Rules For Using Pronouns In English

Definition of pronoun with examples:-   Pronoun is the word which is used in place of noun. In order to avoid repetition of a noun in a sentence pronoun is used. Definition of pronoun with examples is explained in this chapter with every possible example.

This chapter(Definition of pronoun with examples/Rules For Using Pronouns In English) will help you solve all the problems related to pronouns. Examples related to pronouns:-

• Teena is well educated girl. Teena did her graduation from Oxford University. (Use ‘She’ in place of Teena)
• Teena is well educated girls. She did her graduation from Oxford University.

Pronoun and Its types with example

• Personal Pronoun:- Pronouns used for persons (1st, 2nd , 3rd )

For example:- I, me, us, you, he , him, she, her, it , they, them

• Possessive Pronouns:- That show possession.

For example:- mine, ours, yours, his, theirs.

• Demonstrative Pronouns :- Used to point out at something/someone.

For example:- each, either, neither, every, none, etc.

• Reciprocal Pronouns :-  each other , one another.
• Reflexive Pronoun :- Shows personal feelings

For example:- myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves, oneself.

• Emphatic or Emphasizing Pronouns:- Such pronouns are used to lay stress on the subject.

For example:- Myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves, oneself. He, himself is responsible ;for his problems.

• Indefinite Pronouns:- Words used for noun in general meaning.

For example :- Everybody, somebody, nobody, anybody, someone, no one, anyone, everything, something, nothing, anything, all , some, any, both, another, much. few, little.

• Relative Pronouns :- Used to relate two sentences.

For example:- Who, whom, whose, which, that, etc.

Now come towards Rules For Using Pronouns In English which is the main part of this article.

Rules For Using Pronouns In English

Rule 1) If all three persons come in a single sentence, the order is 231.

For example:-

1.  You , he and i shall study for the exam. (231)
2. He and i has finished our work. (31)
3. You and he have done their job well. (23)

Rule 2) If all three persons come in a single sentence and something wrong is talked about/ some mistake done by the person has been accepted , the order of persons will be 123.

For example:-

1. I, you and he have made a mistake. (123)
2. You and he  have done this mischief. (23)

Rule 3) An objective case comes after let, like, between…and, but, except and all prepositions.

For example:-

1. Let me do that work.
2. There is no problem between her and me.
3. Everybody but him was present for the party.
4. He laughed at me.
5. Everybody attended the marriage party except him.

Rule 4)  If there is comparison between two nominative cases then pronoun of the nominative case is used after As/Than.

For example:-

1. He is as fast as i.
2. I run faster than he.
3. I know you as much as him.

Rule 5)  If a sentence starts with “It” followed by any form of “be” the pronoun that follows “be” must be in nominative case.

For example:-

1. It is i who is to blame.

Rule 6) Possessive Pronouns are not used before nouns. For example:-

• Yours school was closed for four days. (Wrong)
• Your school was closed for four days. (Right)

See the difference

• This is my pen
• This pen is mine

NOTE Mine = My + noun Ours = Our + noun Yours = Your + noun His = His + noun Hers = Her + noun Theirs= Their + noun

For Example:-

1. Yours is a new car. (Mean= Your car is a new car)
2. Hers is a beautiful house. (Mean= Her house is a beautiful house)
3. He has lost my books as well as yours. (Yours = Your books)
4. Save your time and mine too. (Mine = My time)
5. I prefer your help to hers.
6. Your house is better than mine.

Rule 7) We do not use possessive pronouns with separation, leave, excuse, mention, report, pardon, sight, favour.

For example:-

1. Your  separation is very painful to me. (Use separation from you)
2. At his sight the robbers fled. (Use At the sight of her)
3. I need your favour please. (Use favour of/from you)

Rule 8) In possessive pronouns apostrophe is not used before‘s’. The use of It’s, Her’s, Their’s, your’s is wrong.

For example:-

• The bear had a ring around it’s nose. (Wrong)
• The bear had a ring around its nose. (Right)

Rule 9) Gerund (Verb+ing) is used before possessive adjective.

For example:-

1. I was confident of my winning the match.
2. She was not confident of her doing well in the examination.

Rule 10) Use Reflexive Pronoun after acquit, avail, reconcile, amuse, resign, avenge, exert, apply, adapt, adjust, pride, absent and enjoy.

For example :-

1. You should avail yourself of this opportunity.
2. I pride myself on being able to work smoothly under pressure too.
3. You will have to apply yourself to this task whole-heartedly.
4. The students exert themselves a lot at the time of examination.
5. She has reconciled herself to the demands of her in-laws.
6. The officers acquitted themselves well during the crisis.

See the difference

• They enjoyed the party. (No reflex needed as party is enjoyed)
• They enjoyed during the vacation. (Wrong because object is not mentioned)
• They enjoyed themselves during the vacation.  (Right)

 Rule 11) Keep, Stop, turn, qualify, bathe, move, rest, and hide do not take a reflexive pronoun after them.

For Example:-

• One should keep oneself away from bad boys. (Remove oneself)
• He hid himself in the room. (Remove himself)

Rule 12) Either Denotes choice between two.  ‘Any‘ or ‘one‘ is used to choose between many persons or things.

For example :-

• Either of these five friends is naughty. (Wrong )
• Either of these two friends is naughty. (Right)
• Either is these two pens is red.  (Right)
• One of these two friends is intelligent. (Wrong)
• One of these friends is intelligent. (Right)
• One of these  five friends is intelligent. (Right)
• Any one of you can come. (Right) 
• Any one of two can go. (Wrong)

Rule 13) Neither denotes none out of two persons/things. None denotes none out of many persons or things.

For example:-

• Neither of two boys is active. (Right)
• Neither of three pens is good. (Wrong)
• Neither of two pens is good. (Right)
• None of three pens is good. (Right)
• None of his four sons look after him. (Right)

If you feel this (Rules For Using Pronouns In English)  useful as per exams and learning, do share It with your friends, cousin, etc.

Rule 14) “Each other” and “one another”  are called Reciprocal pronouns. They show mutual relationship. “Each other” denotes mutual relationship between two things/persons. “One another” shows mutual relationship among more than two things/persons.

For example :-

He was so afraid that his knees knocked one another. (Wrong)

He was so afraid that his knees knocked each other. (Right= Each other is used for mutual relationship between two things)

After farewell he students of final year bade one another good bye. (Right)

After farewell he students of final year bade each other good bye. (Wrong)

Rule 15) This, that, these, those, such, the same is used to point out towards a noun/pronoun. They are also used before nouns. In such cases they are called demonstrative adjectives.

This is used for some singular object/person that is placed closer. Those is used for more than one object/person placed far. That is used for some singular object/person that is placed far. Those is used for more than one object/person. It is used in plural sense. To avoid repetition of singular noun ‘That‘ is used. In case of a plural noun ‘Those‘ is used. In a sentence ‘One‘ is used to avoid the repetition of a singular countable noun. ‘Ones‘ is used to avoid the repetition of plural countable nouns.

Note:- Don’t use one’s in place of ones.

For example:-

• This is a cat. ( Cat is near)
• These are cats.
• That is car. (Car is far)
• Those are books.
• The climate of Himachal is better than that of Punjab. (It means climate of Punjab)
• The streets of Delhi are wider than those of Pune. (It means the streets of Pune)

Rule 16 )  Who, which, that,what, why are those pronouns that join sentences. These are called relative pronouns. Relative pronouns Who,Which, That are used as  subject in subordinate clause. Relative pronouns whom/which/that are used as  object in subordinate clause. That is used after a superlative degree.

For example :-

• I met Veena, Who was returning from school.
• I have a daughter whom i love very much.
• The girl who came here is a player.
• Mr. Mudhar is the most laborious man that i have ever seen.

Rule 17) When two antecedents are joined by “and” and one being a human and the other being a non living thing/animal, a relative pronoun “that” is used.

For example :-

• The women and her dog that i saw yesterday have been kidnapped.

Rule 18) If “All” denoted people and is used as a subject, “who” or “that” is used and not “whom/which” If “All” Denotes non living things, “that” is used and “Who/Whom” are not used.

For example:-

• All who/that are interested to do this work can start now.
• All that glitters is not gold. (All + uncountable noun is followed by “that“)
• All the money that i gave her has been stolen.

If you feel this (Rules For Using Pronouns In English)  useful as per exams and learning, do share It with your friends, cousin, etc.