English pronouns table. Pronouns in English
A pronoun is used in place of a noun or other parts of speech that define the noun.
Personal pronouns in English
Personal pronouns mean a person or thing and are used instead of a noun. They have the forms of the nominative and objective cases:
Pronouns he, she are used instead of animate nouns. Instead of inanimate nouns, abstract concepts and animal names in the singular, the pronoun is used it:
I tried the door. It was locked. – I tried to open the door. It was locked.
I always got his help whenever I needed it. – I always received his help whenever I needed him.
He got down the horse and tied it to the rail. – He got off his horse and tied it to the rail.
Pronoun they replaces both animate and inanimate plural nouns.
Pronoun you refers to the second person singular and plural, i.e. can refer to one or many persons:
You are a student. – Are you student.
You are students. – You are students
Important! Pronoun I always written with a capital letter!
Possessive pronouns in English
Possessive pronouns express ownership and answer a question whose- whose, whose, whose? They have two forms: basic and absolute:
Possessive pronouns of the main form are used with a noun, being a definition of it: The doctor usually comes to his office at two o'clock. – The doctor usually comes to his office at two o'clock.
Often these pronouns are used instead of the article and in such cases are not translated into Russian: He took off his jacket and loosened his tie. – He took off his jacket and loosened his tie.
Absolute pronouns are used without a noun and serve as the subject, object and nominal part of the predicate:
Theirs is a very large family. – Their family is very large.
They are not my books; they must be yours. – These are not my books. They must be yours.
This pencil is mine. – This pencil is mine.
Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns this And that have respectively plural forms these those:
this book these books
that boy those boys
Demonstrative pronouns this And these are used to indicate objects, persons or phenomena that are close in space or time.
Demonstrative pronouns that And those are used when indicating objects, persons or phenomena that are more distant in space or time:
This is a pencil, and that is a blackboard. – This is a pencil, and that is a board
Take these books on the table; don't take those on the shelf. – Take these books on the table. Don't take the ones on the shelf.
Indefinite pronouns
The most common indefinite pronouns are: some, any, many, much, few, little, one.
1. Some, any matter a few, some, a little and are used with countable nouns. Some used in affirmative sentences, any- in interrogative and negative sentences:
I have brought some newspapers for you. – I brought some newspapers for you.
Do you have any questions? – Do you have any questions?
No, we don't have any. – No, none.
Pronoun any can be used in affirmative sentences, then it has meaning any:
You may come at any time. – You can come any time.
2. Pronouns much (a lot of) And little (few) define or replace uncountable nouns; pronouns many (a lot of) And few (few) define or replace countable nouns: much work, little time, many friends, little visitors.
Pronouns a little And a few mean A little, some in a positive sense:
I have a little free time today. – Today I have some free time.
He is happy because he has a few friends here. – He is happy because he has several friends here.
Pronouns little And few mean a little, not enough in a negative sense:
She had little rest over the weekend and looked tired. – She didn't have enough time to rest over the weekend and looks tired.
He is unhappy because he has few friends yet. – He is unhappy because he has few friends.
Pronoun one expresses an indefinite person and is used as a subject. Offers with one in the function of the subject are translated into Russian by indefinite personal sentences:
One must try to do one's best. “We need to try to do the best we can.”
One never knows what to expect of this puppy. “You never know what to expect from this puppy.”
Pronoun one (ones) often used to avoid repetition of a previously mentioned noun:
He lives in a big house and I live in a small one. – He lives in a big house, and I live in a small one.
Of all the books she gave me I have chosen only these ones. – Of all the books she gave me, I chose only these.
Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns who, which, what used in interrogative sentences:
Who lives in this house? – Who lives in this house?
What did you see there? – What did you see there?
Which month is the warmest? – Which month is the warmest?
Interrogative pronouns can be used with a preposition before or after the pronoun at the end of the sentence:
About what are you speaking? – What are you talking about?
What are you speaking about? – What are you saying?
Pronoun who has three case forms: nominative case - who, objective case - whom and possessive case - whose. Pronoun who in sentences it usually plays the role of the subject and is used with a singular verb:
Who teaches you English? – Who teaches you English?
Pronoun who (whom, whose) refers to persons what- to items:
Who spoke at the meeting? – Who spoke at the meeting?
What has she in her hands? – What's in her hands?
Pronoun what used in a question relating to people when clarifying their specialty or occupation:
What is this gentleman? – Who is this gentleman? (about the profession)
He is a banker. – He's a banker.
Pronoun which used when there is a choice from a certain number of persons or objects:
Which of you will go with me? – Which one of you will come with me?
Which of the two stories do you prefer? – Which of the two stories do you prefer?
Relative pronouns
Relative pronouns who (whom, whose), which, that are used in subordinate clauses as a subject or object. In the main clause there is always some word to which the relative pronoun refers. If this word is an animate noun, then the defining clause contains a relative pronoun who (whom, whose):
He was a man who meant what he said. – He was a man who meant what he said.
Meg loved her little brother to whom she had been a second mother. – Meg loved her little brother, to whom she was a second mother.
If the word is an inanimate noun, then a pronoun is used which:
This is the book which everyone must read. – This is a book that everyone should read.
Pronoun that can refer to both animate and inanimate nouns:
He was a man that can understand such things. – He was a man who could understand such things.
She had a voice that was unforgettable. – She had an unforgettable voice.
Hey! Today's article is about English pronouns. Oh, the confusion: “my” and “mine”, “something” and “anything”, “few” and “little”. Today we will finally understand all the groups of pronouns in the English language, their differences and subtleties of use. Let's go!
Pronoun in English(pronoun) - part of speech that denotes, but does not directly name objects, people, their properties and relationships. Thus, pronouns only address us to a previously mentioned object or person.
Mary asked John a question. He answered her. - Mary asked John a question. He(John) replied to her(Mary).
Use of pronouns in English
In a sentence, a pronoun can be a subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they), an object (me, you, whom, her, him, it, us, them) or a determiner (my, his, her, your, our, their, its).
We met John at the station. - We met John at the station.
John asked me to cook dinner. - John asked me cook dinner.
Her brother came yesterday. - Her brother arrived yesterday.
Pronoun structure
According to their structure, English pronouns are:
- Simple(consist of one syllable: I, all, some, that, this, we, she, they)
- Composite(from several morphemes: myself, nothing, myself)
- Complex(a combination of two or more words: one another, each other).
Types of pronouns in English
Pronouns perform many functions in a sentence and have their own classification. Let's look at them in groups.
- Personal pronouns
Designate faces or items in terms of their relationship to the speaker.
For example, “I” is the speaker, “we” is the speaker and another person, “they” is someone other than the speaker.
Personal pronouns change according to faces, number, family And case(nominative and objective).
Number |
Face |
Case |
|
Nominative |
Object |
||
The only thing |
me - me |
||
you - you |
you - you |
||
she [ʃi:] - she it - it |
him - him her - her it - his |
||
Plural |
us [ʌs] - us |
||
you - you |
you - you |
||
they [ðei] - they |
them [ðem] - them |
Personal pronouns in the nominative case usually play a role in a sentence subject, A V objective— additions.
He is John. - He John (“He” is nominative).
Mary bought a present for him. - Mary bought a gift for him(him - object).
Object case also used when there is nothing else in the sentence except the personal pronoun:
- Who was that? Who called? - Who was that? Who called?
- Me. - I.
- Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns ( my, is yours) in English are of two types, based on their functions: adjectives And nouns .
Adjectives |
Nouns |
my - mine |
mine - mine |
your - yours |
yours - yours |
his - him |
his - him |
her - her |
hers - her |
its - his |
its - his |
your - yours |
yours - yours |
our [ɑ:r] - our |
ours [ɑ:rz] - ours |
their [ðer] - theirs |
theirs [ðerz] - theirs |
Both of these forms answer the question “whose?”, but the first ( my) requires a noun after itself, and the second ( mine) does not require, since it already implies it.
This is my computer. - This my computer.
This is yours.- This is yours(yours = your computer).
- Reflexive pronouns
English reflexive pronouns in Russian correspond to the words “ myself(A)», « myself».
Pronoun |
Transcription |
Example |
I saw myself in the mirror. (I saw myself in the mirror) |
||
Why do you blame yourself? (Why do you blame yourself?) |
||
Anna sent herself a copy. (Anna sent herself a copy) |
||
Ivan sent himself a copy. (Ivan sent himself a copy) |
||
My cat hurt itself. (My cat got hurt) |
||
We blame ourselves. (We blame ourselves) |
||
Could you help yourselves? (Could you help yourself (yourself)?) |
||
They cannot look after themselves. (They can't take care of themselves (by themselves)) |
The second part of these words may remind you of the word selfie, which is derived from “self”. And the first part repeats the pronouns of the already mentioned groups.
- Reciprocal pronouns
There are only two reciprocal pronouns in English:
- each other- each other;
- one another- one another.
According to all the rules, " each other" we use only when there are 2 persons, and "one another" - more than two persons.
We think of each other as of an interesting opponent. - We relate to each other as an interesting opponent.
There were many people and they looked at one another. - There were a lot of people there and they were watching Each other.
The corresponding preposition, unlike the Russian language, is placed before words « each" And " one»:
We live too far from each other. - We live too far away apart from each other.
They are such good friends they will do anything for each other.- They are such good friends that they will do for each other anything.
- Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns indicate a person, object, phenomenon, their signs, time, without naming them.
Pronoun |
Translation |
Transcription |
Example |
|
units h. |
this/this |
This car is red. - This car is red. |
||
plural |
These shoes are cheap. - These shoes are cheap. |
|||
units h. |
That man in my brother. - That man is my brother. |
|||
plural |
Those people are my friends. - Those people are my friends. |
|||
only units h. |
I bought such a nice gift. - I bought such a nice gift. |
|||
only units h. |
His T-shirt was the same I wore. - His T-shirt was |
- Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to form questions .
Pronoun |
Translation |
Transcription |
Example |
what/what |
What is it? - What is this? |
||
who will win |
Who called? - Who called? |
||
which/which |
Which dress did you buy? - What dress did you buy? |
||
whom/to whom |
Whom is this story about? -Who is this story about? |
||
Whose car is it? - Whose car is it? |
|||
How are you? - How are you? |
|||
Why are you so sad? - Why are you so sad? |
|||
When will you arrive? - When will you arrive? |
|||
where/where |
Where did you go? - Where did you go? |
- Indefinite pronouns
The largest group of pronouns is considered indefinite. Mostly they formed by a combination of pronouns, which independently also perform the functions of this group.
Indefinite pronouns in English include: " some" (somebody, someone, something), " any" (anybody, anyone, anything), " no"(nobody, no one, none, nothing), " many», « much», « few" And " little».
« Some" And " any» denote a specific quantity and are used before nouns (plural or uncountable). " Some"and its derivatives are used V affirmative proposals, A " any"and its derivatives - V interrogative And negative.
Do we have any bread? - Do we have bread?
Yes, I have some. - Yes, I have some.
« No"is also an indefinite pronoun. To avoid double negation, the verb is used together with it in the affirmative form.
I have no brothers. - I have No(no) brothers.
Let's look at the table of derived pronouns.
Used |
||||
somebody - someone, somebody |
someone - someone, anyone |
something - something, anything |
In interrogative sentences expressing a request or suggestion. |
|
anybody - anyone, everyone, anyone, no one (in the negative) |
anyone - anyone, everyone, anyone, no one (in the negative) |
anything - anything, everything, nothing (in the negative) |
In interrogative sentences. In affirmative sentences. In negative sentences (with a negative form of the verb). |
|
nobody - no one |
no one - no one |
nothing - nothing, nothing |
In negative sentences (with an affirmative form of the verb). |
It should be noted that if the pronouns “somebody”, “anyone”, “anything”, “nobody”, “no one”, “someone”, “something”, “anybody”, “nothing”, “everybody”, “everything” are used in function subject, then the verb will be used in the form singular(is, was, ending “-s”).
Everybody was there in time. - All were there on time.
Indefinite pronouns somebody, somebody, anybody, nobody may have possessive case endings for nouns.
I found somebody's wallet. - I found someone's wallet.
Many(a lot of), few(few), a few(several) are used before countable nouns and answer the question “how many?”
He has many friends. - He has a lot of friends.
She has few friends. - She has few friends.
We rested a few minutes. - We had a rest some minutes.
Much(a lot of), little(few), a little(a little) are used before uncountable nouns or with verbs and answer the question “how much?”
You work too much. - You work too much a lot of.
Yes, I know, but I have very little time. - Yes, I know, but I have a very few time.
I have a little time for this. - I have it for this A little time.
How to choose between I and me
« I» used when is subject And leads action.
I will make a cake today. - I I'll bake a cake today.
We also use "I" when we perform an action with someone else.
Mary and I went to the shop. - Mary and I let's go shopping.
« Me» used in indirect cases: to me, me, me(when something is done for us, or given to us):
Would you do this for me? - Could you do this for me?
Will she reply to me? - She will answer to me?
Conclusion
You should now feel more confident with English pronouns. To test your knowledge, you can try our Online Trainer. Good luck!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Quickly go:
A pronoun is a part of speech that is used instead of a noun.
Pushkin is the greatest Russian poet. He was born in 1799
Pushkin is the greatest Russian poet. He was born in 1799.
Pronouns in English can be used in a sentence as a function:
Not a doctor.
He is a doctor.
The red pencil is mine.
My red pencil.
I have not seen him.
I didn't see him.
I cannot find my pencil.
I can't find my pencil.
Simple form Possessive pronouns are always required after a noun and, being its definition, exclude the use of an article before this noun:
My pencil is on the table.
My pencil is on the table.
Absolute form Possessive pronouns are used independently - nouns are never placed after them.
This pencil is mine.
This pencil is mine.
Refundable pronouns come after many verbs and correspond in Russian to the particle - "Xia" ("s"), which is attached to verbs, showing that the action passes to the actor himself:
Not defended himself.
He defended himself.
Don't cut yourself.
Don't cut yourself.
Pronouns in English: table with translation and examples
1. Personal (Personal Pronouns) |
Nominative case (Nominative Case) |
objective case (Objective Case) |
I- I you- you you he- He she- she it- he she it we- We you- You they- They |
me- me, me you- you, you, you, you him- him, him her- her, her it- his, her, him, her us- us, us you- you, you them- them, them |
|
2. Possessives (Possessive Pronouns) |
I form | II form |
mу- my (I, -e, -i) your- yours (-i, -e, -i), yours (a, -e, -i) his- his her- her its- his her our- our (a, -e, -i) your- your (-a, -e, -i) their- their all these pronouns can also be translated by the word your |
mine- my (I, -e, -i) yours- yours (i, -e, -i), yours (a, -e, -i) his- his hers- her its- his her ours- our (-a, -e, -i) yours- your (-a, -e, -i) theirs- their |
|
3. Return and amplifier (Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns) |
myself- (I) myself, myself (-a) yourself- (you, you) yourself, yourself (s) himself- (he) himself, himself herself- (she) herself, herself itself- (it) itself, itself ourselves- (we) ourselves, ourselves yourselves- (you) yourself, yourself themselves- (they) themselves, themselves |
|
4. Mutual (Reciprocal Pronouns) |
each other- each other one another- one another |
|
5. Index fingers (Demonstrative Pronouns) |
this (these) - this, this, this, (these) that (those) - that, that, that, (those) such- such the same- the same, the same |
|
6. Interrogative (Interrogative Pronouns) |
who (whom) - who will win) whose- whose what- what, what, which, who which- which, which, who, what |
|
7. Relative and connecting (Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns) |
who (whom) - who (whom), which (whom) whose- whose, whom what- what, which which- which, which, who, what that- which |
|
8. Undefined (Indefinite Pronouns) |
some- some, some, a little (approved sentence) any- some, some (in questions and negative sentences), any one- someone, some all- everything, everything, everything, everything each- every every- everyone, everyone other- other(s) another- another both- both many- many, many much- a lot of few- few, few little- few either- any (of two) no- none, none, no none- no one, nothing neither- neither one nor the other, no one, nothing |
|
Use | ||
1. Personal | subject I shall speak to him. - I'll talk to him. addition I shall speak to him. - I'll talk to him. part of the predicate That was he. - That was him. |
|
2. Possessives | definition Her paper was interesting. - Her article was interesting. subject My room is large, yours is larger. - My room is big, yours is bigger. part of the predicate This paper is his. - This article is his. addition We haven’t seen your paper, we have seen only theirs. We didn't see your article, we only saw theirs. |
|
3. Return and amplifier | addition I wash myself. - I wash my face. Not himself saw it. - He saw it himself. Didn't saw it himself. - He saw it himself. |
|
4. Mutual | addition They greeted each other.- They greeted each other. |
|
5. Index fingers | subject This was pleasant. - It was nice. addition He likes this. - He likes it. part of the predicate It was that. - That was (just) that. definition I know these songs. - I know these songs. |
|
6. Interrogative | subject Who knows this story? - Who knows this story? addition What did you see there? - What did you see there? part of the predicate What has she become? - Who has she become? definition Which month is the warmest? - Which month is the warmest? |
|
7. Relative and connecting | subject The man who is sitting there is my friend. - The man who sits there is my friend. addition I don't know whom he sent there. - I don't know who he sent there. part of the predicate The question is who will go there. - The question is who will go there. definition I don't know whose paper this is. - I don’t know whose article this is. |
|
8. Undefined | subject One must do it. - We need to do this. addition He told us something. - He told us something. definition Any student can do it. - Any student can do this. part of the predicate It is too much for me. - This is too much for me. |
|
Translation: pronouns |
Studying any topic starts with its basics. The same goes for English pronouns. Yes, you can immediately throw yourself into the pool headlong, studying all the intricacies of this topic. However, if you do not know how this or that pronoun is translated or pronounced, immediately combining the word with other members and making sentences with them will be at least difficult, and at most impossible. Therefore, if you are just beginning your acquaintance with this topic, let's look at English pronouns with translation and pronunciation in order to avoid problems in their further development.
English pronoun types
To begin with, it is worth noting that pronouns in English are divided into 9 types:
- Personal Pronouns or Personal Pronouns
- Possessive Pronouns or Possessive Pronouns
- Reflexive Pronouns or Reflexive Pronouns
- Reciprocal Pronouns or Reciprocal Pronouns
- Interrogative Pronouns or Interrogative Pronouns
- Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns or Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns
- Demonstrative Pronouns or Demonstrative Pronouns
- Quantitative pronouns or Quantitative pronouns
- Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns or Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns
Each type has a limited number of words that you need to remember to express your thoughts. These words, as a rule, consist of a small number of letters and do not contain sounds, the pronunciation of which can cause difficulties at the initial stage. Let's look at each type in more detail and study the pronouns of the English language with transcription and translation.
English pronouns with translation and pronunciation: meaning and transcription
- The main place among English pronouns is occupied by Personal Pronouns. This is the only group in which English allows case declension. Table for clarity:
Person and number | Nominative | Objective case |
1 l., units | I(ay) - I | me(mi) – me / to me / by me |
1 l., plural | we(ui) - we | us[ʌs] (as) – us / to us / by us |
2 l., units | you(yu) - you | you(yu) – to you / by you |
2 l., plural | you(yu) - you | you(yu) – you / to you / by you |
3 l., units | he(hee) - he she[ʃi:](shi) - she it(it) – this/it |
him(him) – his / him / them her(hyo) – her/her it(it) is |
3 l., plural | they[ðei] (zey) - they | them[ðem] (zem) – their / them / by them |
- The second most important is the Possessive Pronouns group or the group of possessive pronouns. It also has two forms: attached and absolute. They both answer the same question (“whose?”), but differ in that the first requires a noun after itself, and the second does not. Let's compare:
As you can see, these forms have something in common, but they are written and pronounced differently. Consider the complete list of possessive pronouns:
Attachable form | Absolute form |
my (May) – mine | mine (mine) – mine |
your (yo) – yours | yours (yors) - yours |
his (his) - his | his (his) - his |
her (hyo) - her | hers (hes) - her |
its (its) - his | its (its) - his |
your (yo) – yours | yours (yors) – yours |
our (oue) – ours | ours (owers) – ours |
their [ðeə(r)] (zea) – theirs | theirs [ðeəz] (zeirs) – theirs |
- Reflexive Pronouns or reflexive pronouns are a group of pronouns that are translated into Russian to mean “oneself” and “oneself” depending on the situation:
The second part of these pronouns may remind you of the famous word “selfie”, which actually comes from the word “self”. The first parts repeat the pronouns of the two above-mentioned groups.
- Reciprocal Pronouns or reciprocal pronouns in English are the group that will probably take the least time to memorize. It consists of two words with the same meaning:
Pronoun | Translation | Transcription | Pronunciation |
each other | each other | [ˌiːtʃ ˈʌðə(r)] | ich aze |
one another | [ˌwʌnəˈnʌðə(r)] | one enase |
- The group of Interrogative Pronouns or the group of interrogative pronouns is more extensive. These pronouns, as the name suggests, are used to form questions:
Pronoun | Translation | Transcription | Pronunciation |
what | what/what | wot | |
who | who will win | xy | |
which | which/which | wich | |
whom | whom/to whom | hum | |
whose | whose | khus | |
how | How | how | |
why | Why | wy | |
when | When | van | |
where | where/where | vea |
- Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns or relative and connecting pronouns are used in complex sentences. There are not many of them, but you need to know these words:
Some words in this group and the group of interrogative pronouns are similar, but their functions and meanings are different.
- Demonstrative Pronouns or demonstrative pronouns in English are also often found in speech. Some of them have singular and plural forms:
Pronoun | Translation | Transcription | Pronunciation | |
units h. | this | this/this | [ðis] | zys |
plural | these | these | [ði:z] | zyz |
units h. | that | that/that | [ðæt] | zet |
plural | those | those | [ðəʊz] | zous |
only units h. | such | such | sach | |
only units h. | (the)same | same | Sejm |
- There are pronouns in English that denote quantity. They are called Quantitative pronouns or quantitative pronouns. These include:
Pronoun | Translation | Transcription | Pronunciation |
much | many (with uncountable nouns) | mach | |
many | a lot (with countable nouns) | [ˈmeni] | mani |
little | little (with uncountable nouns) | [ˈlɪtl] | little |
a little | a little (with uncountable nouns) | [ə ˈlɪtl] | uh little |
few | little (with countable nouns | ugh | |
a few | several (with countable nouns) | [ə fjuː] | ugh |
several | some | [ˈsevrəl] | saveral |
- The most extensive group can rightfully be considered Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns or indefinite and negative pronouns. Most of them are formed by a combination of pronouns, which independently also perform the functions of this group, and other parts of speech:
Pronouns | Other parts of speech | |||
thing [θɪŋ] | one | body [ˈbɒdi] | where | |
some | something (Samsing) - something | someone (samuan) - someone | somebody (sambadi) - someone | somewhere (samvea) - somewhere |
any [ˈeni] | anything (enising) - anything | anyone (eniuan) - someone | anybody (enibady) - someone | anywhere (enivea) - somewhere |
no | nothing (nasing) - nothing | no one (but one) - no one | nobody (nobadi) - no one | nowhere (newa) - nowhere |
every [ˈevri] | everything (eurising) – everything | everyone(euryuan) - everyone | everybody (eurybadi) - everyone | everywhere(evrivea) - everywhere |
And also pronouns:
Pronoun | Translation | Transcription | Pronunciation |
other | another | [ˈʌðə(r)] | aze |
another | [əˈnʌðə(r)] | enase |
These were all English pronouns with translation and pronunciation. I would like to pay special attention to pronunciation. The fact is that the sounds of the English language are different from the sounds of Russian, so it is actually quite difficult to convey how pronouns are pronounced in English.
The presented options are close to English pronunciation and were added to make them easier to understand at an initial level. With this pronunciation you will definitely be understood, but for a more correct sound, study the transcriptions in English. To remember the correct pronunciation, listening to audio of native speakers and imitating their speaking style are also great options.
Views: 1,276
A pronoun is a part of speech that denotes an actor or thing, but does not name it. In general, the role and meaning of pronouns in English is similar to this part of speech in Russian. In this article we will look at the types of English pronouns with translation and examples of their use.
According to their meaning, English pronouns are divided into the following groups:
- personal
- possessive
- index fingers
- returnable
- interrogative
- negative
- uncertain
Let's look at each group of pronouns separately.
Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns refer to things or people from the speaker's point of view.
Personal pronouns are inflected for gender, number, case and person.
We present the declension of personal pronouns in table form:
Personal pronouns in the nominative case, as a rule, act as subjects in a sentence and answer the question “who?”, “What?”, and in the objective case they play the role of complements. The objective case of pronouns in English replaces as many as five cases of Russian (all except the nominative), and pronouns answer the questions of these cases “whom, what?”, “whom, what?”, “by whom, what?”, “about whom, about what?".
Let's look at examples of the use of personal pronouns in English.
- I don’t like rainy autumn weather. (I don't like rainy autumn weather).
- She is a very kind person. (She is a very kind person).
- They have never been to Paris. (They have never been to Paris).
- Give him this book, please. (Please give him this book).
- The last episode of the series seemed very boring to me. (I found the last episode of the series very boring).
- Unfortunately, our elderly relatives don’t understand us very often. (Unfortunately, our elderly relatives very often do not understand us).
- Sorry, I didn't hear you. Could you repeat, please? (I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Repeat, please).
Please note the following aspects related to personal pronouns:
- The personal pronoun I (I) is always capitalized, regardless of its place in the sentence.
I am afraid of spiders (I'm afraid of spiders).
My teacher often says that I am inattentive (My teacher often says that I am inattentive).
- The pronoun it replaces the pronouns she and he for inanimate objects. For example: There is a table under the window. It is new. (There is a table under the window. It is new). It is also used when talking about animals. My cat doesn't catch mice. It is very lazy. (My cat doesn't catch mice. He's very lazy).
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns in English, as in Russian, denote belonging to an object or person. This type of pronoun answers the question “whose?”
Possessive pronouns, in turn, are divided into 2 types:
- Possessive pronouns of the dependent form.
Let's look at them with translation using the table:
Let us give examples of sentences with possessive pronouns of the dependent form.
- What is your name? (What's your name?) My name is Margaret. (My name is Margaret).
- Let me introduce my business partner Tom. (Let me introduce my business partner Tom).
- Yesterday I met Jack with his new girlfriend. (Yesterday I met Jack with his new girlfriend).
- Where do their children live now? (Where do their children live now?)
- This painting is the pride of our museum. It is beautiful. (This painting is the pride of our museum. It is beautiful.)
Possessive pronouns of the dependent form have a number of features:
- In English there is no word “own”; instead, the corresponding possessive pronoun is used. For example: I forgot my keys (I forgot my keys). Every morning he walks his dog. (Every morning he walks his dog.)
- Possessive pronouns are not used together with articles. Either an article or a pronoun is used.
- Possessive pronouns of absolute form. Let's also look at their forms using the table:
As you can see, the translation for the two forms of possessive pronouns is the same. What is the difference between them?
Possessive pronouns of the dependent form go before the noun they describe. And possessive pronouns of the absolute form are used without a noun after. As a rule, they are placed at the end of sentences.
Let's look at this difference using specific examples:
Is this my bag? No, your bag is by the door, it is hers. (Is that my bag? No, your bag is by the door, it's hers). In the first two cases, possessive pronouns of the dependent form (pronoun + noun) are used, and in the last case, the pronoun hers replaced the phrase her bag.
Whose cars are these? (Whose cars are these?)
This is my car, that is her car. (This is my car, and that one is her car). Or: This is mine, that is hers. (This one is mine, and that one is hers).
Here are a few more examples with the absolute form of pronouns:
- He is not Mary's son. Hers has black hair. (This is not Mary's son, her son has black hair).
- I took my keys, but Albert forgot his. (I took my keys, but Albert forgot his).
- Is this document yours? (Is this document yours?)
Also, possessive pronouns of the absolute form can be used with the preposition of. For example:
This is Nilson. He is a friend of mine. (This is Nilsson. He is my friend).
Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate objects, people, and also to describe time.
There are five demonstrative pronouns in English:
- this - this, this, this
- that - that, that, then
- these - these
- those - those
- such - such
This is used to indicate objects that are located in close proximity to the speaker and are represented in the singular.
- This is my house. (This is my home).
- This woman is my mother. (This woman is my mother).
These is used to indicate plural objects that are also located in close proximity to the speaker.
- These flowers are wonderful. (These flowers are gorgeous).
- These are students from our school. (These are students from our school).
That is used to indicate objects that are located at a distance from the speaker and are presented in the singular.
- That is my car. (That's my car).
- That boy is our neighbor. (That boy is our neighbor).
Those are used to indicate objects that are located at a distance from the speaker and are represented in the plural.
- Those are ancient monuments. (These are ancient monuments).
- Those musicians are my friends. (Those musicians are my friends).
In addition, this and that are used when we make reference to the remoteness of the period of time we are talking about.
- This summer is very hot. (This summer is very hot).
- I visited Switzerland that summer. (I visited Switzerland that summer).
The last demonstrative pronoun such is translated as “such” and indicates a certain quality of the object.
- She is such a pretty girl. (She's such a sweet girl).
- It is such a difficult exam. (This is such a difficult exam).
- Do it in such manner. (Do it this way).
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used when characters or objects perform actions that are directed at themselves. In Russian, reflexive pronouns correspond to the pronoun “yourself”, as well as the reflexive suffix of the verb -sya.
Reflexive pronouns are also used to emphasize that someone performed an action on their own.
- Let me introduce myself. (Allow me to introduce myself).
- We should be proud of ourselves. (We can be proud of ourselves).
- You must do it yourself. (You have to do it yourself).
- Help yourselves, please! (Help yourself, please!)
- Mother cut herself making the salad. (Mom cut herself while making salad).
- Our parrot likes to look at itself in the mirror. (Our parrot likes to look at someone other than himself in the mirror).
- Modern women can solve their problems themselves. (Modern women know how to solve their problems themselves).
Reflexive pronouns are used with the preposition by if it is necessary to emphasize that the action is performed without outside help.
- I repaired my toy by myself. (I fixed my toy myself).
- Can the children do it by themselves? (Can the children do this themselves?)
- She painted the fence by herself. (She painted the fence herself).
Do not forget that if we are talking about an animal, then the reflexive pronoun itself is used.
If the gender of the character in question is not determined, then the reflexive male pronoun (himself) is used.
Reflexive pronouns are not used with the following verbs:
- dress (to dress)
- wash (to wash)
- feel
- relax (relax)
- meet (meet)
- afford (allow)
- focus (focus)
Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns or question words are used to form special questions in English.
Interrogative pronouns include:
- Who? - Who?
- What? - What?
- Where? - Where? Where?
- When? - When?
- Why? - Why?
- How? - How?
- Which? - Which?
- Whose? - Whose?
- Where are you from? (Where are you from?)
- Whose bicycle is this? (Whose bike is this?)
- Why does he live here? (Why does he live here?)
- How are they? (How are they?)
- What is this noise? (What is this noise?)
- Which country did you like best? (Which country did you like best?)
Negative pronouns
Negative pronouns are used to give negative meaning and meaning to sentences.
Negative pronouns in English include the following words:
- no - none
- nothing - nothing, nothing
- nobody - no one
- no one - no one
- none - none of them
- neither - neither one nor the other, neither one, no one
The pronoun no is placed before nouns as an adjective pronoun. In this case, other pronouns and articles are not used with this noun.
No magazine wrote about this case. (No magazine wrote about this case).
He has no idea how to solve the problem. (He has no idea how to solve this problem).
The pronoun none is used as a noun pronoun. In a sentence it can play the role of subject and object.
None of us has never been here before. (None of us have been here before).
Unfortunately, I helped none of my friends yesterday. (Unfortunately, I didn't help any of my friends yesterday).
Nothing is only used with inanimate nouns. With animates nobody and no one are used.
No one wants to take this homeless puppy. (Nobody wants to adopt this stray puppy).
I need nothing from the shop. (I don't need anything from the store).
There was nobody at home when I came yesterday. (No one was home when I arrived yesterday).
The pronoun neither can act as both a noun pronoun and an adjective pronoun, with both animate and inanimate objects.
Neither book was interesting for me. (None of the books were interesting to me).
Would you like an ice-cream or some pudding? Neither. (Would you like ice cream or pudding? Neither).
Please note that English does not use double negatives. That is, if you use a negative pronoun, then there is no need to additionally build a negative sentence construction with the particle not.
Indefinite pronouns
When we cannot indicate exactly any person, object, quantity, we use indefinite pronouns. In English, derivative pronouns from some, any, no are classified as indefinite.
Some and its derivatives are used in affirmative sentences, and any, no and their derivatives are used in negative sentences.
Here are the indefinite pronouns in table form:
Let's look at the use of indefinite pronouns using examples:
Sign up and get 7 days of Personal Plan for free!
- What documents should an individual entrepreneur have?
- Accounting for individual entrepreneurs - rules and features of independent reporting under different tax regimes Primary documentation for individual entrepreneurs
- Accounting for individual entrepreneurs: features of accounting in individual entrepreneurs?
- How to privatize an apartment, everything about privatization List of documents for privatization of an apartment