Pronouns and Determiners in English Grammar

Introduction

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. There are six different kinds of pronouns in English Grammar: personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns and indefinite pronouns. The pronouns we use depends on the role it plays in a sentence.

In the following pages, you will find detailed information about different types of pronouns in English grammar with rules for usage and examples. At the end of each page there are exercises, so you can practise what you have learnt. Simply click on one of the links below to find out more.

personal pronouns possessive pronouns reflexive pronouns
subject form object form attributive substantive
I me my mine myself
you you your yours yourself
he him his his himself
she her her hers herself
it it its its itself
we us our ours ourselves
you you your yours yourselves
they them their theirs themselves

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns replace nouns that have already been mentioned or are assumed to be known. We have to choose the right form depending on whether the personal pronoun is a subject or an object.

Example:
We have got some books. (subject)
The books are for us. (object)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns and determiners indicate ownership. Determiners accompany a nouns whereas pronouns replace them.

Example:
These are our books. (determiner)
Whose books are these? They are ours. (pronoun)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are pronouns that we use in the sense of oneself or self.

Example:
He can carry the bags himself.

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses.

Example:
This is the man who lives next door.

Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these and those. We use them to refer to something specific.

Example:
This book is more interesting than that book.
These shoes fit better than those.

Indefinite Pronouns

The indefinite pronouns are something/somebody, anything/anybody, everything/everybody and nothing/nobody.

Example:
I cannot hear anything, there must be something wrong.
No, everything is okay, there is nothing wrong.

Quantifiers

Quantifiers express quantity and amount. Common quantifiers include: some/any, much/many, (a) few/(a) little, lots of/a lot of and enough.

Example:
Most people do not carry any cash or coins.
Lots of countries will follow this trend.

Distributives

Distributives are words that show how a group of people or things are divided or shared out. Common distributives are both, either, neither, every, each, all, no and none of.

Example:
Both of us are hungry, but neither of us wants to cook.
All the restaurants close at 11, so none of them deliver after 10.30.