A pronoun is one of the most frequently used word classes in English, yet many learners only think of it as “a word that replaces a noun” without realizing how many different types exist, each with its own rules. Subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns all behave differently, and mixing them up is one of the most common sources of grammar mistakes.
This article answers the question what is pronoun and, more precisely, what is a pronoun, walks through each major type with examples, and gives a reference table so you can see how the forms relate to one another.
What is a pronoun?
Definition
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or noun phrase, to avoid repeating the same word and to make sentences flow more naturally.
Example: Sarah said she would call me later. – “she” replaces “Sarah,” and “me” refers to the speaker.
Why pronouns matter
Because these forms change depending on their grammatical role (subject, object, possession, reflexive use) and depending on number and gender, using the wrong form is a noticeable and common error, even for learners who understand vocabulary well.
Personal pronouns: Subject and object pronoun forms
These forms refer to specific people or things and change depending on whether they act as the subject or the object of a verb.
Subject
A subject pronoun performs the action of the verb.
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Example sentence: They visited their grandmother last weekend.
Object
An object pronoun receives the action of the verb, or follows a preposition.
Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Example sentence: Their grandmother gave them some cookies. She was happy to see us.
Reference table of personal pronoun forms
| Subject pronoun | Object pronoun | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun | Reflexive pronoun |
| I | me | my | mine | myself |
| you | you | your | yours | yourself / yourselves |
| he | him | his | his | himself |
| she | her | her | hers | herself |
| it | it | its | – | itself |
| we | us | our | ours | ourselves |
| they | them | their | theirs | themselves |
Possessive pronoun
A possessive form shows ownership and stands alone, without a noun directly after it, unlike a possessive adjective such as my, your or their, which must be followed by a noun.
Example: This book is mine. (possessive pronoun, stands alone) This is my book. (possessive adjective, followed by the noun “book”)
Common possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. Note that its functions mainly as a possessive adjective and is rarely used alone as a possessive pronoun.
Reflexive pronoun
A reflexive form refers back to the subject of the sentence, showing that the subject and the object of the action are the same person or thing.
Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Example sentence: She taught herself how to play the guitar.
Reflexive pronouns are also used for emphasis.
Example: I myself will handle this project.
Relative pronoun
A relative form introduces a relative clause, which adds information about a noun mentioned earlier in the sentence.
Examples: who, whom, which, that, whose
- who: refers to people, used as the subject of the relative clause. The man who called earlier left a message.
- whom: refers to people, used as the object of the relative clause. The man whom I met yesterday is a doctor.
- which: refers to things or animals. The book which is on the table belongs to me.
- that: can refer to people or things in defining relative clauses. The dog that barks loudly is mine.
- whose: shows possession. The student whose bag is red is my classmate.
Indefinite pronoun
An indefinite form refers to a person, thing, or amount that is not specific or not named directly.
Examples: someone, somebody, something, anyone, anybody, anything, everyone, everybody, everything, no one, nobody, nothing, each, either, neither, several, few, many, all, some
Example sentences: Someone left their umbrella here. Everything is ready for the party. Few of the guests arrived on time.
As explained in our article on subject verb agreement, most indefinite pronouns such as everyone and each take a singular verb, even though the meaning can feel plural.
Other types of pronouns
Besides the types above, English also has demonstrative forms (this, that, these, those) and interrogative forms (who, whom, whose, which, what), which are used to ask questions. These overlap in form with relative pronouns but serve a different grammatical function, since they introduce questions rather than relative clauses.
Example: This is my favorite song. Which do you prefer?
Common mistakes with pronouns
- Confusing subject and object pronouns. Writing Me and him went to the store instead of He and I went to the store.
- Mixing up possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. Writing This is mine book instead of This is my book, or This book is my instead of This book is mine.
- Using “myself” instead of “I” or “me.” Writing John and myself went to the meeting instead of John and I went to the meeting.
- Choosing the wrong relative pronoun. Writing The man which called instead of The man who called, confusing “which” (for things) with “who” (for people).
- Treating indefinite pronouns as plural. Writing Everybody are invited instead of Everybody is invited.
How to choose the right pronoun type quickly
When you are unsure which form to use, ask three questions about the word you are replacing. First, is it performing the action (subject) or receiving it (object)? This decides between forms such as he and him. Second, does it show ownership, and if so, is it followed directly by a noun or standing alone? This decides between a possessive adjective such as his and a possessive pronoun such as his used alone, or between her and hers. Third, does the word refer back to the subject of the same clause, which calls for a reflexive form such as himself, or does it introduce extra information about a noun, which calls for a relative pronoun such as who or which. Working through these questions in order covers most everyday pronoun choices without needing to memorize every rule separately.
Pronoun exercises with answers
Exercise 1: Choose the correct pronoun
- ______ (She / Her) and I are going to the concert tonight.
- This umbrella is ______ (my / mine).
- The woman ______ (who / which) lives next door is a teacher.
- ______ (Everyone / Every) is welcome to join the event.
Sample answers: 1. She – 2. mine – 3. who – 4. Everyone
Exercise 2: Identify the type of pronoun
- They gave the award to themselves. → themselves: reflexive pronoun
- This is the book that I told you about. → that: relative pronoun
- Somebody left the door open. → Somebody: indefinite pronoun
Exercise 3: Find and correct the error
- Me and her are best friends. → correct to She and I are best friends.
- This car is my. → correct to This car is mine.
- The student which won the prize is my classmate. → correct to The student who won the prize is my classmate.
These words replace nouns to avoid repetition, but the correct form depends on their grammatical role, whether they function as the subject or object of a verb, show possession, refer back to the subject, introduce a relative clause, or refer to something unspecified. Learning the forms side by side, as in the reference table above, makes it easier to choose the right one in each sentence rather than guessing from general vocabulary knowledge.
See also: Compound noun: What it is, types and examples
Frequently asked questions
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid repeating the same word. Common types include personal pronouns (such as I, you, he), possessive pronouns (such as mine, yours), reflexive pronouns (such as myself, yourself), relative pronouns (such as who, which) and indefinite pronouns (such as someone, everyone).
What is the difference between a subject and an object pronoun?
A subject pronoun, such as I, he or they, performs the action of the verb, while an object pronoun, such as me, him or them, receives the action or follows a preposition. For example, in “He called me,” “he” is the subject pronoun and “me” is the object pronoun.
What is the difference between a possessive pronoun and a possessive adjective?
A possessive, such as mine or yours, stands alone without a noun directly after it, as in “This book is mine.” A possessive adjective, such as my or your, must be followed by a noun, as in “This is my book.” Both show ownership, but they are used in different grammatical positions.
Keyword:
- relative pronoun
- possessive pronoun
- indefinite pronoun
