Pronoun definition and exercises

 

Pronouns are words that substitute nouns in sentences to avoid repetition or add clarity.

They come in various types, each serving a specific function.

 

 

Personal Pronouns:

Refer to specific people, animals, or things.

They include subjective pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they),

objective pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them),

and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs).

 

 

Demonstrative Pronouns:

Point out specific people, animals, or things in relation to the speaker.

They include this (near the speaker) and that (away from the speaker), as well as their plurals, these and those.

 

 

Reflexive Pronouns:

Reflect back to the subject of the sentence and are used to emphasise the subject’s action.

Examples include: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

 

 

Relative Pronouns:

Introduce relative clauses, which describe or give more information about a noun.

Common relative pronouns include: who, whom, whose, which, and that.

 

 

Interrogative Pronouns:

Used to ask questions.

Examples include: who, whom, whose, which, and what.

 

 

Indefinite Pronouns:

Refer to nonspecific people or things.

Examples include: some, any, no, much, many, little, few, all, someone, somebody, something, anybody, anything, anyone, nobody, everything, everybody, every, each, both, other, others, several, either, neither, no one, and one.

 

 

Possessive Pronouns:

Indicate ownership or possession without the need for a noun.

Examples include: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs.

 

 

Reciprocal Pronouns:

These pronouns are used when two or more people perform an action for or for each other.

They indicate a mutual relationship or action between the individuals involved.

The main reciprocal pronouns are:

Each other: refers to two people or things.

For example: they hugged each other.

 

One another: similar to each other but can refer to more than two people or things.

For example: the team members supported one another during the competition.

 

 

 

 

RELATIVE  PRONOUNS:

Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun in the main clause of a sentence.

 

 

Who:

Used to refer to people.

It is the subject of the relative clause.

Example: The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

 

 

Whom:

is a relative pronoun used to refer to people as the object of a verb or preposition in a relative clause.

It is more formal and is often used in formal writing or speech,

although who is more commonly used in informal contexts.

Example: The woman whom I met at the party is my neighbour.

 

 

Whose:

It indicates possession and is used to refer to both people and things.

It can replace the pronouns its, theirs, hers, and his.

Example: The house whose (which) windows are painted blue is mine.

 

 

Which:

Used to refer to animals, things, or an entire clause.

It is often used after a comma when the relative clause provides additional, nonessential information.

Example: The book, which was published last year, is a bestseller.

 

 

That:

Can refer to both people and things.

It is often used in restrictive relative clauses, which provide essential information about the noun and are not separated by commas.

Example: The car that is parked in the driveway belongs to my brother.

 

 

 

Relative Pronouns in Table Form:

Relative Pronoun	Function	Example (Defining)	Example (Non-Defining)
who	Subject or Object	The man who lives next door is my friend.	John, who is my neighbour, is an engineer.
whom	Object	The woman whom I met is a doctor.	My friend, whom I met at the party, is visiting from out of town.
whose	Possession	The house whose windows are broken is old.	Sarah, whose parents live in France, speaks fluent French.
which	Subject or Object	The book which is on the table is mine.	The car, which is parked in the driveway, belongs to my neighbour.
that	Subject or Object	The car that I bought is blue.	The cat that is sitting on the chair is mine.

 

 

Relative pronouns can be left out when they are the object of the verb in the relative clause and the relative pronoun is not followed by a preposition.

This is especially common in informal English.

Here are some examples:

The book (that/which) I read last night was fascinating.

The person (who/whom) she met at the party was her old friend.

The car (that/which) he drives to work every day is very reliable.

The house (that/which) they bought last year needs some renovation.

 

 

 

 

 

PERSONAL PRONOUNS:

These personal pronouns are used to replace or refer to specific people, animals, or things in sentences, depending on their grammatical function.

Person	Subjective (Subject)	Objective (Object)	Possessive Adjective	Possessive Pronoun	Reflexive
First	I	Me	My	Mine	Myself
Second	You	You	Your	Yours	Yourself
Third	He	Him	His	His	Himself
Third	She	Her	Her	Hers	Herself
Third	It	It	Its	Its	Itself
First	We	Us	Our	Ours	Ourselves
Second	You	You	Your	Yours	Yourselves
Third	They	Them	Their	Theirs	Themselves

 

 

 

Exercises:

 

Instructions:

Please do the exercises without seeing the answers.

If you are unable to find an answer, you can check the answers provided below after attempting all the blanks.

 

 

Personal Pronoun Exercise:

 

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate personal pronouns from the provided brackets:

 

1. Sarah and [     ] went to the park. (he, she)

2. Please give [     ] the book. (me, us)

3. They enjoyed [     ] at the party. (themselves, himself)

4. [    ] are going to the cinema tonight. (we, you)

5. He wanted [     ] to join him. (them, her)

6. Could [     ] pass [      ] the salt? (you, me)

7. She made [     ] a sandwich. (me, him)

8. We should clean [    ] the room. (they, ourselves)

9. He is proud of [    ] achievements. (her, his)

 

Answers: He, me, themselves, we, her, you, me, me, ourselves, his

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Replace the bolded word or phrase with an appropriate personal pronoun.

 

Example:

Original sentence: Sara went to the store to buy groceries.

Revised sentence: She went to the store to buy groceries.

 

1. John and Emily are going to the movies tonight.
2. The dog was barking loudly because Tom was at the door.
3. The team won the championship after months of hard work.
4. Did you remember to turn off the lights before leaving the house?
5. My sister and I are planning a trip to Europe next summer.
6. Can someone please pass the salt?
7. The students completed their assignments before the deadline.
8. Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
9. The cat licked its paws clean after eating.
10. The children played in the park until it got dark.

 

Answers:

1. They are going to the movies tonight.
2. The dog was barking loudly because he was at the door.
3. They won the championship after months of hard work.
4. Did you remember to turn off the lights before leaving the house?
5. We are planning a trip to Europe next summer.
6. Can someone please pass the salt?
7. They completed their assignments before the deadline.
8. They went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
9. It licked its paws clean after eating.
10. They played in the park until it got dark.

 

 

 

 

 

Object Form Pronoun Exercise:

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct object forms of the given personal pronouns to complete each sentence.

 

1. Please give ____ the book. (I, me)
2. He told ____ the secret. (I, me)
3. They invited ____ to the party. (we, us)
4. She loves ____ very much. (he, him)
5. I helped ____ with their homework. (she, her)
6. We saw ____ at the park yesterday. (they, them)
7. The teacher praised ____ for their hard work. (we, us)
8. Can you pass ____ the salt, please? (I, me)
9. He called ____ to wish ____ a happy birthday. (she, her)
10. They gave ____ a present for Christmas. (I, me)

 

Answers: me, me, us, him, her, them, us, me, her, her, me

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct object form of the personal pronoun that can substitute the underlined phrase in each sentence.

 

1. Sarah baked a cake for her friend.

Sarah baked a cake for ____. (he, him)

2. Emily sent a postcard to her grandparents.

Emily sent a postcard to ____. (they, them)

3 .Alex helped his brother with the homework.

Alex helped ____. (he, him)

4 .Maria asked her colleague for assistance.

Maria asked ____. (she, her)

5. We bought a gift for our neighbour.

We bought a gift for ____. (they, them)

6. Susan congratulated her sister on her achievement.

Susan congratulated ____. (she, her)

7. Mark thanked his parents for their support.

Mark thanked ____. (he, them)

8. The dog followed its owner everywhere.

The dog followed ____ everywhere. (he, him)

9. They offered a job to their friend.

They offered a job to ____. (she, her)

 

Answers: him, them, him, her, them, her, them, him, her.

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Determine whether the personal pronoun is serving as a subject or object.

 

Example:

Original sentence: She is going to the store.

Is She serving as a subject or an object? [Subject]

 

1. He gave her a book.
2. We saw them at the concert.
3. I baked a cake for you.
4. They invited us to their party.
5. She helped him with his homework.
6. You should thank them for their help.
7. He and I went to the store together.
8. They are waiting for her.
9. We are happy for you.
10. She called me yesterday.

 

Answers:

1. Subject, Object
2. Subject, Object
3. Subject, Object
4. Subject, Object
5. Subject, Object
6. Subject, Object
7. Subject, Object
8. Subject, Object
9. Subject, Object
10. Subject, Object

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Determine whether the underlined word is a subject form, an object form of the personal pronoun, or a possessive determiner. Choose the correct classification for each word.

 

1. He comes from Paris.
2. Can you help me?
3. They invited us to their party.
4. I saw her at the store yesterday.
5. She gave him a present for his
6. We sent them an invitation to the wedding.
7. He called you to discuss the project.
8. She asked me for help with her
9. They told us about their trip to Italy.
10. He offered her a ride home.

 

Answers:

1. Subject
2. Object
3. Object
4. Object
5. Possessive Determiner
6. Subject
7. Object
8. Possessive Determiner
9. Possessive Determiner
10. Object

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Fill in the gaps with the correct personal pronouns or possessive determiners.

 

1. Sarah baked a cake for __ friend.
2. Can you help __?
3. They invited __ to their party.
4. I saw __ at the store yesterday.
5. She gave __ a present for __ birthday.
6. We sent __ an invitation to the wedding.
7. He called __ to discuss the project.
8. She asked __ for help with __ homework.
9. They told __ about their trip to Italy.
10. He offered __ a ride home.

 

Answers:

1. her
2. me
3. us
4. her
5. him, his
6. them
7. you
8. me, her
9. us
10. her

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possessive Pronoun Exercise:

 

Instructions:

Choose the appropriate possessive pronoun to complete each sentence.

 

1. This is ____ book. (my, mine)
2. Is this pencil ____? (your, yours)
3. The house on the corner is ____. (our, ours)
4. That car is ____. (his, his)
5. The paw licked by cat is ____ (its, its)
6. Whose bag is this? It’s ____. (her, hers)
7. These tickets for trip are _____ (our, ours)
8. Those shoes are ____. (them, theirs)
9. This black coffee is_____ (my, mine)
10. The keys are ____. (your, yours)

 

Answers:

1. mine
2. yours
3. ours
4. his
5. its
6. hers
7. ours
8. theirs
9. mine
10. yours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Pronoun Exercise:

 

Instructions:

Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the pronoun (subject/object) or possessive pronoun/determiner.

 

1. ____ went to the store to buy some groceries. (She, Her)
2. The teacher praised ____ for completing the assignment on time. (They, Them)
3. Whose jacket is this? It’s ____. (My, Mine)
4. They asked ____ for help with the project. (I, Me)
5. Please give ____ a call when you arrive. (We, Us)
6. The cat licked ____ paw. (It’s, Its)
7. This is not ____ book; it’s ____. (My, Yours), (Your, Mine)
8. We enjoyed ____ vacation in Hawaii. (Our, Ours)
9. He told ____ about his plans for the weekend. (I, Me)
10. Is that ____ umbrella? (Your, Yours)

 

Answers:

1. She (Subject Pronoun)
2. Them (Object Pronoun)
3. Mine (Possessive Pronoun)
4. Me (Object Pronoun)
5. Us (Object Pronoun)
6. Its (Possessive Determiner)
7. My (Possessive Determiner), Yours (Possessive Pronoun)
8. Our (Possessive Determiner)
9. Me (Object Pronoun)
10. Your (Possessive Determiner)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflexive Pronoun Exercise:

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct reflexive pronoun from the choices to complete each sentence.

 

 

1. He always makes breakfast ____.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

2. Sarah taught ____ how to ride a bike.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

3. The cat groomed ____ in the sunlight.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

4. They painted the house ____.

 (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

5. We _____need to remind them to bring their textbooks.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

6. He always does his homework _____

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

7. The children amused ____ by playing games.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

8. You should be proud of ____ for completing the marathon.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

9. After the long hike, they treated ____ to a delicious meal.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

10.  I’ll do the dishes ____ if you take out the trash.

(myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

 

Answers:

1. himself
2. herself
3. itself
4. themselves
5. ourselves
6. himself
7. themselves
8. yourself
9. themselves
10. myself

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Write your selected reflexive pronoun in the blank space provided.

Ensure that the reflexive pronoun reflects the action back onto the subject correctly.

 

 

1. He always tells [ ] that he can do better.
2. Don’t forget to treat [ ] once in a while.
3. After the accident, she blamed [ ] for not paying attention.
4. The criminal decided to turn [ ] in and confess to the crime.
5. They made a pact to always support [ ] no matter what.
6. The athlete injured [ ] during the match.

 

Answers:

1. himself
2. yourself
3. herself
4. himself
5. themselves
6. himself

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relative Pronoun Usage Exercise:

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct relative pronoun to complete each sentence.

 

who

which

whose

1. The girl _____ won the race is my sister.
2. The car _____ engine was making strange noises belonged to my neighbour.
3. The house, _____ roof is red, is for sale.
4. The man _____ dog is barking loudly lives next door.
5. The book, _____ cover is torn, belongs to me.
6. The company _____ CEO is retiring next month announced record profits.
7. The artist _____ paintings are famous worldwide will be exhibiting at the gallery.
8. The family _____ children are in my son’s class invited us to their barbecue.
9. The tree, _____ branches are reaching over the fence, shades our backyard.
10. The woman _____ husband is a doctor works at the hospital.

 

Answers:

1. who
2. whose (which)
3. whose (which)
4. whose
5. whose (which)
6. whose (which)
7. whose
8. whose
9. whose (which)
10. whose

 

 

 

 

 

 

Demonstrative Pronouns Usage Exercise :

 

Instructions :

Add the correct word to complete each sentence (this, that, these, and those)

 

1.I need to return ________ books to the library tomorrow.

2.________ house over there has a beautiful garden.

3.________ apples in the basket are rotten.

4.________ pencil on the desk belongs to me.

5.________ restaurant we visited last week had excellent service.

6. Can you hand me ________ pen on the desk?

 

Answers:

1. These
2. That
3. Those
4. This
5. That
6. This

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct variant of this, that, these, those

 

1. Can you pass me ______ book?
2. I really like ______ new song by my favorite band.
3. ______ flowers in the garden are beautiful.
4. ______ cookie tastes delicious.
5. I’m thinking of buying ______ new phone.
6. ______ chairs are comfortable to sit on.
7. I’m excited about ______ upcoming vacation.
8. ______ pictures on the wall are from our last family trip.
9. Can you help me choose ______ outfit for the party?
10. ______ books on the shelf belong to my sister.

 

Answers:

1. this
2. this
3. those
4. this
5. that
6. these
7. that
8. these
9. this
10. those

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Use “Some and Any”

 Some is used in positive statements to indicate an indefinite quantity or amount of something.

It is typically used in affirmative sentences when the speaker believes the quantity exists or is available.

Example:

I bought some apples from the store.

There are some books on the shelf.

 

 

Some is also used in offers, requests, and suggestions, usually when the speaker expects a positive response or when offering something.

Examples:

Would you like some tea?

Can I have some help with this?

Let’s buy some snacks for the party.

 

 

Any is used in questions, negative statements, and with conditional clauses to indicate an indefinite quantity or amount of something. It is typically used when the speaker is unsure whether the quantity exists or is available.

Examples:

Do you have any milk left in the fridge?

I don’t have any money to lend you right now.

If you need any help, just let me know.

 

 

Any is used in questions and negative statements to ask about or indicate the absence of something.

Examples: Have you seen any good movies lately?

I haven’t received any emails today.

 

 

Any is also used in conditional sentences to indicate the possibility or probability of something happening.

Example:

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Exercise: Some and Any

 

Instructions:

Choose the correct option (some or any) from the provided choices.

 

1. Can you buy __________ apples from the store?

some or any?

2. There aren’t __________ cookies left in the jar.

some or any?

4. Would you like __________ help with your homework?

some or any?

5. I don’t have __________ money to lend you right now.

some or any?

6. We need to buy __________ groceries for the week.

some or any?

7. Have you seen __________ good movies lately?

some or any?

 

Answers:

1. some
2. any
3. some
4. any
5. some
6. any

 

 

 

 Instructions:

Choose the correct option (somebody, someone, anybody, something, anything) from the provided choices.

 

1. I heard ______ knocking on the door, but when I opened it, there was nobody there.

somebody or someone?

2. I can’t find ______ in the fridge to eat. It’s completely empty.

anything or something?

3. Is there ______ who wants to volunteer for the upcoming event?

anybody or someone?

4. Could you please bring me ______ to drink? I’m quite thirsty.

anything or something?

5. I don’t want to miss ______ important during the meeting, so please keep me updated.

anything or something?

6. ______ left their umbrella at the restaurant. I wonder who it belongs to.

somebody or anybody?

 

Answers:

1. someone
2. anything
3. anybody
4. something
5. anything
6. somebody

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise: Rewrite Sentences with Negative Constructions:

 

Instructions:

Rewrite the sentence using negative constructions with not… and appropriate auxiliary verbs

Choose the correct option (auxiliary verb + not…..a, not…..any, not….anything, not….anybody) from the provided choices.

 

Example:

Original sentence: I saw nobody in the room.

Revised sentence: I did not see anybody in the room.

 

1. Original: There has been no rain for several days.

          Revised sentence: ________ for several days.

Choices: (has + not…any), (has + not___anything), (has + not___anybody)

2. Original: She said nothing about this matter.

          Revised sentence: She ________ about this matter.

Choices: (did + not___any),  (did + not___anything), (did + not___anybody)

     3.Original: I have received no letters from him lately.

         Revised sentence: I ________ letters from him lately.

Choices: (have + not___any),  (have + not___anything), (have + not___anybody)

     4.Original: He gave me no paper.

         Revised sentence: He ________ me paper.

Choices: (gave + not___any), (gave + not___anything), (gave + not___anybody)

5. Original: I have no book.

          Revised sentence: I ________ book.

Choices: (do + not ___any), (do + not___anything), (do + not___anybody)

6. Original: She said nothing.

          Revised sentence: She ________.

Choices: (did + not___any), (did + not___anything), (did + not___anybody)

7. Original: I shall give the magazine to nobody else.

          Revised sentence: I shall ________ else.

Choices: (shall + not___anybody), (shall +not___anything),

8. Original: I have heard nothing about it.

          Revised sentence: I ________ about it.

Choices: (have + not___anything), (have + not___anybody)

 

      Answers:

1. has not been any rain
2. did not say anything
3. have not received any
4. did not give any
5. do not have any
6. did not say anything
7. shall not give to anybody
8. have not heard anything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little vs. A Little:

The main difference between little and a little lies in the context.

Little is used in negative contexts to emphasize scarcity or insufficiency, while a little is used in positive contexts to acknowledge the presence of some amount, albeit small.

Few vs. A Few: Similarly, the main difference between few and a few lies in the context.

Few is used in negative contexts to emphasize scarcity or insufficiency, while a few is used in positive contexts to acknowledge the presence of some number, albeit small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise: Using Little, A Little, Few, A Few

 

Instructions:

Identify the appropriate determiner (little, a little, few, a few) needed to complete the sentence.

Choose the correct option from the provided choices.

 

There is _____ milk left in the fridge.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

He has _____ friends in his new neighborhood.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

Please add _____ salt to the soup to enhance the flavor.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

She showed _____ interest in the topic during the lecture.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

We have _____ minutes before the meeting starts.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

There are _____ books on the shelf.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

He has made _____ mistakes on his test.

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

Can you lend me _____ money until I get paid?

Choices: (little), (a little), (few), (a few)

 

 

Answers:

1. (a little)
2. (a few)
3. (a little)
4. (little)
5. (a few)
6. (a few)
7. (few)
8. (a little)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another, Other, The Other, (The) Others:

Other as a determiner:

(The) Other means additional, extra, or alternative.

It is used with uncountable nouns and with nouns in plural form.

Example:

She brought some fruit, but we also need other snacks for the party.

Some music can soothe, while the other music can irritate you.

 

 

Other as a pronoun has plural form Others:

(The) Others serves as a pronoun to refer to additional or different people or things apart from those already mentioned or known.

Example: He disagreed with the decision, while others supported it.

Example: Some students chose one topic for their presentation, while the others decided to work together.

 

 

 Another as a determiner:

Another means additional or extra and is used with nouns in singular form.

Example: Can I have another piece of cake?

 

 

Another as a pronoun:

Another serves as a pronoun and substitutes a noun in singular.

Example: She finished her book and started another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise: Determiners with “Another and (The) Other”

 

Instructions: Write into blank spaces the appropriate determiner: another or (the) other.

Choose the correct option from the provided choices below each sentence.

The correct answers are provided at the bottom of the exercise.

 

1. She finished one book and started _____.one.

(another), (the other)

2. He has two cars; one is black, _____ is red.

(another), (the other)

3. I ate one slice of pizza, but I’m still hungry. Can I have _____ slice?

(another), (the other)

4. Some of the students chose one topic for their presentation, while _____ student decided to work separately.

(another), (the other)

5. She entered through one door, but _____ door was locked.

(another), (the other)

6. I need to buy shoes. I already have black ones, but I need _____ pair.

(another), (the other)

7. Some pens were lost, but _____ pens were found in the drawer.

(another), (the other)

8. He broke one glass, and then he broke _____ vase.

(another), (the other)

 

Answers:

1. (another)
2. (the other)
3. (another)
4. (the other)
5. (the other)
6. (another)
7. (the other)
8. (the other)

 

Pronoun Exercises

Noun exercises

Table of Irregular Verbs

Conjugation of To Have in Perfect Tense

Conjugation of To Be in Perfect Tense

Word Formation: Word derivation; Word Building in English