We use pronouns in place of nouns and noun phrases:
The children were in the garden.Theywere getting wet.
[pointing to a parcel]
A:What’s inthat?
B:Idon’t know.It’s foryou.
Youdon’t need to makemea cup of tea.I’ll doitmyself.
Pronouns can also act as the head of noun phrases, with pre- and postmodifiers and complements:
A:Did you mean you think she’s wrong?
B:Yes, I meantjustthat. (premodified pronoun)
I made cakes and she atethemall.(postmodified pronoun)
We’re looking forsomeoneyoung and energetic.(pronoun and complement)
There are different types of pronouns.
Examples | Type of pronoun |
I/me, you, we/us, she/her, it, they/them | personal |
mine, ours, hers | possessive |
ourselves, myself, himself | reflexive |
who, whose, which, what | interrogative |
this, that, these, those | demonstrative |
-body, -one, -thing, one, you, they | indefinite |
each other/each other’s, one another/one another’s | reciprocal |
who, whom, whose, which, that | relative |
Determiners used as pronouns
Somedeterminers can also be used as pronouns (i.e. without a noun following and when the meaning is clear without including the noun):
A:Have you read any poems by Lorca?
B:Yes. I’ve reada few.
See also:
Determiners used as pronouns