PRONOUNS!! A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun.

PRONOUNS!!

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun.

Types of Pronouns

• Personal– Subject– Object– Possessive

• Reflexive• Intensive• Interrogative• Demonstrative

Forms of Personal Pronouns

– Person and Number• First-person (refer to the speaker)

– I went shopping yesterday.

• Second-person (refer to the one spoken to)– You should try that new restaurant.

• Third-person (refer to the one spoken about)– She ate there yesterday.

• Singular and plural

Forms of Personal Pronouns cont.– Case• Subject

– Used as the subject of the sentence or as a predicate pronoun after a linking verb.» He called my brother

• Object – Used as a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a

preposition. » (Dan told me about a new movie.)

• Possessive – Shows ownership or relationship

» (Your brother is younger than mine.)

CaseNumber

Subject Object Possessive

Singular

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

I

You

He, she, it

Me

You

Him, her, it

My, mine

Your, yours

His, her, hers, its

Plural

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

We

You

they

Us

You

them

Our, ours

Your, yours

Their, theirs

Practice Time!!Use the previous slides to answer the questions on your handout.

Reflexive Pronouns

• Ends in self or selves • Refers back to the subject and directs the

action back to the subject.– The students tried to get themselves out of trouble.• Themselves refers back to students.

Intensive Pronouns

• Ends in self or selves • Emphasizes a noun or another pronoun within

the same sentence.• Are not necessary to the meaning of the sentence– You yourself have gotten into trouble many times.– Mr. Cottone himself has witnessed the behavior.• If you remove the intensive pronoun, the sentence still

makes sense.

Practice Time!!Use the previous slides to answer the questions on your handout.

Interrogative Pronouns

• Introduces a questionwho whom what whichwhose

Who vs. Whom

WHO• Use as a subject or

predicate noun• Subject

– Who called Samantha?

• Predicate noun– Samantha is who?

WHOM• Use as an object• Direct Object

– Whom did you call?

• Indirect Object– You gave whom my number?

• Object of the preposition– To whom did you speak?

Demonstrative Pronouns• Points out a person, place, thing, or idea

This (This is my book.)That (That is your ipod.)These (These are our group’s notes.)Those (Those are your friend’s shoes.)

**Never use here or there with a demonstrative pronoun.

This here is my desk.

Practice Time!!Use the previous slides to answer the questions on your handout.

Pronoun-Antecedent AgreementAntecedent – noun or pronoun a pronoun replaces or refers to

Must agree in person

Many elders tell stories of their children.

We like to listen to our parents’ share memories.

Must agree in number

The American culture, in all its forms, is alive and well.

Traditional farmers keep animals on their farms.

3rd person

1st person

singular

plural

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement cont.• Must agree in Gender – Masculine: he, his, him– Feminine: she, her, hers– Neuter: it, its

• Don’t use only masculine or only feminine to refer to both genders.– Example: Each singer has his favorite song. (incorrect)• The singer could be male or female, so use his or her.

– Example: The singers have their favorite songs.• Notice the antecedent is now plural, so you need the plural

pronoun.

Indefinite-Pronoun Agreement

• Does not refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea

• Some are always singular• Some are always plural• Some can be either singular or plural

Tip: Pronouns containing one, thing, or body are always singular.

Indefinite-PronounsSingular Plural Singular or Plural

Another muchAnybody neitherAnyone nobodyAnything no oneEach nothingEither oneEverybody somebodyEveryone someoneEverything something

Both FewManyseveral

AllAnyMostNoneSome

Indefinite-Pronoun Agreement Examples

Singular- use a singular personal pronoun to refer to a singular indefinite pronoun

Everyone added his or her favorite ingredient to the dish.

Everyone could be male or female

Indefinite-Pronoun Agreement Examples

Plural- use a singular personal pronoun to refer to a singular indefinite pronoun

Many added their favorite ingredient to the dish.

Indefinite-Pronoun Agreement Examples

Singular or Plural – use the phrase that follows the indefinite pronoun to decide

Some of the students took their books with them.(Plural Indefinite-Pronoun) Plural Plural Personal Pronoun

Practice Time!!Use the previous slides to answer the questions on your handout.

Pronoun ProblemsHow do I know when to use we or us?

– Use we when the pronoun is a subject or predicate pronoun

– Use us when the pronoun is the object.• Trees can provide shelter to (us,we) humans.

– Drop the identifying noun humans.

• Trees can provide shelter to (us, we).– Pronoun is used as the object of the preposition to.

• Trees can provide shelter to us humans.– Use the correct pronoun with the noun.

Pronoun ProblemsUnclear Reference

• Be sure each personal pronoun refers clearly to only one person, place, or thing.

• If there is any doubt, use a noun.– Confusing

• Samantha and Loren want to become computer programmers. She works after school in the computer lab. (Who works? Samantha or Loren?)

– Clear• Samantha and Loren want to become computer

programmers. Loren works after school in the computer lab.

Problem PronounsUsing Pronouns in Compound

• Use the subject pronoun I, she, he, we, or they in a compound subject or with a predicate noun or pronoun.– Dan and she decided to learn more about baking.• Dan and she are the compound subject. They are doing

the action.

– The bakers are Holly and I.• Holly and I are the predicate noun and pronoun

referring back to bakers.

Problem PronounsUsing Pronouns in Compound cont…

• Use the object pronoun me, her, him, us, or them in a compound object.– His movies have always entertained Lisa and me.• Lisa and me are having the action done to them.

– The cookies were divided between Dan and her.• Dan and her are the compound object of the

preposition between.

Tip: To choose the correct pronoun, read the sentence with only the pronoun.

Pronoun ProblemsPhrases That Interfere

• Sometimes a group of words comes between a noun and the pronoun that refers to it. Don’t get confused!– Sacajawea, who guided Lewis and Clark, never lost

her way. • Her agrees with Sacajawea, not Lewis and Clark.

– About 40 men started up the Missouri River on their voyage.• Their agrees with men, not Missouri River.

Practice Time!!Use the previous slides to answer the questions on your handout.

THE END!!

Take your paper to your teacher and match your answers to the key.