Pronouns- are words that substitute and take the place of a noun, and are also known as its (the noun’s) antecedent. Pronouns take the place of a name of a person or group that is previously specified or understood from the context.

Example: In the first sentence we’ll use nouns, and then replace those concepts with pronouns.) Dustin learns how to speak Italian. He studies daily to be able to speak it fluently.

Personal Pronouns- A pronoun designating the person speaking (I, me, we, us), the person spoken to (you), or the person or thing spoken about (he, she, it, they, him, her, them).

Possessive Pronouns- indicate ownership. (Singular- my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, his, its.) (Plural- our, ours, yours, your, their, theirs. Example: My dog ran away last week.)

Intensive Pronouns- emphasize a noun or another pronoun. (Singular- myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself.) (Plural- ourselves, yourselves, themselves.)

Example: Locating the Intensive Pronoun

The mailman himself delivered the mail right to my door.

Reflexive Pronouns- name a receiver of an action identical with the doer of the action.

Example: Locating the Reflexive Pronoun

Later that day the mailman stabbed himself with a box knife.

Relative Pronouns- Relative pronouns introduce subordinate clauses functioning as adjectives. In addition to introducing the clause, the relative pronoun, in this case (who), points back to a noun or pronoun that the clause modifies (man). (who, whom, whose, which, that)

Example: Locating the Relative Pronoun

The man who helped us was never identified.

Interrogative Pronouns- introduce questions. (who, whom, whose, which, what)

Example: Locating the Interrogative Pronoun

Who is expected to win the election?

Demonstrative Pronouns- identify or point to nouns. Frequently they function as adjectives, but they also function as noun equivalents.

Example: Demonstrative Pronouns

adjective- This sweater is my favorite.

Noun equivalent- This is my favorite sweater.

Indefinite Pronouns- refer to nonspecific person or things. Most are singular (everyone, each); some are plural (both, many); a few may be singular or plural. Most indefinite pronouns function as non equivalents.

Example: Locating the Indefinite Pronoun

Something is burning outside.

But some pronouns can also function as adjectives.

Example: All campers must check in at the campfire.

More indefinite pronouns-

All, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, neither, nobody, none, no one, nothing, one, several, some, somebody, someone, something

Reciprocal Pronouns- refer to individual parts of a plural antecedent.

Example: Locating the Reciprocal Pronoun

By turns, we helped each other through college.

**Don’t forget! Antecedents are pronouns that substitute for a specific noun, used in context within your writing