Every pronoun makes a promise.
A pronoun always points back to a noun — its antecedent — and promises to match it in number and gender. Meet the eight kinds of pronoun, then master the agreement rule that ties them together.
Meet the 8 kinds of pronoun
Every pronoun stands in for a noun you've already named. Open any card for two quick rules and a few real examples, then use the table at the end to see all eight at a glance.
Use I, you, he, she, it, we, they when the pronoun does the action.
It sits in the spot a noun subject would take — right before the verb.
She is going to the store.
They finished the race first.
He seems tired today.
Use me, you, him, her, it, us, them when the pronoun receives the action.
It also follows a preposition: to her, with them, for us.
The teacher called him. (receives the call)
Please give it to me.
We waited for them.
Use mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs in place of a noun.
No noun follows it — that's what separates it from my, your, her, and the rest.
That book is mine. (= my book)
Is this pen yours?
The choice was theirs to make.
Use myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Use it when the subject and object are the same person, or to add emphasis.
She made the cake herself. (emphasis)
I taught myself to play the guitar.
The cat washed itself in the sun.
Use this / that for one thing, these / those for more than one.
This / these point to something near; that / those point farther away.
These are my favorite cookies.
That was an excellent film.
I'll take those, please.
Who / whom refer to people; which refers to things; that can refer to either.
Whose shows possession inside the clause it introduces.
The book that you lent me was fascinating.
The woman who called is my aunt.
The car whose door won't shut needs a repair.
Who asks about a subject, whom about an object; what asks about a thing.
Which asks about a choice; whose asks about ownership.
What is your name?
Who called this morning?
Which do you prefer?
Everyone, someone, anyone, nobody, no one are singular.
All, some, none, any can be singular or plural, depending on what they refer to.
Everyone is welcome to join the party.
Someone left an umbrella by the door.
All of the cake is gone. (singular: "the cake")
| Kind of pronoun | Its job | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Performs the verb’s action | I, she, they |
| Object | Receives the action or follows a preposition | me, him, us |
| Possessive | Shows ownership, stands alone | mine, yours, theirs |
| Reflexive | Refers back to the subject | myself, herself, themselves |
| Demonstrative | Points to a specific thing | this, that, those |
| Relative | Introduces a clause about a noun | who, which, that |
| Interrogative | Asks a question | who, which, what |
| Indefinite | Refers to a non-specific person or thing | everyone, someone, none |
Pronouns in action
Ten quick questions — four ask you to name the pronoun, six test antecedent agreement. You get instant scoring and a short explanation for every answer.
The promise every pronoun keeps
A pronoun is a stand-in for a noun, and a good stand-in keeps its promise — matching that noun, its antecedent, in number and gender. Learn the eight kinds of pronoun, trust the agreement rule, and every sentence you write will point back exactly where it should.