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41 Pronouns Activity Ideas For Students: Games, Worksheets, Songs, And Exercises

December 11, 2023 //  by  Lauren Jannette

Subject pronouns, personal pronouns, and possessive pronouns; there are so many to learn! Help your students learn about specific pronouns with these fun and quick activities. From grammar activities focusing on pronoun use in sentences to fun games and more interactive activities, we’ve got you covered! Take a look at these awesome activities that you can adapt for students of all ages to incorporate grammar activities into their everyday lives!

1. Pronoun Strips

Build your students’ knowledge of pronouns with this simple activity. Start by giving them a list of sentences and then have them replace the nouns with the correct pronouns. This activity is perfect for learning basic pronouns with beginner English students or younger learners who are starting out with pronouns.

Learn More: Tiny Teaching Shack

2. Pronoun Flowers

The perfect activity for your first graders! This flower activity has your learners place the names of their classmates and objects with the correct pronouns. Create flower centers with the subject or subjective pronouns. Then, glue on the correct names! Display them around the room for your students to refer to all year long.

Learn More: Miss V’s Busy Bees

3. Pronoun Power

Get groovy with your lesson on pronouns! Have your kiddos create lists headed with pronouns then write the correct people and things underneath. They can attach them to a headband and show their pronoun power! Be sure to include gender-neutral pronouns and have your students list their personal pronouns somewhere to make for an inclusive lesson.

Learn More: Teacher Idea Factory

4. Pronoun Pizza

Pronoun lessons with a food item? That’s right! This fun activity is the perfect way for your learners to practice using pronouns in sentences. Simply have them follow the instructions on the printout to create an informative and interactive piece of work! You might even want to reward your students with a slice of real pizza for correct answers!

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5. Pronoun Dice Game

Pair off your students for a fun pronoun game! They’ll take turns to roll the dice and then they’ll need to correctly use the selected pronoun in a sentence. You could create your own boards with object pronouns or reflexive pronouns for even more fun!

Learn More: Anglomaniacy

6. Pronouns Mini Game

This pre-made digital activity is great for teaching grammar! Let your eager kiddos run up and pick a question and if they give the correct answer, it disappears! You’ll have your whole class excitedly waiting for their turn to come up to the board and get involved! It’s perfect for building their identification skills and you can even make it available for your students to access at home for some extra practice.

Learn More: Teacher Gameroom

7. Mastering Pronouns

Did you know there are actually a bunch of different types of pronouns? Help your students learn to identify some of these with this fun color-coding activity. Instruct them to color in the pronouns on the cover and then find and highlight them in the sentences underneath the pictures with the corresponding color. This activity provides good practice in comparing nouns with pronouns.

Learn More: The Moffat Girls

8. Pronoun Spinner

This activity idea is geared toward older students and can be adapted for possessive, objective, and many more types of pronouns! The spinner helps your kiddies visualize how each different pronoun can be used and is a great resource for individual students to keep on hand all year long!

Learn More: Teacher Thrive

9. Pronoun Dice

This simple game is simple to set up; all you’ll need to do is print the dice net and assemble it! Challenge your little learners to create a correct sentence using whichever pronoun they roll! Adapt the dice to cover all kinds of pronouns; for advanced students, you can include multiple dice with different types of pronouns and have them write continuous sentences that use them all!

Learn More: ISL Collective

10. Pronoun Gumballs

Add this colorful activity to your classroom toolbox to help your kids get to grips with pronouns. They’ll love coloring each gumball pronoun to match the key at the top. Once they’ve colored everything, why not have them create some sentences using the pronouns they just identified?

11. Pronoun Sorting

Your little locksmiths will have a fun time matching names and people to their associated pronouns. Matching activities like these are a great way to master skills and increase your kids’ engagement in some hands-on learning! How many keys will open each lock? Simply print and laminate this super resource, and let your kiddos find out!

Learn More: Elrawyy

12. Pronoun Ice Cream Stacking

Another great spin on matching activities, this ice cream pronoun practice is sure to put a smile on the face of any child with a sweet tooth! Your learners will practice matching the correct pronoun to each form of the verb “to be.” You can laminate the pieces to keep them durable for reuse every school year!

13. Place a Pronoun

We’ve got the perfect cut-and-stick pronoun activity for you! Let your kiddies practice their fine motor skills as they cut out pronouns and paste them in their appropriate spot. Not only will they be using their knowledge of singular and plural pronouns, but they’ll also sharpen their context clue skills in this sentence completion activity. 

Learn More: Snippets By Sarah

14. Pronouns Introduction

Why not kick off your learning about pronouns with an engaging video? Videos can be a great way to grab your kids’ attention and support their learning. In this one, they’ll learn that pronouns are important parts of speech, and they make your writing flow better! The best part is that they can watch the videos over again if they need a refresher down the line!

Learn More: Pronouns Teaching Video

15. Pronoun Song

Are your kiddos ready to sing a pronoun song?! Another great video learning tool, this pronoun song has a catchy tune and teaches all about pronouns with colorful words and pictures. Even parents and teachers will be humming this tune for days, and your child will love it even more!

Learn More: Silly School Plays

16. Live Worksheet On Pronouns 

Worksheets can be a simple way to have your young learners practice their grammar skills, but live worksheets add a techy flair! Your kids can use their iPads or computers to match pronouns to the corresponding forms of “to be” by drawing lines on the screen! They’ll love this fresh take on the traditional boring paper worksheets!

Learn More: Live Worksheets

17. Pockets Full of Pronouns

Pronoun pockets are a staple in any grammar-loving classroom, and can serve a double role as both decor and educational material! Start by cutting some different colors of construction paper into pocket shapes and have your kiddos write words with their corresponding pronouns on little flaps of paper. Staple these on a bulletin board so your learners can test their pronoun poise at any time!

Learn More: Teacher Bits And Bobs

18. Name the Pronoun

Perfect for both kinesthetic and auditory practice, pronoun mats are a great resource to have handy in the classroom for your young students. Print out a handful of these templates and laminate them or place them in plastic sleeves to make them last for years! Your students will enjoy pointing at and naming each pronoun one by one.

Learn More: Lesson Pix

19. Pronoun Substitution

Learning pronouns can be lots of fun with this substitution game! Gather a variety of singular objects such as a ball, pencil, notebook, and tissue box as well as some groups of objects to represent plural pronouns. Set your activity up by labeling the items with a number and then let your kids roam the room, jotting down the correct pronoun to replace each number.

Learn More: Handy Handouts

20. Personal Pronoun Scrambler

This is no ordinary worksheet! It’s sure to challenge your students as they’ll need to cut up the letter tiles and scramble the letters around to spell out twelve personal pronouns. Spelling certainly counts as there are no extra letters given! 

Learn More: Teach Starter

21. Pronoun Slap Down

This quick-paced thinking game is best suited for your older learners who are ready for more difficult pronoun play! After cutting out the pronoun cards, have your kids lay them out flat or in a stack. You’ll then all out one of three pronoun categories and your players must swiftly slap the correct pronoun.

Learn More: TPT

22. Pronoun Clapping

Clapping games during a read-aloud or carpet time are a simple, easy way to incorporate practice without any setup or materials. Choose your favorite book and instruct your kiddies to clap every time a pronoun is spoken! The more this exercise is done, the quicker they’ll become at identifying pronouns!

23. Hats Off to Pronouns

How do you teach your youngest learners about pronouns? With a coloring sheet of course! Grab this free coloring sheet to help your little learners distinguish between the “he” and “she” pronouns. After coloring, they can cut out the pronoun hats and give it to a friend or family member who uses the “he” or “she” pronoun!

Learn More: Bilgeceingilizce

24. Pronoun Bingo

Pronoun bingo is a fantastic way to have your youngest kids practice their grammar skills as well as listening skills. Pass out a handful of tokens and a BINGO card to each student before you go over the instructions. Then, you’ll call out different pronouns and your players will put a token on the corresponding picture. Three in a row? BINGO!

Learn More: Hear To Learn

25. Pronoun Puzzles

This printable puzzle is perfect for your early emergent readers! Simply print, laminate, and cut (or cut and laminate if you prefer!), and it’s ready to go! Your little learners will enjoy putting the pieces of these pronoun sentence puzzles together, and once they’re done, they can mix the pieces up and solve the puzzle all over again.

26. Pronouns Cut and Paste Worksheets

If you are just beginning to introduce pronouns to your kiddos, interactive notebooks are a beneficial way to solidify the concepts. Show students how to carefully cut and paste the pictures and pronoun choices into their notebooks. Then, they can circle the correct pronoun!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

27. Pronoun Flower Pot Display

Tired of anchor charts? Create this 3D pronoun display and attach it to a bulletin board for all to see! Your students will understand the relationship between pronouns and their correct verb of “to be” with this flower pot portrayal. They’ll be amazed to learn about all of the different pronouns that stem from each verb!

Learn More: Twitter

28. Scarecrow Pronoun Game

Your learners will have no fear of pronouns after practicing with this fun spinner game! All they’ll need is the scarecrow spinner, an answer sheet, a paper clip, and some crayons. They can take turns and spin to land on a word, then color in the correct form of “to be” on their answer sheet that goes with the pronoun. 

Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

29. Color Coding Pronouns

Put a grammar-themed spin on color-by-numbers and give your students a color-by-pronoun version! They’ll have a fun time with these color-coding worksheets where they’ll color each section in with the color that corresponds to the given pronoun! They’ll be grammar geniuses before they know it as they practice distinguishing between singular and plural pronouns!

Learn More: Classroom In The Middle

30. Proud Pronoun Project

Your kiddies will need their iPads or tablets for this engaging and personalized activity! They’ll have fun choosing their personal pronoun and decorating it before adding their picture on top! Print out their final masterpieces to tape on their desks or create a bulletin board to proudly display their pronouns!

Learn More: VML & R

31. Pronoun Mobile

Get your kiddos to help you create a 3D pronoun display to decorate your class with! Have them work together to match the correct picture to its corresponding pronoun for this fun mobile project. This fantastic craft doubles as a learning tool to remind them about each pronoun and as cute decor!

Learn More: Miss Thrifty SLP

32. Pronoun Anchor Chart

Anchor charts have been a favorite in classrooms everywhere because they can be so creative! You can use this “nouns in disguise” idea to help your learners understand the connection between nouns and pronouns. Analogies like these are a fantastic way for you to make learning easier and more exciting!

Learn More: Instagram

33. Baskets of Pronouns

You shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket, but what about your pronouns? Using construction paper, carefully you can start by cutting out some basket shapes and labeling them with pronouns. Then, create a variety of ‘eggs’ and add names and nouns to these. Mix up the eggs and see if your little learners can successfully match each egg to the correct basket. Egg-cellent work!

Learn More: Speech Is Sweet

34. Read If You Were a Pronoun

What kid doesn’t love a good ol’ picture book? This one is special because it gives them examples of pronouns in colorful, fun letters that stand out on each page! Your students will naturally learn this part of speech as you read them this story! This is a super book to use in the earlier mentioned pronoun clapping game to help your kiddies get the hang of it.

Learn More: Amazon

35. Read I and You and Don’t Forget Who: What is a Pronoun?

Need another pronoun read-aloud? Cleary’s picture book is an adventure of puns and humor while also educating its readers all about this part of speech! As the book says, I am a pronoun…you are a pronoun…we are all pronouns! Your kiddies will love this funny and engaging read!

36. Pronoun Riddles

The gears in young learners’ brains will be turning fast as they try to solve these seven tricky riddles! These pronoun riddles are sure to keep them engaged, and if you’re feeling fancy, you could add them to a bulletin board! Why not challenge your students to come up with their own riddles once they’ve solved these ones?

Learn More: ESL Brains

37. Reflexive Pronouns Concentration Game

Grab some notecards and write incomplete sentences on half of them with their missing reflexive pronouns on the rest of the cards. Let your kiddies compete with each other by scrambling the cards and facing them down in an array formation. Then, they’ll take turns trying to match the correct cards together! The winner is the player who’s successfully matched the most sets by the end of the game.

Learn More: ESL Activity

38. Pronoun Dictogloss

Dictogloss is a listening activity that requires careful attention and patience from your kiddos. Find or write a short passage full of pronouns; as you read it aloud to them, they’ll need to write down any pronouns they hear as well as other important keywords! The final challenge is to see if they can put it all together to retell the passage!

39. Let’s Jump

Add some movement to your daily grammar lessons with this kinesthetic pronoun game. You can use dry-erase floor mats or simply use paper to create “stepping stones” and label each with a different pronoun. As you read a sentence aloud, your elementary students must find and jump onto the correct pronoun! Why not make it competitive by taking away some pronouns each round and eliminating students who aren’t fast enough?

Learn More: Planet Spark

40. Pronoun Scavenger Hunt

Everyone loves a scavenger hunt especially if it’s a competition! Hide some pictures on brightly colored paper around the room to prepare for the activity. When you call out a pronoun, students can race to find a picture that matches it correctly. The pupil or team who finds all the items the quickest will be the winner! 

41. Pronoun Word Search

Word searches are always a calming classroom favorite and this pronoun version is no exception! Pass these out to your class, set a timer, and keep track of your kiddos that finish first! Your little pronoun detectives will have even more fun if the top five get a prize!

Learn More: Easy Wor d Search Maker

Pronoun Exercises

Ai generator.

Pronoun exercises are practice activities designed to help individuals understand and correctly use pronouns in sentences . Pronouns are words that replace nouns, such as “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” and “we,” and are essential for avoiding repetition and ensuring clarity in communication. These exercises typically include identifying pronouns, selecting the correct pronoun for a sentence, replacing nouns with pronouns, and ensuring pronoun-antecedent agreement. By engaging in pronoun exercises, learners can improve their grammatical accuracy and fluency in writing and speaking.

Exercise 1: Identify the Pronouns

Underline the pronouns in the following sentences.

• She went to the store to buy groceries.
• They are planning a trip to the beach.
• He loves playing basketball with his friends.
• It is raining outside, so we need an umbrella.
• The cat licked its paws after eating.
• We will visit the museum tomorrow.
• I can’t believe it happened to them.
• You should always do your best.
• This is the book I was talking about.
• Everyone is invited to the party.

Download Pronoun Exercise -1 Answers

Exercise 2: Replace Nouns with Pronouns

Rewrite the sentences by replacing the underlined nouns with appropriate pronouns.

• Lisa loves reading books.
• The students finished their homework.
• My brother and I went to the park.
• The dog wagged its tail.
• Tom and Jerry are popular cartoon characters.
• The teacher gave John a new assignment.
• Samantha and her friends went shopping.
• The car broke down on the way .
• Michael forgot his wallet at home.
• The children played in the yard .

Download Pronoun Exercise - 2 Answers

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Choose the correct pronoun to complete each sentence.

• Sarah and (I/me) went to the concert.
• The teacher gave (he/him) a new assignment.
• (They/Their) are going to the movie tonight.
• Please give the keys to (she/her).
• (We/Us) will finish the project by tomorrow.
• Between you and (I/me), this is a secret.
• (She/Her) and (I/me) are best friends.
• (He/Him) and (she/her) went to the store.
• The gift is for (they/them).
• Can (we/us) join you for lunch?

Download Pronoun Exercise -3 Answers

Exercise 4: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Ensure the pronouns agree with their antecedents in number and gender.

• Every student must bring his or her own pencil.
• The dogs barked loudly because they saw a stranger.
• Neither of the boys has finished his homework.
• If anyone needs help, he or she can ask the teacher.
• The team celebrated its victory after the game.
• Each of the girls did her best.
• The committee made its decision.
• Both of the players scored their goals.
• One of the men forgot his coat.
• The family had its picture taken.

Download Pronoun Exercise - 4 Answers

Exercise 5: Reflexive Pronouns

Fill in the blanks with the correct reflexive pronoun.

• She taught __________ how to play the piano.
• They made the cake by __________.
• He injured __________ during the game.
• We treated __________ to a nice dinner.
• I did the project all by __________.
• The cat cleaned __________ after the meal.
• You should be proud of __________.
• The children entertained __________ with games.
• She reminded __________ to call her mother.
• He convinced __________ to try again.

Download Pronoun Exercise - 5 Answers

Exercise 6: Demonstrative Pronouns

Fill in the blanks with the correct demonstrative pronoun (this, that, these, those).

• __________ book on the table is mine.
• __________ shoes over there are hers.
• __________ are my friends from college.
• __________ is a beautiful painting.
• __________ cookies here are delicious.
• __________ car in the driveway is new.
• __________ houses on the hill are expensive.
• __________ idea is fantastic.
• __________ flowers in the garden are blooming.
• __________ noise outside is annoying.

Download Pronoun Exercise - 6 Answers

Exercise 7: Relative Pronouns

Complete the sentences using relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that).

• The man __________ lives next door is very friendly.
• The book __________ I borrowed was fascinating.
• She is the one __________ car was stolen.
• The team __________ won the championship is celebrating.
• The teacher __________ helped me is very kind.
• The movie __________ we watched was thrilling.
• The person __________ you met is my cousin.
• The company __________ I work for is hiring.
• The house __________ is for sale is on Elm Street.
• The artist __________ painted this is famous.

Download Pronoun Exercise - 7 Answers

FAQ’s

Why are pronouns important.

Pronouns help avoid repetition, make sentences clearer, and enhance writing flow by replacing nouns.

What are personal pronouns?

Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things. Examples are I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.

What are possessive pronouns?

Possessive pronouns show ownership. Examples include mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.

What are reflexive pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns reflect the subject and end in -self or -selves. Examples include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

What are relative pronouns?

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. Examples are who, whom, whose, which, and that.

What are demonstrative pronouns?

Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things. Examples include this, that, these, and those.

What are interrogative pronouns?

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. Examples include who, whom, whose, which, and what.

What is an antecedent?

An antecedent is the noun a pronoun replaces. For example, in “Sarah lost her book,” Sarah is the antecedent of her.

How do you choose the correct pronoun?

Choose the pronoun that matches the noun in number, gender, and case (subject, object, possessive).

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Pronoun-antecedent agreement means the pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender, and person.

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Pronoun Worksheets

What is a pronoun.

A pronoun , such as he, she or it, enriches the reading and writing experience by eliminating redundancy.

To see these pronoun worksheets individually or to download the pronoun worksheets PDF, click on the individual pronoun worksheets title. All printable pronoun worksheets are free to duplicate for home or classroom use.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Circle the demonstrative pronoun in each sentence.

Indefinite Pronouns

Add an indefinite pronoun to complete each sentence.

Interrogative Pronouns

Add an interrogative pronoun to complete each question sentence.

Object Pronouns

Complete each sentence with the appropriate pronoun.

Object Pronouns 2

There are several kinds of pronouns in the sentences below. Circle only the object pronouns.

Personal Pronouns

Circle the pronoun. Write S if the pronoun is a subject pronoun, or O if the pronoun is an object pronoun.

Pick the Pronoun

Write the correct pronoun form on the line to complete the sentence.

Possessive Pronouns

Choose the possessive pronouns that best complete each sentence.

Subject Pronouns

Subject Pronouns 2

There are several kinds of pronouns in the sentences below. Circle only the subject pronouns.

Why Do We Need Pronouns

Choose the appropriate pronouns from the Word Bank to fill in the blanks.

Choose the Pronoun – Pronoun Agreement Worksheet

Time to pick the correct pronoun to use in a sentence!

Pronoun Match Game Activity

This is a fun match game on pronoun – antecedent agreement!

Pronouns and Antecedents Practice Activity

In this worksheet your student will idenify the pronoun and its antecedent.

Reflexive Pronouns

Circle the reflexive pronoun in each sentence. Draw a line back to the subject it is reflecting.

Simplify With Pronouns

Use pronouns to rewrite the sentences.

Simplify With Pronouns 2

Use pronouns to rewrite the nursery rhymes.

Relative Pronouns

Underline the relative clause in each sentence. Circle the relative pronoun that introduces the clause.

Sentences: Pronouns as Adjectives

Here, you’ll find a printable worksheet on pronouns as adjectives. Students will be asked to read through the given sentences and circle each sentence number that has a pronoun used as an adjective. This activity is printable, making it great for use both at home and in the classroom. Idea for 5th – 7th grade, but can be used where appropriate.

Spot It! Indefinite Pronouns

Learn about indefinite pronouns and practice identifying them with this printable worksheet for 5th – 7th grade students. Students will complete the worksheet by reading through the given sentences and circling the number of the sentences that contain and indefinite pronoun. This is a great activity for use at home or in the classroom.

• Prepositions
• Compound Words
• Infinitives
• Participles
• Interchanges
• Conjunctions
• Interjections
• Subject & Predicate
• Phrasal Verbs
• Sentence Patterns
• Idioms and Phrases
• Spot the Errors
• Punctuations
• American & British
• Questions Tags
• Reported Speech
• Abbreviations & Acronyms
• Rephrasing of Sentences
• Syllabification
• Types of Sentences
• Direct & Indirect
• Degrees of Comparison
• Prefix & Suffixes
• Figures of Speech
• Relative Clause
• Kinds of Pronouns
• Personal Pronouns
• Reflexive Pronouns
• Emphatic Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Relative Pronouns
• Interrogative Pronouns
• Indefinite Pronouns
• Distributive Pronouns
• My Vote For Pronouns
• Good Average

PRONOUN EXERCISES

Exercise -1.

Fill each blank with I , me , we or us

Exercise -2

Fill each blank with he, him, she, her, they or them :

Exercise -3

Supply personal pronouns in agreement with their nouns in the following sentences :

Exercise -4

Fill up the blanks with the proper form :

Exercise -5

Fill up the blanks in the following sentences by using who, whom or whose :

Exercise -6

Fill up the blanks in the following sentences with suitable relative pronouns ( which or who ):

Exercise -7

Fill up the blanks in the following sentences with suitable Demonstrative pronouns ( this, these, that, or those ):

Exercise - 8

Fill up each blanks with an appropriate Interrogative pronoun:

Exercise - 9

Fill each blank with the proper form of a Reflexive Pronoun:

Exercise - 10

Fill in the blanks using relative pronoun:

• What is a noun?
• Compound Nouns
• What are Articles?
• Indefinite Article
• Definite Article
• Adjectival Article

The Adjective

• What is an Adjective?
• Adjective of Quality
• Adjective of Quantity
• Degrees of Adjective

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Nouns to pronouns

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Substituting nouns with pronouns

Pronouns are words that can be substituted for other nouns. 'I', 'it' and 'them' are pronouns .  Students practice writing pronouns for nouns in these grade 1 grammar worksheets.

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Explore all of our pronouns worksheets , from personal pronouns to possessive, indefinite and reflexive pronouns.

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Nouns and Pronouns

English nouns and pronouns .

Nouns and pronouns are important parts of a language. Nouns are the objects or people of a sentence. Pronouns substitute for nouns when we want to avoid using the name of the object or person again in the sentence.

Articles are the defining words that come before a noun or pronoun in a sentence. Read on for more information and examples of articles, nouns and pronouns.

The noun is the subject of the sentence. It is the person, item, place, feeling or thing in a sentence. For example: the dog / a person / an egg / the atmosphere / a house / an opening.

A proper noun is the name of something, your own name for example, or the name of a city, a film or a day of the week.

Nouns can also be material items, such as a pencil, a cloud or a tractor. Nouns can be places, such as London or the train station . Nouns can also be people or animals, such as John or a cat.

Abstract nouns

Nouns can also be feelings or emotions, such as happiness or satisfaction. Nouns can be personal qualities too, such as humour .

These nouns that describe emotions, qualities or states of being are called abstract nouns.

An article is the word preceding the noun, telling us if we know the specific noun or if the noun is a general noun.

For example: ‘Lucy is the woman who works at the shop , but there is a man that works there too’. The implication here is that the speaker does not know the man.

‘A’ is the indefinite article in a sentence (not referring to a specific noun, e.g. ‘a dog’) ‘A’ becomes ‘An’ when the noun begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u)

‘The’ is the definite article of a sentence (referring to a specific noun, e.g. ‘the dog’)

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Countable nouns refer to those nouns which we can count, for example: books, desks, pens, litres, dogs, cars and people

• Countable nouns can be singular or plural , for example: ‘a dog’, ‘the dogs’.
• Singular countable nouns must use either a definite article (‘the’), an indefinite article (‘a’ or ‘an’) or an adjective pronoun (‘my’, ‘your’, ‘his’, ‘our’ etc.) in front of them in a sentence.
• Plural countable nouns can omit an article or adjective pronoun, for example: ‘I like cakes, ‘He repairs cars at the garage’, ‘They take pens to school’.
• Words denoting quantity can be used with countable nouns. For example: ‘a few’, ‘many’, ‘lots of’, ‘not many’. (E.g. ‘We read lots of books’)

Uncountable nouns refer to those nouns which cannot count, for example, water, happiness, jealousy, news , money, sugar, electricity, trust, time, music, peace.

• Uncountable nouns take a singular verb .
• Indefinite articles are not used with uncountable nouns. Instead we can use the word ‘of’, for example: ‘a pound of sugar’, ‘a bottle of water’, a ‘piece of music ‘.
• We can also use the words ‘some’, ‘any’.

Pronouns are sometimes used instead of proper nouns.

Subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, they

For example: I closed the door; you can drive the car, they made the cakes.

Object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, our, them

For example:

• The present is for me
• That is her scarf
• Our house is large
• This is my computer
• That sofa is for them.

Personal Pronouns

The personal pronouns are:

• your / yours
• his, her / hers, its (no apostrophe)
• their / theirs

Personal pronouns can be either:

• possessive pronouns which come at the end of the sentence. They are: mine, yours, hers / his, ours, theirs. (E.g. ‘the book is mine’, ‘the car is hers’)
• possessive adjectives which are always used just before the noun or the description of the noun. They are: my, your, her / his, our, their. ( E.g. ‘that’s my big, red book’, ‘that’s his new mobile phone’)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves. Reflexive pronouns are rarely used in English.

One occasion where reflexive pronouns are used in English is for emphasis. For example, ‘I made the dinner myself’, ‘I need you to read the book yourself’, ‘ He bought the car himself ‘.

You could also add more emphasis by adding ‘all by’, for example: ‘The boy painted the picture all by himself, (without the help of anyone else)’.

Other times when reflexive pronouns are used are when the pronoun is the object of a preposition referring to a subject. For example: ‘She enjoyed going on holiday by herself ’, ‘He bought a new jumper for himself ’.

The last occasion to use reflexive pronouns is when they are used with reflexive verbs . For example: ‘I hope that you enjoy yourself’, ‘They have hurt themselves’, ‘We convinced ourselves to go’.

Now we have explored nouns and pronouns, read all about noun inflections  to find out how the endings of nouns can change depending on the context. This extra knowledge will improve your English language  skills further.

Related Articles

• Noun Inflections
• Prepositions
• Verbs and Adverbs
• Business English

4 thoughts on “ Nouns and Pronouns ”

Love this it refresh my memory

Glad it helped Prince, thanks for stopping by 🙂

Thanks for the article it helps me alot in my report but i have to put the source and i cant find it would u put it in the comments here plz

Hi Moe, glad the article helped with your report! To reference a web source in your bibliography or reference section, you would use this format: Author name, page title, website, year of publication, URL, date accessed. So to add this article, you would use: Stirland C., ‘Nouns and Pronouns’, My English Language , 2012, https://www.myenglishlanguage.com/english-grammar/nouns-and-pronouns/ >, accessed on 27 June 2020. This style would be in line with the Oxford referencing system.

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Nouns And Pronouns Exercise

Fill in the blanks with a verb form that agrees with the subject or a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.

1. The horse and carriage ………………….. waiting at the door.

The verb is singular when two or more nouns suggest one idea to the mind or refer to the same person or thing.

2. No nook or corner ……………………. left unexplored.

Two or more singular subjects connected by or require a singular verb.

3. The quality of the apples ………………………… not very good.

Here the proper subject is the singular expression ‘quality’ and hence the verb should be singular.

4. His knowledge of Indian languages ……………………….. commendable.

Here the proper subject is the singular expression ‘knowledge’ and hence the verb should be singular.

5. Excessive consumption of beverages such as tea and coffee …………………….adverse effects on health.

Here the proper subject is the singular expression ‘consumption’ and hence the verb should be singular.

6. The rise and the fall of the tide ……………………… due to the influence of the moon.

7. please allow john and ………………………. to go to the movies..

Here the noun John and the pronoun me are the objects of the verb allow. Pronouns used as objects should be in their object form.

8. He is as good a player as ……………………

Please select 2 correct answers

Either I am or me is possible here. The subject pronoun is not normally used after ‘as’ without a following verb.

9. All passengers must buy …………………… tickets.

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender and person.

10. Every man must bear ………………….. own burden.

11. each girl gave ……………………… own version of the story., 12. i am not one of those who believe everything ……………………. hear..

Here the pronoun 'they' refers back to 'those'.

1. The horse and carriage is waiting at the door. 2. No nook or corner was left unexplored. 3. The quality of the apples was not very good. 4. His knowledge of Indian languages is commendable. 5. Excessive consumption of beverages such as tea and coffee has adverse effects on health. 6. The rise and the fall of the tide is due to the influence of the moon. 7. Please allow John and me to go to the movies. 8. He is as good a player as me / I am. 9. All passengers must buy their tickets. 10. Every man must bear his own burden. 11. Each girl gave her own version of the story. 12. I am not one of those who believe everything they hear.

EnglishForEveryone.org

Parts of speech worksheets terms of use, prepositions worksheets, below you will find our full list of printable prepositions worksheets to be used by teachers at home or in school. just click on a link to open a printable pdf version of the desired worksheet. we hope you find them useful..

• Identifying Prepositions Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying prepositions in sentences.

• Identifying Prepositions Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Identifying Prepositions worksheet.

• Prepositions of Time Worksheet

This worksheet includes a table outlining the various prepositions of time and their usages. Practice involves using prepositions of time to explain the schedules of color characters in the worksheet.

• Prepositions of Time Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Prepositions of Time Worksheet.

• Prepositions of Place Worksheet 1

The worksheet provides practice using images to explain the positions of people and objects in relation to one another.

• Prepositions of Place Worksheet Answers 1

Answers to the Prepositions of Place Worksheet 1

• Prepositions of Place Worksheet 2

The worksheet includes tables outlining the various prepositions of place (location). Practice involves using prepositions of place to explain the positions of color objects in relation to one another.

• Prepositions of Place Worksheet Answers 2

Answers to the Prepositions of Place Worksheet 2

Nouns worksheets.

• Identifying Nouns Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying nouns in sentences.

• Identifying Nouns Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Nouns Worksheet.

• Identifying Nouns Worksheet - Common vs. Proper

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying common vs. proper nouns in sentences.

• Identifying Nouns Worksheet - Common vs. Proper Answers

Answers to the Identifying Nouns worksheet.

Adjectives worksheets, this section contains printable worksheets on adjectives..

• Identifying Adjectives Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying adjectives in sentences.

• Identifying Adjectives Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Identifying Adjectives worksheet

• Order of Adjectives Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice putting adjectives in the correct order.

• Comparative Adjectives Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using comparative adjectives in sentences.

• Comparative Adjectives Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Comparative Adjectives worksheet

• Superlative Adjectives Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using superlative adjectives in sentences.

• Superlative Adjectives Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Superlative Adjectives Worksheet.

Verbs worksheets, this section contains printable worksheets on verbs..

• Identifying Verbs Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying verbs in sentences.

• Identifying Verbs Worksheet Answers

Adverbs Worksheets

This section contains printable worksheets on adverbs..

• Identifying Adverbs Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying adverbs in sentences.

Answers to the identifying adverbs worksheet..

• Frequency Adverbs Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying and using frequency adverbs in sentences. Practice involves rewriting sentences according to percentages labeled on a frequency adverbs chart. This is an excellent worksheet!

• Frequency Adverbs Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Frequency Adverbs worksheet.

Conjunctions worksheets, this section contains printable worksheets on conjunctions..

• Introduction to Conjunctions Worksheet

A brief introduction to conjunctions.

• Introduction to Conjunctions Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Introduction to Conjunctions worksheet.

• Coordinating Conjunctions Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using coordinating conjunctions.

• Subordinating Conjunctions Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using subordinating conjunctions.

• Correlative Conjunctions Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using correlative conjunctions.

Pronouns worksheets, this section contains printable worksheets on pronouns..

• Introduction to Pronouns Worksheet

A brief introduction to pronouns.

• Introduction to Pronouns Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Introduction to Pronouns worksheet.

• Demonstrative Pronouns Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using demonstrative pronouns.

• Subjective Pronouns Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice using subjective pronouns in sentences.

Interjections worksheets, this section contains printable worksheets on interjections..

• Identifying Interjections Worksheet

Explanation, examples, and practice identifying interjections in sentences.

• Identifying Interjections Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Identifying Interjections worksheet.

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Using Pronouns Clearly

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Because a pronoun REFERS to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to.

Therefore, pronouns should:

1. Agree in number

If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.

NOTE: Some find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent and thus use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her."

NOTE ALSO: Recently, the use of "they" and "their" as singular pronouns has become more popular. This is due in part to the awkwardness of workarounds like "his or her" and in part to a broader cultural recognition that not all individuals identify themselves with the words "he" or "she." In fact, several official citation resources (including the the Associated Press and the Chicago Manual of Style ) now include guidance on this kind of usage. See the OWL's page on the singular "they" for more information.

2. Agree in person

If you are writing in the first person (I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the second person (you) or third person (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the second person, don't switch to first or third.

3. Refer clearly to a specific noun.

Don't be vague or ambiguous.

(Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)

(Who are "they"?)

(What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)

(What word does "this" refer to?)

(What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?)

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Noun worksheets, lessons, and tests.

Understanding the parts of speech is fundamental to learning more advanced concepts like sentence structure , grammar, and punctuation. That's why so many language arts units start with the parts of speech. And, if you are starting a unit on the parts of speech, one of the better places to begin is by studying nouns .

Nouns are words that refer to people, places, and things. Most grade school students can tell you this. But the study of nouns gets a little more complex. There are many types of nouns such as common and proper, singular and plural, and abstract and concrete. It is helpful to know these distinctions when studying language. Over the years I've created a catalog of noun worksheets and activities that work well in the classroom. These include multiple-choice tests, practice activities suitable for homework or classroom activities, as well as online noun activities that give students instant feedback and save teachers' time. I've posted all of these activities to this page and made them freely accessible to teachers, parents, and students. May we all one day have a better understanding of what we are saying.

Noun Worksheets

Noun powerpoint lessons.

Here are some multiple-choice tests to help evaluate how well your students understand nouns .

Nouns and Capitalization Common Core State Standards

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Pronoun Worksheets and Activities All Parts of Speech Activities

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Writing with artificial intelligence, pronoun – guide to writing with pronouns.

• © 2023 by Jenifer Paquette - Hillsborough Community College , Barbara McLain - The Out-of-Door Academy , Joseph M. Moxley - Professor of English - USF

This Guide to Writing with Pronouns in 2022 provides everything you need to know about pronouns . The Guide defines the different types of pronouns in English, analyzes the function of pronouns in sentences , and explains how to identify and fix pronoun errors . Learn about correct pronoun usage so you can establish a professional tone in your communications and ensure your language is clear , concise , inclusive and gender-sensitive.

Table of Contents

If these sentences seem ok , that may be because you may hear people say them in everyday discourse. Still, from the standard of British or American English, the first three sentences contain a pronoun error. The fourth sentence, which until recently would have been considered an error, is correct.

What Are Pronouns?

Pronouns  are words that substitute for other nouns. For instance, in the example below  Dr. Johansen  is a  noun  and  she  and  her  are pronouns:

• Dr. Johansen  would prefer that  she  be addressed using  her  title, rather than  her  first name.

Pronouns are also a way to communicate your gender preferences.  

• Dr. Johansen would prefer that they be addressed using their title, rather than their first name. 

This example uses the singular “they.” For more information, see our article on inclusive language.

Why Do Pronouns Matter?

Pronouns  are one of  the 9 parts of speech ; they are a critical building block for writing meaningful  sentences . Writers, speakers, knowledge workers . . .  

• use pronouns to introduce variety into their sentences, avoid awkward repetition, provide context and emphasis, and clarify relationships between ideas
• use pronouns to express their sense of identify, particular with regards to their gender preference (he/she/they) . 

Take a look at the following sample from a student paper, with and without pronouns:

McMurphy’s amiability to all — “wheelers and walkers and vegetables, hands that he has to pick up out of laps—” (23) regardless of their condition, is symbolic of the way Jesus spent time meeting the rich, poor, filthy, sinful, innocent, and all who he encountered, despite their status or loyalty to him . Additionally, by referring to the ward’s group meetings as a “pecking party,” (100) making the men aware of the metaphorical castration they undergo as Nurse Ratched strips them of their individuality, and telling the men that they “can’t let [Nurse Ratched] take over completely—” (100) McMurphy opens the eyes of his inmates (for the first time) to the fact that they are not reaching their full potential, which motivates them to become the men that they truly are.

Now with pronouns removed and replaced with their antecedents:

McMurphy’s amiability to the patients— “wheelers and Walkers and Vegetables, hands that McMurphy has to pick up out of laps—” (23) regardless of the patient’s condition, is symbolic of the way Jesus spent time meeting the rich, poor, filthy, sinful, innocent, and the people Jesus encountered, despite the person’s status or loyalty to Jesus. Additionally, by referring to the ward’s group meetings as a “pecking party,” (100) making the men aware of the metaphorical castration the men undergo as Nurse Ratched strips the men of the men’s individuality, and telling the men that they “can’t let [Nurse Ratched] take over completely—” (100) McMurphy opens the eyes of inmates (for the first time) to the fact that the inmates are not reaching the inmates’ full potential. McMurphy’s actions motivate the inmates to become the men the inmates truly are.

The paragraph without pronouns is repetitive, awkward, and unclear.

What Are the Different Types of Pronouns?

Personal Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns refer to specific individuals or group.
• Examples: I, me, you, they, them, she, her, he, him, it, we, us
• In a sentence: I am going to get coffee. Would you like some?

Indefinite Pronouns

• Indefinite Pronouns refer to nouns that have not been specifically identified.
• Examples: another, anyone, anybody, anything, each, either, enough, everyone, everything, everybody, other, one, something, much, nobody, few
• In a sentence: Does anyone need anything from the store when I go?

Possessive Pronouns

• Possessive pronouns show possession or ownership
• Examples: my, mine, ours, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs
• In a sentence: The last slice of pizza is mine .

Demonstrative Pronouns

• Demonstrative pronouns reference or point to nouns or noun phrases that have already been mentioned.
• Examples: this, that, these, those
• In a sentence: You never listen. That is why I’m always nagging!

Reflexive Pronouns

• Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. You use these pronouns when the subject and the object are the same.
• Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, oneself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
• In a sentence: I built this house myself .

Reciprocal Pronouns

• Reciprocal pronouns refer to a reciprocal or mutual relationship. 
• Examples: each other, one another
• In a sentence: We need to be kinder to each other.

Relative Pronouns

• Relative pronouns connect relative clauses to independent clauses
• Examples: which that what who whom
• In a sentence: The man who refused to acknowledge his own errors was soon promoted. (In this sentence, “who refused to acknowledge his own errors” is the relative clause—that is, a clause that tells us more about people and things).

Interrogative Pronouns

• Interrogative pronouns are used in questions
• Examples: who, whom (refer to people); what and which (refer to inanimate objects and animals); who (functions as a subject); whom (functions as an object of preposition or verb); whose (shows possession)
• In a sentence: Which shoes do you prefer?

How Do Pronouns Function in Sentences?

Subject and object pronouns.

Because pronouns replace nouns, they can function in sentences in the same way. This means that the pronouns listed above can act as both the subject and the object of a sentence.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns act as the subject of a sentence, which means that they 

1) are what is doing the action 

2) usually appear at the beginning of the sentence.

Some subject pronouns are I, you, he, she, we, they, and who. In the sentence “Gene went to the movies,” Gene is the subject of the sentence and could be replaced with a subject pronoun: “ He went to the movies.”

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns act as the object of the sentence, which means that they 

1) are what is receiving the action 

2) usually appear at the END of the sentence.

Some object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, us, them, and whom. In the sentence “Gene went to the movies with Xavier,” Xavier is the object of this sentence and could be replaced with an object pronoun: “Gene went to the movies with him .”

Note: Who and whom work the same way—who is always the subject of a sentence and whom is always the object. You can rephrase a question and replace “who” and “whom” with “he” and “him” to help you determine which to use. For example, “Who is going to the movies with whom?” becomes “He is going to the movies with him.”

How Do I Correct Errors in Pronoun Usage?

The three most common errors with pronoun use are

• Mixing up subject and object pronouns
• Unclear pronoun placement (ambiguous antecedent)
• Pronouns that don’t agree with their antecedents

How Do I Correct Errors with Subject and Object Pronouns?

In many cases, it’s easy to choose the correct pronoun because the wrong choice sounds wrong. 

Example: Her went to the movies with him.

Most English speakers would recognize that sentence as wrong even without being able to articulate why. But when sentences contain multiple subject and objects, it can be a little trickier to make sure you’re using the right pronoun because the wrong pronoun won’t necessarily sound wrong.  

Example:  She and Jim went to the movies with Bob and I. 

The above example doesn’t sound wrong, but it is. It has a subject pronoun (“I”) acting as an object. A simple solution for determining whether you’ve subject and object pronouns correctly is to read the sentence without the other nouns, and see how the pronouns sound on their own. 

Original: She and Jim went to the movies with Bob and I.

With nouns removed:  She went to the movies with I. 

See? It sounds wrong (because it is!).

How Do I Correct Ambiguous Pronouns?

When using pronouns, it is important to make sure it’s clear what the pronoun is referring to. Pronouns whose antecedents are unclear are often referred to as ambiguous pronouns.

• Example: Drake’s brother wondered whether he had passed his driver’s test.

Who is “he”? It isn’t clear to readers whether this pronoun refers to Drake or Drake’s brother.

• Example: While trying to balance both her computer and notebook, Shelly felt it slip from her hand.

What is “it”? It isn’t clear to readers whether Shelly dropped her computer or her notebook.

• Example: Mr. Ball told his student he was needed in the office.

Who is “he”? It isn’t clear to readers whether Mr. Ball or his student are needed in the office.

Demonstrative pronouns like this, that, and those are also frequently used ambiguously. 

• Example: In the digital age, consumers are forced to give away privacy and security in exchange for the ability to participate in digital marketplaces. This is something most of us have learned to accept.

It isn’t clear in this example exactly what “this” refers to. Is it the loss of privacy? The loss of security? The fact that it is a requirement of participation? When using a demonstrative pronoun, especially when it follows a sentence where you’ve introduced complicated information, it’s best to pair that pronoun with a specific reference to the antecedent. 

• Example: In the digital age, consumers are forced to give away privacy and security in exchange for the ability to participate in digital marketplaces. This loss of privacy is something most of us have learned to accept.

How Do I Correct Errors in Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement?

An antecedent is the word that a pronoun is replacing.  Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person. For example, if the antecedent is a singular noun, the pronoun should be singular. If the noun is a gendered noun referring to females, the pronoun also should be gendered appropriately. If a sentence is written in the second person, it should remain in that person.

Number Agreement

Pronouns should agree in number with their antecedents. Singular pronouns should follow singular antecedents, and plural pronouns should follow plural antecedents.

Common Singular Pronouns

I, me, mine, myself

she, her, hers, herself

he, him, his, himself

it, its, itself

they, them, theirs, themselves

Common Plural Pronouns

we, us, ours

Singular examples:

• Shelly wished that she was more outgoing. 
• The mailman his final package that day. He was tired and ready to go home. 

As you can see, a pronoun and its antecedent won’t necessarily appear in the same sentence.

Plural examples:

• The teachers decided to strike. They conferred with the union to draft a list of demands.
• As if waiting for this precise moment, the neighborhood dogs began to bark the moment he closed his eyes and no amount of shouting convinced them to stop.

Ensuring that your pronouns agree in number with their antecedents is usually pretty straightforward; however, it can be harder to spot errors in complex sentences where the pronoun and antecedent are far removed from each other. 

• Example: Mr. Brown has long argued that facilitating students’ access to non-academic resources like food and personal grooming products can improve (his/their) ability to perform well on tests. 

It can help to look at an example and ask yourself who the phrase in question must be referring to. In this case, you would ask: Who in this sentence would have the ability to perform well on tests? The answer in this case is the students, and so the correct answer is “their.”

Person Agreement

Pronouns also use “persons” as in the  first, second, or third person.  The first person assumes the writer or speaker is included in the pronoun (I, we, us, ours, we, etc.). The second person assumes the stance of you (you, your, yours). The third person assumes a more objective, distanced stance because the writer or speaker is not present in the pronoun (she, he, it, they, their, them, etc.). It’s important to maintain consistency in your writing. If you begin an essay writing in the third-person, you need to stay there.

Gender Agreement

Similar to number and person agreement, pronouns must also correspond to the gender of the antecedent. 

• Example: Mr. Green decided it was best to hide his evidence in the pantry.
• Example: Lady Germaine was a bear to deal with in the morning. She was much more tolerable after a little coffee.

Using “They” As a Gender-Neutral Singular Pronoun

A problem arises when a sentence begins with a singular gender-neutral common noun (like student, official, customer) because English does not have a singular gender-neutral pronoun to pair with these words. 

• Example: If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, ________ must submit an appeal to the school board. 

The solution is certainly not to bypass the pronoun and repeat the noun (e.g. If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, a student must submit an appeal to the school board).

At one time, students were instructed to default to male singular pronouns in these cases.

• Example: If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, he must submit an appeal to the school board.

Eventually, this evolved to the more inclusive but much clunkier “he or she.”

• Example: If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, he or she must submit an appeal to the school board.

Another option is to change the structure of the sentence to avoid the problem.

• Example: If students wish to be excused from physical education, they must submit an appeal to the school board. 

However, making gender neutral singular nouns plural is not always possible. The fact is that the lack of an ungendered singular pronoun is a failure of the English language, and the question of how to deal with it continues to be polarizing. However, more and more English speakers and writers agree that it is acceptable to use “they” as a gender-neutral singular pronoun in addition to its traditional use as a gender-neutral plural pronoun. 

• Example: If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, they must submit an appeal to the school board.

The same applies when writing about Individuals who identify as non-binary. 

• Example: Florence wants to have another look at the house before they make a decision.

An adherence to the rules of grammar shouldn’t ever supersede our humanity. There is no circumstance in which it is appropriate to refer to an individual by a pronoun that doesn’t correspond to their gender identity. In this case, however, the solution is wonderfully simple: Use whichever pronouns the individual has requested. 

Indefinite pronouns present a host of thorny agreement issues. Because indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific noun, when they act as the antecedent it can be tricky to determine which pronouns should correspond.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Many indefinite pronouns are always treated as singular. Here are some: each, either, anybody, everybody, everyone, no one, nothing, something. In these cases, the corresponding pronoun will always be singular. 

But because these pronouns are all gender-neutral, this raises the same issue addressed above: there is no gender-neutral singular personal pronoun to pair with them. Again, the use of “they” as a singular gender-neutral pronoun has become a widely accepted solution.

• Example: Everyone deserves access to clean water to quench their thirst. 

The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP allow for the singular “they,” but recommend trying to write around the agreement issue first: 

• Example: All people deserve access to clean water to quench their thirst.

Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Some indefinite pronouns are always plural. These are generally easier to spot because in other contexts, they are words that can also serve as adjectives or adverbs that mean more than one. Here are some: both, few/fewer, many, others, several. In these cases, the corresponding pronoun should always be plural.

• Example: Both of my parents decided to cancel their gym memberships. 

Indefinite Pronouns That Can Be Singular or Plural

Some indefinite pronouns can be treated as singular OR plural. Here is a complete list of those pronouns: 

In the case of these indefinite pronouns, look at the object of the preposition to determine whether its use is singular or plural.

• Footwear = singular object of the preposition
• Shoes = plural object of the preposition

Agreement with indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural is particularly challenging because we typically ignore the object of the preposition when making choices about agreement. The treatment of all, any, none, most, more, and some represents an exception to that rule.

Note: This exception also applies when choosing a verb that agrees in number to all, any, most more and some: 

All of your work is excellent.

Work= singular

All of the farmers are planting winter wheat.

Farmers= Plural.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns (nouns that identify a group like class , team , and committee ) also get special treatment when it comes to agreement.

Collective nouns  are treated as plural when each member of the group is acting independently.

• Example: Before the match began, the team took their places on the field.

Each team member is acting independently and going to a different place. There are many actions taking place, so the pronoun is plural .

Collective nouns are treated as singular when the group is acting in unison.

• Example: The committee agreed to spend its surplus budget on yo-yos.

The committee is completing a single action as a group, so the pronoun is singular .

Named businesses, schools, and organizations are always treated as singular.

• Example: Southwest High School takes great pride in the service projects of its students.
• Neither the teachers nor the principal neglected (his/their) duties.
• Skydivers are taught that (you/they) should check their parachutes before even getting on a plane.
• The school board will present (its/their) proposed budget at the next meeting.
• Both Cheryl and Denise will bring (her/their) supplies.
• Some of the participants declined to sign (his or her/their) waivers.

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Pronouns and Inclusivity - How Are Pronouns Tied to Inclusive Language?

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• Barbara McLain

Gender-neutral pronouns have been the subject of debate for hundreds of years. Find out how the debate began and where the writing community stands on inclusive pronoun use today.

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• Personal Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples

Personal Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples

Published on October 15, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 24, 2023.

Personal pronouns are words like “you” that refer to the person speaking or writing, to the person they’re addressing, or to other people and things.

Like other pronouns , they are used in place of nouns to allow us to speak and write more concisely. For example, without the first-person pronoun “I,” you would have to use your name every time you wanted to make a statement about yourself.

Personal pronouns change form based on person , number , gender , and case , as shown in the table below, which you can also download.

Download this table

Table of contents

Person, number, gender, and case.

• First-person pronouns

Second-person pronouns

Third-person pronouns, impersonal pronouns, other personal pronouns, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about personal pronouns.

Four factors indicate which personal pronoun you should use in a particular grammatical context to refer to a particular person or thing. These are:

• Person (first, second, or third)
• Number (singular or plural)
• Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, or epicene)
• Case (subject, object, possessive, or reflexive)

To demonstrate correct pronoun-antecedent agreement , a personal pronoun must match its antecedent (the person or thing it refers back to) in person, number, and gender. Case is determined by how the pronoun is used in the sentence, not by the antecedent.

Personal pronouns are called “personal” not because they always refer to people (“it,” for example, doesn’t) but because they indicate a grammatical feature called person . There are three possibilities:

• First-person pronouns are used to refer to the person speaking or writing.
• Second-person pronouns are used to refer to the person being addressed.
• Third-person pronouns are used to refer to anyone or anything else.

Number indicates whether the personal pronoun refers to an individual person or thing or to a group of two or more.

• Singular pronouns refer to an individual person or thing.
• Plural pronouns refer to two or more people or things.

Gender is how personal pronouns indicate the gender of the person referred to—or the lack of gender of objects and concepts.

• Masculine pronouns refer to men and boys.
• Feminine pronouns refer to women and girls.
• Gender-neutral pronouns , also referred to as epicene , refer to people who identify as neither male nor female, or to people whose gender is not considered relevant in context.
• Neuter pronouns refer to things that are not people: objects, concepts, places, and sometimes animals.

Case means the grammatical role that the pronoun plays in a sentence. Personal pronouns can play four different roles in a sentence:

• Subject pronouns act as the subject of a verb —the person or thing that performs the action described.
• Object pronouns act as the object of a verb or preposition —the person or thing that is acted upon.
• Possessive pronouns indicate ownership—they stand for something or someone that belongs to someone or something else. These are slightly different from possessive determiners .
• Reflexive pronouns are used instead of object pronouns when when the object of the sentence is the same as the subject. The same words double as intensive pronouns .

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The first-person pronouns don’t vary based on gender, but they do vary based on number and case, as shown in the table below. The first-person singular subject pronoun “I” is the only English pronoun that is always capitalized .

Note that there is ongoing debate about the use of first-person pronouns in academic writing .

If we work hard, the prize could be ours .

The second-person pronouns also do not vary based on gender, only the reflexive form varies based on number, and the subject and object forms are the same. This makes them the least variable set of personal pronouns but can occasionally lead to ambiguity.

Second-person pronouns should almost never be used in academic writing , as addressing the reader directly is seen as too informal.

May I ask you a question? Is this jacket yours ?

The third-person pronouns are much more variable than the first- and second-person pronouns, since they also change form based on gender, in addition to number and case.

As well as forms for the masculine and feminine, there is a neuter (or inanimate) form that’s used to refer to things other than people (e.g., ideas, objects, animals).

There’s also an increasingly widely used gender-neutral (or epicene) form, the singular “they.” This is largely identical to the plural form (which is always gender-neutral), except that the reflexive “themself” is sometimes used instead of “themselves” (though it’s often considered nonstandard).

I’m glad she can be herself now.

Participants assessed themselves in terms of performance.

The impersonal pronoun “one,” as the name suggests, doesn’t vary based on person—it’s not in the first, second, or third person.

Rather, like an indefinite pronoun , it refers to a nonspecific, generic individual, usually for the purpose of making a generalization or stating a principle. It’s considered quite formal and often replaced with “you,” or otherwise avoided, in informal contexts.

The impersonal pronoun doesn’t vary based on number or gender, and it has the same form whether used as a subject or object. It does have a separate form for the reflexive, but no possessive pronoun form.

There are a few other personal pronouns that are rarely used, nonstandard, or archaic (no longer used). These generally shouldn’t show up in your academic or formal writing, but it’s worth knowing they exist.

Archaic second-person pronouns

The lack of variety in English second-person pronouns is somewhat unusual, as other languages (e.g., French) make clearer distinctions between singular and plural and between formal and informal ways of addressing someone.

Early Modern English used a larger set of second-person pronouns to convey this kind of distinction. The “th” pronouns were used for informal address, while the “y” pronouns were used for both formal address and plurals.

These additional pronouns are not used in contemporary standard English unless a deliberate attempt is being made to imitate old-fashioned or biblical language in a humorous or literary context. Some of them have survived in certain dialects of English.

“Y’all” and other nonstandard second-person plural pronouns

The lack of distinction between singular and plural in the standard second-person pronouns has given rise to various ways of expressing the plural in different dialects.

Though some of these are very widely used in everyday speech, they are all still regarded as nonstandard and not used in formal or academic writing. Some examples are given in the table below.

In some contexts, an individual might refer to themselves as “we” and therefore use the alternative reflexive pronoun ourself .

This commonly occurs with the royal we (used by monarchs), the editorial we (used by an individual speaking for a publication or organization), and the generic we (used to make generalizations). It’s not advisable to use any of these, or the word “ourself,” in academic writing.

“Hisself,” “theirselves,” and “theirself”

Other nonstandard reflexive pronouns are hisself (replacing “himself”), theirselves (replacing “themselves”), and theirself (replacing “themself”). These are all widely regarded as mistakes and should be avoided in writing generally, whether formal or informal.

The third-person plural object pronoun “them” is often replaced by ’em in informal contexts. It’s older than you’d expect, believed to actually be an abbreviation of the Middle English pronoun “hem” rather than the current pronoun “them.” But it’s not used in formal or academic writing.

Capitalized pronouns in a religious context

The second- and third-person pronouns He/Him/His/Himself , She/Her/Hers/Herself , and You/Yours/Yourself are sometimes capitalized in a religious context when they are used to refer to a deity.

This is commonly encountered in sacred works such as the Bible or the Quran and in the writing of other religious figures, though it’s not always done consistently. It’s not necessary to imitate this usage in a nonreligious context.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Types of nouns
• Collective nouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Conjunctions

Personal pronouns are words like “he,” “me,” and “yourselves” that refer to the person you’re addressing, to other people or things, or to yourself. Like other pronouns, they usually stand in for previously mentioned nouns (antecedents).

They are called “personal” not because they always refer to people (e.g., “it” doesn’t) but because they indicate grammatical person ( first , second , or third person). Personal pronouns also change their forms based on number, gender, and grammatical role in a sentence.

In grammar, person is how we distinguish between the speaker or writer (first person), the person being addressed (second person), and any other people, objects, ideas, etc. referred to (third person).

Person is expressed through the different personal pronouns , such as “I” ( first-person pronoun ), “you” ( second-person pronoun ), and “they” (third-person pronoun). It also affects how verbs are conjugated, due to subject-verb agreement (e.g., “I am” vs. “you are”).

In fiction, a first-person narrative is one written directly from the perspective of the protagonist . A third-person narrative describes the protagonist from the perspective of a separate narrator. A second-person narrative (very rare) addresses the reader as if they were the protagonist.

The term preferred pronouns is used to mean the (third-person) personal pronouns a person identifies with and would like to be referred to by. People usually state the subject and object pronoun (e.g., “she/her”) but may also include the possessive (e.g., “she/her/hers”).

Most people go by the masculine “he/him,” the feminine “she/her,” the gender-neutral singular “they/them,” or some combination of these. There are also neopronouns used to express nonbinary gender identity, such as “xe/xem.” These are less common than the singular “they.”

The practice of stating one’s preferred pronouns (e.g., in a professional context or on a social media profile) is meant to promote inclusion for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The first- and second-person pronouns (“I” and “you”) are not included, since they’re the same for everyone.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Caulfield, J. (2023, February 24). Personal Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/personal-pronouns/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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