The pronoun

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

it,he,she,they,we,himself

Kinds of the pronoun

Personal pronouns

1.Personal pronouns in their different forms show person,number,gender(whether male,female or neuter-whose gender is common like articles)and case(the relationship of a word with other words).

I,we,us;you,your,yourself;they,them,themselves

The possessive pronoun
Possessive pronouns are forms of personal pronouns.They show ownership or possession.

mine,yours,his,her,theirs,its

First person Second person Third person

Singular I,me(mymine) you(your,yours) he,him(his,she,her(her,hers),it(its)

Plural we,us(our,ours) you(your,yours) them,they(their,theirs)

2.Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people,places or things in general.

Most common indefinite pronouns

all anybody anyone anything each

either everybody everyone everything few

many most much neither nobody

none no one nothing one others

several some somebody someone something

3.Demonstrative pronouns

These pronouns tell which one or which group of persons,places or things are referred to.

this,that,these,those

4.Relative pronouns

These pronouns refer to an earlier noun,sentence or part of a sentence.

who,whom,which,whose,what

5.Interrogative pronouns

These pronouns introduce questions.

who,whom,which,whose,what

Forms of the personal pronoun

Personal pronouns are i the first,second and third person.The first person pronoun refers to yourself like I,me.The second person addressed like you,yourself.The third person refers to the person,place,thing or idea spoken about like she,them.

First person Second person Third person

I,me,myself;we,us,ourselves you,yourself,yourselves;thou,thyself he,himself;she;herself;they,them,themselves;it;itself.

1.Firstly,note the common use of possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns:

That is my table.That table is mine.
Who came to our house?Sami came to ours,Niza went to theirs.Others went to a house that is his.The fame is hers alone,mine are the honors.
Which pen is yours?It is perhaps theirs.No,it is mine.(No,it is my pen)
Was this car his last year?Yes,it was his;now it is Sumaira's.

2.Secondly,the pronoun "it" is used to indicate position,situation,etc. in sentences like the following.

"Who is there?""It is I."
"What time is it?""It is 5 o'clock."
It is raining all around.It is cool now.
It was you who told me it was time to play the piano."No,it wasn't I."
"Who will sing?""It is expected of you."
"It looks strange an old woman singing songs of love."

3.One-It is used when any or every person is meant;

One should know one's duties(Every person should know his duties.)

One,onesaccording to the singular or plural nouns:

He writes a book every year;the one he is writing now is about the Moghuls.
Some students are present;the ones you want to see are absent.

Also note;Everyone of them has his (or her) problems.

Anybody who goes to Swat may please send me his (or her) address.

WhenWhen we talk of both men and women,we use the masculine pronoun;

Everyone should do his best in life.

4.Interrogative pronouns and adjectives-"which,""what"
"Which" is used when selection is made from a given set of things or persons;

Which of these movies is historical?Which fruit do you like best?

"What" is used when the selection is in a general way from an unknown set:

What cities have you seen?What movies do you like to watch in your leisure time.

5.Relative pronouns
A relative pronoun refers to an earlier noun,sentence or part of a sentence.

(a)The students who(or that) have passed are here.
(b)Was the Iraq-American war,which(or that)the world tried to stop,the result of Muslim disunity?
(c)Have the guests that(or whom)we had invited arrived?
In (b) and (c) which,that,whom,may or may not be used.Was the Iraq-American war the world....

But note:
(a)"That"is better used when the words after it explain or restrict the position or action of the person or subject before it:

Leasers that rise through corruption should soon fall.Sorrows that come late are more troublesome.

(b)"Who" or "which" is used when "that" does not explain or restrict the position or action of the person or subject before it.

Our teacher,who is a foregner,know several languages.The books,which are lying here,are on the forward and backward march of history.

(c)"Who" or "which" should not be used after third-degree adjectives and "little,""much,""all,""none,""everything,""no":

This is the best book that you can read on the subject.I tell you that I know of the accident.All the glories that we have achieved are short-lived.

(d)"That" is used when a person or animal or thing,etc.occurs at te begining of the sentence:

Rahil and the car that had been in the police station are now with the magistrate.

6.Whom,who or that
"whom" or "that" is used as an object to the verb in a sentence.But "who" is also correctly used thus.After prepositions,"whom"as pronoun is used.

She is the girl whom everyone liked for her good manners.(or)She is the girl whom(or who) everyone liked.(or)She is the girl that everyone...(or leave out whom,who or that.)With whom were you walking?

However,the relative pronoun "whom" takes the preposition before it in written English.Our teacher from whom I got the book is a man of learning.(or)Our teacher whom(or who) I got the book from...(or)Our teacher that I...(or)Our teacher...I got the book from is a man of learning.)

The order of personal pronouns

Note that we use personal pronouns in his order:2nd person+3rd person+1st person.But to emphasize or focus this order can be changed.

You,he and I study and play together.Your house,Nelson's house and mine are all new.I,you and they were observers of the happening.