part of speech 1: pronoun

Pronoun mean
Pronoun is a part of speech. It replaces a noun. Thus it is a word that refers to a person or a thing that has already talked about. Therefore it can take the place of a noun in a sentence and function as a noun. In fact it is a kind of noun, but its function is different from nouns in English. Pronouns are
used often to avoid repeating the name of the person, thing, event, or idea. It is a part of linguistics and grammar. A pronoun makes the sentences less unwieldy and less repetitive.
Principle of pronoun
•    Personal Pronouns
A “personal pronoun” refers to a specific person or thing and changes its form to indicate person, number, gender, and case.
•    Subjective Personal Pronouns
A “subjective personal pronoun” indicates that the pronoun is acting as the subject of the sentence. The subjective personal pronouns are "I," "you," "she," "he," "it," "we," "you," "they."
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a subjective personal pronoun and acts as the subject of the sentence:
1.    I was glad to find the bus pass in the bottom of the green knapsack.
2.    You are surely the strangest child I have ever met.
3.    He stole the selkie's skin and forced her to live with him.
4.    When she was a young woman, she earned her living as a coal miner.
5.    After many years, they returned to their homeland.
6.    We will meet at the library at 3:30 p.m.
7.    It is on the counter.
•    Objective Personal Pronouns
An “objective personal pronoun” indicates that the pronoun is acting as an object of a verb, compound verb, preposition, or infinitive phrase. The objective personal pronouns are: "me," "you," "her," "him," "it," "us," "you," and "them."
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is an objective personal pronoun:
        = Seamus stole the selkie's skin and forced her to live with him.
The objective personal pronoun "her" is the direct object of the verb "forced" and the objective personal pronoun "him" is the object of the preposition "with."
      = After reading the pamphlet, Judy threw it into the garbage can.
The pronoun "it" is the direct object of the verb "threw."
=The agitated assistant stood up and faced the angry delegates and said, "Our leader will address you in five minutes."
In this sentence, the pronoun "you" is the direct object of the verb "address."
        = Deborah and Roberta will meet us at the newest café in the market.
Here the objective personal pronoun "us" is the direct object of the compound verb "will meet."
             = Give the list to me.
Here the objective personal pronoun "me" is the object of the preposition "to."
     = I'm not sure that my contact will talk to you.
Similarly in this example, the objective personal pronoun "you" is the object of the preposition "to."
      = Christopher was surprised to see her at the drag races.
Here the objective personal pronoun "her" is the object of the infinitive phrase "to see."

•    Possessive Personal Pronouns
A ‘possessive pronoun’ indicates that the pronoun is acting as a marker of possession and defines who owns a particular object or person. The possessive personal pronouns are "mine," "yours," "hers," "his," "its," "ours," and "theirs." Note that possessive personal pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives like "my," "her," and "their."
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a possessive personal pronoun:
        = The smallest gift is mine.
Here the possessive pronoun "mine" functions as a subject complement.
          = This is yours.
Here too the possessive pronoun "yours" functions as a subject complement.
         =His is on the kitchen counter.
In this example, the possessive pronoun "his" acts as the subject of the sentence.
      = Theirs will be delivered tomorrow.
In this sentence, the possessive pronoun "theirs" is the subject of the sentence.
      = Ours is the green one on the corner.
Here too the possessive pronoun "ours" function as the subject of the sentence.

•    Demonstrative Pronouns
A “demonstrative pronoun” points to and identifies a noun or a pronoun. "This" and "these" refer to things that are nearby either in space or in time, while "that" and "those" refer to things that are farther away in space or time.
The demonstrative pronouns are "this," "that," "these," and "those." "This" and "that" are used to refer to singular nouns or noun phrases and "these" and "those" are used to refer to plural nouns and noun phrases. Note that the demonstrative pronouns are identical to demonstrative adjectives, though, obviously, you use them differently. It is also important to note that "that" can also be used as a relative pronoun.
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a demonstrative pronoun:
= This must not continue.
Here "this" is used as the subject of the compound verb "must not continue."
= This is puny; that is the tree I want.
In this example "this" is used as subject and refers to something close to the speaker. The demonstrative pronoun "that" is also a subject but refers to something farther away from the speaker.
= Three customers wanted these.
Here "these" is the direct object of the verb "wanted."
•    Interrogative Pronouns
An “interrogative pronoun” is used to ask questions. The interrogative pronouns are "who," "whom," "which," "what" and the compounds formed with the suffix "ever" ("whoever," "whomever," "whichever," and "whatever"). Note that either "which" or "what" can also be used as an interrogative adjective, and that "who," "whom," or "which" can also be used as a relative pronoun.
You will find "who," "whom," and occasionally "which" used to refer to people, and "which" and "what" used to refer to things and to animals.
"Who" acts as the subject of a verb, while "whom" acts as the object of a verb, preposition, or a verbal.
The highlighted word in each of the following sentences is an interrogative pronoun:
= Which wants to see the dentist first?
"Which" is the subject of the sentence.
= Who wrote the novel Rockbound?
Similarly "who" is the subject of the sentence.
= Whom do you think we should invite?
In this sentence, "whom" is the object of the verb "invite."
= To whom do you wish to speak?
Here the interrogative pronoun "whom " is the object of the preposition "to."
= Who will meet the delegates at the train station?
In this sentence, the interrogative pronoun "who" is the subject of the compound verb "will meet."
= To whom did you give the paper?
In this example the interrogative pronoun "whom" is the object of the preposition "to."
= What did she say?
Here the interrogative pronoun "what" is the direct object of the verb "say.

•    Relative Pronouns
You can use a relative pronoun is used to link one phrase or clause to another phrase or clause. The relative pronouns are "who," "whom," "that," and "which." The compounds "whoever," "whomever," and "whichever" are also relative pronouns.
You can use the relative pronouns "who" and "whoever" to refer to the subject of a clause or sentence, and "whom" and "whomever" to refer to the objects of a verb, a verbal or a preposition.
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a relative pronoun.
= You may invite whomever you like to the party.
The relative pronoun "whomever" is the direct object of the compound verb "may invite."
 = The candidate who wins the greatest popular vote is not always elected.
In this sentence, the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb "wins" and introduces the subordinate clause "who wins the greatest popular vote." This subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying "candidate."
= In a time of crisis, the manager asks the workers whom she believes to be the most efficient to arrive an hour earlier than usual.
In this sentence "whom" is the direct object of the verb "believes" and introduces the subordinate clause "whom she believes to be the most efficient". This subordinate clause modifies the noun "workers."
= Whoever broke the window will have to replace it.
Here "whoever" functions as the subject of the verb "broke."
= The crate which was left in the corridor has now been moved into the storage closet.
In this example "which" acts as the subject of the compound verb "was left" and introduces the subordinate clause "which was left in the corridor." The subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying the noun "crate."
= I will read whichever manuscript arrives first.
Here "whichever" modifies the noun "manuscript" and introduces the subordinate clause "whichever manuscript arrives first." The subordinate clause functions as the direct object of the compound verb "will read."

•    Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun referring to an identifiable but not specified person or thing. An indefinite pronoun conveys the idea of all, any, none, or some.
The most common indefinite pronouns are "all," "another," "any," "anybody," "anyone," "anything," "each," "everybody," "everyone," "everything," "few," "many," "nobody," "none," "one," "several," "some," "somebody," and "someone." Note that some indefinite pronouns can also be used as indefinite adjectives.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are indefinite pronouns:
= Many were invited to the lunch but only twelve showed up.
Here "many" acts as the subject of the compound verb "were invited."
= The office had been searched and everything was thrown onto the floor.
In this example, "everything" acts as a subject of the compound verb "was thrown."
= We donated everything we found in the attic to the woman's shelter garage sale.
In this sentence, "everything" is the direct object of theverb "donated."
= Although they looked everywhere for extra copies of the magazine, they found none.
Here too the indefinite pronoun functions as a direct object: "none" is the direct object of "found."
= Make sure you give everyone a copy of the amended bylaws.
In this example, "everyone" is the indirect object of the verb "give" -- the direct object is the noun phrase "a copy of the amended bylaws."
= Give a registration package to each.
Here "each" is the object of the preposition "to."

•    Reflexive Pronouns
You can use a reflexive pronoun to refer back to the subject of the clause or sentence.
The reflexive pronouns are "myself," "yourself," "herself," "himself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves." Note each of these can also act as an intensive pronoun.
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a reflexive pronoun:
1.    Diabetics give themselves insulin shots several times a day.
2.    The Dean often does the photocopying herself so that the secretaries can do more important work.
3.    After the party, I asked myself why I had faxed invitations to everyone in my office building.
4.    Richard usually remembered to send a copy of his e-mail to himself.
5.    Although the landlord promised to paint the apartment, we ended up doing it ourselves.
•    Intensive Pronouns
An intensive pronoun is a pronoun used to emphasise its antecedent. Intensive pronouns are identical in form to reflexive pronouns.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are intensive pronouns:
1.    I myself believe that aliens should abduct my sister.
2.    The Prime Minister himself said that he would lower taxes.
3.    They themselves promised to come to the party even though they had a final exam at the same time.

How to use pronoun
Pronouns usually refer to other words, called their antecedents because they (should) come before the pronoun. A pronoun's antecedent may be either a noun or another pronoun, but in either case, it must be clear what the antecedent is. Consider this example: Micheline told Ruth that she would take Jerry to the barn dance.
It is not clear whether the pronoun "she" in this sentence refers to Ruth or Micheline. Unless pronouns refer unmistakably to distinct, close, and single antecedents, the reader will never be sure who's going to the square dance with whom.
A pronoun should have only one possible antecedent
If there is more than one possible antecedent for a personal pronoun in a sentence, make sure that the pronoun refers only to one of them:
[WRONG] Jerry found a gun in the trousers which he wore.
"Which he wore" could modify "trousers" or "gun."
[WRONG] Jerry called Steve twelve times while he was in Reno.
The pronoun "he" could refer either to "Jerry" or to "Steve."
A pronoun should not refer to an implied idea
Make sure that the pronoun refers to a specific rather than to an implicit antecedent: When you leave the antecedent implied instead of stating it explicitly, the reader has to try to guess your sentence's meaning:
[WRONG] John put a bullet in his gun and shot it.
The pronoun "it" can refer either to the noun "gun" or to the implied object of the verb "shot."
[WRONG] If I told you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me?
The pronoun "it" can refer to the noun "body" or to the entire statement.
[WRONG] The craftspersons' union reached an agreement on Ruth's penalty, but it took time.
The pronoun "it" can refer to the noun "union" or to the implied process of decision making.
A pronoun should not refer to adjectives or possessive nouns
You should not use adjectives, or nouns or pronouns in the possessive case, as antecedents. Although they may imply a noun, reference to them will be ambiguous:
In Ruth's apology she told Jerry she'd loved him for years.
In this case, the pronoun "she" seems to refer to the noun phrase "Ruth's apology," though it was probably meant to refer to possessive noun "Ruth's."
Jerry wore those blasted green knickers; it was his favourite colour.
In this example, the pronoun "it" seems to refer to the noun "knickers," though it was probably meant to refer to the adjective "green."
A pronoun should not refer to a title
When you start your paper, do not write as if the title itself were part of the body of the paper. Often, the title will appear on a separate page, and your opening will be confusing. Imagine, for example, a paper entitled "How to Sew Green Knickers": you should not begin the first paragraph with a sentence like
This is not as easy as it looks.
The writer probably wanted the pronoun "this" to refer to the idea of sewing knickers, but since the idea is not in the body of the paper itself, the reference will not make sense.
Use "it," "they," and "you" carefully
In conversation people often use expressions such as "It says in this book that ..." and "In my home town they say that ...". These constructions are useful for information conversation because they allow you to present ideas casually, without supporting evidence; for academic writing, however, these constructions are either too imprecise or too wordy:
[WRONG] In Chapter four of my autobiography it says that I was born out of wedlock.
In Chapter four, what says that the speaker was born out of wedlock?
[WRONG] In the restaurant they gave me someone else's linguini.
Who gave the speaker someone else's linguini?
It would be better to rewrite these two sentences as follow:
[RIGHT] Chapter four of my autobiography states that I was born out of wedlock.
[RIGHT] In the restaurant, the server gave me someone else's linguini.
In these revised sentences, there is no doubt about who is doing what.
The same basic rule applies to the pronoun "you." In informal conversation and in instructional writing (like HyperGrammar), English speakers often use the pronoun to mean something like "a hypothetical person" or "people in general"; academic writing, however, needs to be more precise, and you should use "you" only when you want to address the reader directly (as I am doing here). Consider this example:
[WRONG] In the fourteenth century, you had to struggle to survive.
In this case, "you" obviously does not refer to the reader, since the reader was not alive during the seventeenth century. It would be better to rewrite the sentence so that it expresses your idea more precisely; for example
[RIGHT] In the fourteenth century, people had to struggle to survive.
Or even better yet,
[RIGHT] In the fourteenth century, English peasant farmers had to struggle to survive.
Use "it" consistently within a sentence
There are three common uses of the pronoun "it":
As an idiom
"It is snowing";
To postpone the subject
"It is untrue that a rhinoceros can run faster than my tights"; and
As a personal pronoun
"I wanted a rhinoceros for my birthday, but did not get it."
You may use all of these in academic writing, but to avoid awkwardness, you should not use more than one within a single sentence:
[WRONG] When it is my birthday, I hope to receive a rhinoceros, and I will walk it often.
It would be better to eliminate the first (idiomatic) "it":
On my birthday, I hope to receive a rhinoceros, and I will walk it often.
Use "who," "which," and "that" carefully
Historically, writers, editors, and publishers have had difficulty establishing a clear guidelines for using the relative pronouns "who," "which," and "that," in formal writing, but over the last fifty years or so they have come a loose standard. According to this standard, the pronoun "who" usually refers to people, but may also refer to animals that have names:
My mother, who gave me the rhino, must love me very much. My rhino, whom I call Spike, wanders at will through the house.
The pronoun "which" refers to animals and things:
The rhino, which is a much maligned and misunderstood animal, is really quite affectionate. Its horn is a mat of hair which is sort of stuck to its snout.
Finally, the pronoun "that" refers to animals and things and occasionally to persons when they are collective or anonymous:
The rhino that hid behind the television was missing for days.
Rhinos that like to swim cause both plumbing and enamelling problems for their owners.
The answer that everyone missed was "Etruscan."