120 hr. TEFL Course Module 4-Writing (Pt.10 Types of Pronouns)

Module 4: Writing

4.2.5 Types of pronouns

People often have trouble understanding the different types of pronouns, so your students may have trouble with it as well. Let’s look at the nine different types of pronouns:

• Personal: A personal pronoun is a pronoun that refers to a person. This is the most common type of pronoun, and for it to work in a sentence, it needs to have a clear antecedent that it agrees with (male nouns need male pronouns). Examples: “I,” “he,” “she,” “me.”
• Possessive: Possessive pronouns are personal pronouns that convey ownership. These pronouns not only need an antecedent but also need to be followed by a noun (the thing that is possessed by the pronoun). Examples: “my carrots,” “his book,” “their time.”
• Indefinite: Indefinite pronouns can be a little complicated because they take the place of nouns that are not exactly clear. In other words, these pronouns will not have a clear antecedent. It is important to note, however, that if these types of pronouns are used to show possession, they are actually adjectives. Examples: “Everybody wants to go to the mall,” “Somebody took my juice.”
• Reflexive: Reflexive pronouns usually occur at the end of a sentence or clause and reflect back to the subject of the sentence. Examples: “I am going to get a soda for myself,” “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

• Reciprocal: A reciprocal is exactly like a reflexive pronoun except that they refer to two subjects doing something to or for each other. The only two reciprocal pronouns in the English language are “each other” and “one another.” Examples: “John and Tim are in the library quizzing each other,” “Maria and Jenny are helping one another with laundry.”
• Intensive: Intensive pronouns are exactly the same as reflexive pronouns except they can be removed from a sentence without changing the meaning or rendering the sentence incomplete. Examples: “He is going to do the work himself.”
• Interrogative: Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that are used in a question. Examples: “Who took the candy?,” “Which door is it?”
• Relative: A relative pronoun is a pronoun that connects a phrase or a clause to a pronoun or a noun. Examples: “I am going to get whoever stole my bag,” “I am going to take whichever door leads to the bathroom.”

• Demonstrative: Demonstrative pronouns take the place of specific nouns and are typically used when the speaker or narrator is talking about a specific object. Examples: “This is the Captain’s wine,” “That candy belongs to her.”