Learn on PengiElements of Language, 5th CourseChapter 1: The Parts of Speech: The Work That Words Do

Lesson 2: The Pronoun

In this Grade 8 grammar lesson from Elements of Language, 5th Course, students learn to identify and use pronouns, including personal pronouns categorized by first, second, and third person, as well as reflexive and intensive pronouns ending in -self or -selves. Students practice recognizing antecedents and distinguishing reflexive pronouns, which complete a verb's meaning or serve as objects of prepositions, from intensive pronouns, which simply emphasize their antecedents. Exercises drawn from real sentences reinforce these concepts through identification and labeling tasks.

Section 1

Pronoun and Antecedent

Definition

A pronoun is a word used in place of one or more nouns or pronouns. The noun or pronoun that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent of the pronoun.

Explanation

Think of a pronoun as a shortcut! Instead of repeating a noun over and over, you use a pronoun like he, it, or they. The original noun that the pronoun refers back to is its antecedent. For a sentence to be clear, every pronoun needs a clear antecedent.

Examples

  • The travelers packed their suitcases before they left for the airport. [Their and they take the place of travelers; travelers is the antecedent.]
  • My sister bought a new car, and she drives it everywhere. [She takes the place of sister; it takes the place of car.]

Section 2

Personal Pronouns

Definition

A personal pronoun is a pronoun that stands for the one speaking (first person), the one spoken to (second person), or the one spoken about (third person).

Explanation

Personal pronouns show perspective. The first person (I, we, me, us) is the speaker. The second person (you, your) is the person being spoken to. The third person (he, she, it, they) is everyone and everything else! It’s all about who is doing the talking.

Examples

  • Can you please give me the report that he left on the desk? [You is a second-person pronoun; me is a first-person pronoun; he is a third-person pronoun.]
  • The team celebrated its victory with a pizza party. [Its is a third-person pronoun referring to the team.]
  • We told them that their presentation was excellent. [We is a first-person pronoun; them and their are third-person pronouns.]

Section 3

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

Definition

A reflexive pronoun stands for the subject of the sentence and completes the meaning of the verb or acts as an object of a preposition. An intensive pronoun stresses its antecedent and is not required in order for the sentence to make sense.

Explanation

Both types end in -self or -selves. Here's a tip: remove the pronoun. If the sentence no longer makes sense, it’s reflexive because it's essential to the meaning. If the sentence is fine without it, the pronoun is intensive because it just adds emphasis.

Examples

  • Reflexive: Ben taught himself to play the guitar. [Himself is essential; it completes the meaning of the verb taught.]
  • Reflexive: The students bought tickets for themselves. [Themselves is essential; it is the object of the preposition for.]
  • Intensive: The author herself signed the book for me. [Herself is not essential; it just emphasizes that the author did the signing.]

Section 4

Demonstrative Pronouns

Definition

A demonstrative pronoun points out a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Explanation

These are the 'pointing' pronouns: this, that, these, and those. Be careful not to mix them up with demonstrative adjectives! It's a pronoun if it takes the place of a noun. It's an adjective if it comes right before a noun and describes it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: This is my grandmother's recipe. [This takes the place of the noun recipe.]
  • Adjective: This recipe is from my grandmother. [This modifies the noun recipe.]
  • Pronoun: Are those the shoes you wanted to buy? [Those takes the place of the noun shoes.]
  • Adjective: Are those shoes the ones you wanted to buy? [Those modifies the noun shoes.]

Section 5

Interrogative Pronouns

Definition

An interrogative pronoun introduces a question.

Explanation

These are your 'question words': what, which, who, whom, and whose. They always start a question. Just like demonstrative pronouns, they can also act as adjectives. It's a pronoun if it replaces a noun, but an adjective if it modifies a noun that comes right after it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: What is the capital of Australia? [What introduces a question.]
  • Pronoun: Which is your favorite flavor of ice cream? [Which takes the place of the noun flavor.]
  • Adjective: Which flavor of ice cream would you like? [Which modifies the noun flavor.]

Section 6

Relative Pronouns

Definition

A relative pronoun introduces a subordinate clause.

Explanation

Relative pronouns (that, which, who, whom, whose) are connecting words. They link a group of words with a subject and verb (a subordinate clause) to the main part of the sentence. This extra clause gives more information but can't stand alone as a complete thought.

Examples

  • The dog that lives next door barks a lot. [That introduces the subordinate clause that lives next door.]
  • My friend, who is an excellent cook, made us dinner. [Who introduces the subordinate clause who is an excellent cook.]
  • She finally visited the city which she had always dreamed of seeing. [Which introduces the subordinate clause which she had always dreamed of seeing.]

Section 7

Indefinite Pronouns

Definition

An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, a place, a thing, or an idea that may or may not be specifically named.

Explanation

These pronouns are 'indefinite' because they aren't specific. Words like everyone, somebody, anything, several, many, and few fall into this category. Be aware that some of these words can also be adjectives if they describe a noun instead of replacing it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: Everyone is invited to the party on Saturday. [Everyone refers to people not specifically named.]
  • Pronoun: I think something is burning in the kitchen. [Something refers to a thing that is not specifically named.]
  • Adjective: Several people volunteered to help clean up. [Several is used as an adjective modifying the noun people.]

Book overview

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Chapter 1: The Parts of Speech: The Work That Words Do

  1. Lesson 1

    Lesson 1: The Noun

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  2. Lesson 2Current

    Lesson 2: The Pronoun

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  3. Lesson 3

    Lesson 3: The Adjective

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  4. Lesson 4

    Lesson 4: The Verb

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  5. Lesson 5

    Lesson 5: The Adverb

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  6. Lesson 6

    Lesson 6: The Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection

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Lesson overview

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Section 1

Pronoun and Antecedent

Definition

A pronoun is a word used in place of one or more nouns or pronouns. The noun or pronoun that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent of the pronoun.

Explanation

Think of a pronoun as a shortcut! Instead of repeating a noun over and over, you use a pronoun like he, it, or they. The original noun that the pronoun refers back to is its antecedent. For a sentence to be clear, every pronoun needs a clear antecedent.

Examples

  • The travelers packed their suitcases before they left for the airport. [Their and they take the place of travelers; travelers is the antecedent.]
  • My sister bought a new car, and she drives it everywhere. [She takes the place of sister; it takes the place of car.]

Section 2

Personal Pronouns

Definition

A personal pronoun is a pronoun that stands for the one speaking (first person), the one spoken to (second person), or the one spoken about (third person).

Explanation

Personal pronouns show perspective. The first person (I, we, me, us) is the speaker. The second person (you, your) is the person being spoken to. The third person (he, she, it, they) is everyone and everything else! It’s all about who is doing the talking.

Examples

  • Can you please give me the report that he left on the desk? [You is a second-person pronoun; me is a first-person pronoun; he is a third-person pronoun.]
  • The team celebrated its victory with a pizza party. [Its is a third-person pronoun referring to the team.]
  • We told them that their presentation was excellent. [We is a first-person pronoun; them and their are third-person pronouns.]

Section 3

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

Definition

A reflexive pronoun stands for the subject of the sentence and completes the meaning of the verb or acts as an object of a preposition. An intensive pronoun stresses its antecedent and is not required in order for the sentence to make sense.

Explanation

Both types end in -self or -selves. Here's a tip: remove the pronoun. If the sentence no longer makes sense, it’s reflexive because it's essential to the meaning. If the sentence is fine without it, the pronoun is intensive because it just adds emphasis.

Examples

  • Reflexive: Ben taught himself to play the guitar. [Himself is essential; it completes the meaning of the verb taught.]
  • Reflexive: The students bought tickets for themselves. [Themselves is essential; it is the object of the preposition for.]
  • Intensive: The author herself signed the book for me. [Herself is not essential; it just emphasizes that the author did the signing.]

Section 4

Demonstrative Pronouns

Definition

A demonstrative pronoun points out a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Explanation

These are the 'pointing' pronouns: this, that, these, and those. Be careful not to mix them up with demonstrative adjectives! It's a pronoun if it takes the place of a noun. It's an adjective if it comes right before a noun and describes it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: This is my grandmother's recipe. [This takes the place of the noun recipe.]
  • Adjective: This recipe is from my grandmother. [This modifies the noun recipe.]
  • Pronoun: Are those the shoes you wanted to buy? [Those takes the place of the noun shoes.]
  • Adjective: Are those shoes the ones you wanted to buy? [Those modifies the noun shoes.]

Section 5

Interrogative Pronouns

Definition

An interrogative pronoun introduces a question.

Explanation

These are your 'question words': what, which, who, whom, and whose. They always start a question. Just like demonstrative pronouns, they can also act as adjectives. It's a pronoun if it replaces a noun, but an adjective if it modifies a noun that comes right after it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: What is the capital of Australia? [What introduces a question.]
  • Pronoun: Which is your favorite flavor of ice cream? [Which takes the place of the noun flavor.]
  • Adjective: Which flavor of ice cream would you like? [Which modifies the noun flavor.]

Section 6

Relative Pronouns

Definition

A relative pronoun introduces a subordinate clause.

Explanation

Relative pronouns (that, which, who, whom, whose) are connecting words. They link a group of words with a subject and verb (a subordinate clause) to the main part of the sentence. This extra clause gives more information but can't stand alone as a complete thought.

Examples

  • The dog that lives next door barks a lot. [That introduces the subordinate clause that lives next door.]
  • My friend, who is an excellent cook, made us dinner. [Who introduces the subordinate clause who is an excellent cook.]
  • She finally visited the city which she had always dreamed of seeing. [Which introduces the subordinate clause which she had always dreamed of seeing.]

Section 7

Indefinite Pronouns

Definition

An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, a place, a thing, or an idea that may or may not be specifically named.

Explanation

These pronouns are 'indefinite' because they aren't specific. Words like everyone, somebody, anything, several, many, and few fall into this category. Be aware that some of these words can also be adjectives if they describe a noun instead of replacing it.

Examples

  • Pronoun: Everyone is invited to the party on Saturday. [Everyone refers to people not specifically named.]
  • Pronoun: I think something is burning in the kitchen. [Something refers to a thing that is not specifically named.]
  • Adjective: Several people volunteered to help clean up. [Several is used as an adjective modifying the noun people.]

Book overview

Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.

Continue this chapter

Chapter 1: The Parts of Speech: The Work That Words Do

  1. Lesson 1

    Lesson 1: The Noun

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  2. Lesson 2Current

    Lesson 2: The Pronoun

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  3. Lesson 3

    Lesson 3: The Adjective

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  4. Lesson 4

    Lesson 4: The Verb

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  5. Lesson 5

    Lesson 5: The Adverb

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  6. Lesson 6

    Lesson 6: The Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection

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