Pronouns

from English Grammar Today

We use pronouns in place of nouns and noun phrases:

The children were in the garden. They were getting wet.

[pointing to a parcel]

A: What’s in that?

B: I don’t know. It’s for you.

You don’t need to make me a cup of tea. I’ll do it myself.

Pronouns can also act as the head of noun phrases, with pre- and postmodifiers and complements:

A: Did you mean you think she’s wrong?

B: Yes, I meant just that. (premodified pronoun)

I made cakes and she ate them all. (postmodified pronoun)

We’re looking for someone young and energetic.(pronoun and complement)

There are different types of pronouns.

Type of
Examples
pronoun

I/me, you, we/us, she/her, it,

personal
they/them

mine, ours, hers possessive

ourselves, myself, himself reflexive

who, whose, which, what interrogative

this, that, these, those demonstrative

-body, -one, -thing, one, you,

indefinite
they
 each other/each other’s, one
reciprocal
another/one another’s

who, whom, whose, which, that relative

Determiners used as pronouns

Some determiners can also be used as pronouns (i.e. without a noun following and when the meaning is
clear without including the noun):

A: Have you read any poems by Lorca?

B: Yes. I’ve read a few.

See also:
Determiners used as pronouns