So we don’t repeat ourselves!

 Definition: The word ‘pronoun’ comes from the Latin pronomen meaning ‘for a noun’. As the word implies, pronouns are the words that we use in place of nouns. It will become clear later when we discuss the difference between possessive and demonstrative pronouns and possessive and demonstrative adjectives. We use pronouns to make clear whom or what we are talking about, while avoiding confusing or clumsy repetition. It is wise to teach just personal pronouns initially and bring in the other kinds later.

Personal pronouns

 Share this story with your students. This (true) story could sound something like the following.

‘Marjorie lost her false teeth. The dog had found Marjorie’s false teeth and buried Marjorie’s false teeth. Marjorie could not find Marjorie’s false teeth anywhere, but Marjorie dug up Marjorie’s false teeth two years later, while Marjorie was digging in the garden.’

 With the use of pronouns this would read much more smoothly, in spite of the repetition of the pronouns. Although equally important to the sense, they are less prominent.

‘Marjorie lost her false teeth. The dog had found them and buried them. Marjorie could not find them anywhere, but she dug them up two years later, while she was digging in the garden.’

Without the words ‘I’ and ‘you’ (personal pronouns) we could become very confused. Instead of:

I saw her give you the letter for me.

We would have to say something like this:

John saw Maureen give Michael the letter for John. [John, referring to himself!]

And:

I hurt myself.

Would become:

John hurt John. [himself or another person called John?]

It becomes altogether very confusing!

Most languages have pronouns, though in some languages the pronoun is incorporated in the verb. Pronouns change in form according to the work that they do in the sentence. For example they have number:

Singular – I went to town with him.

Plural – We went to town with them.

 Personal pronouns Singular Plural

1st person

(The person/s speaking)

I / we

2nd person

(The person/s spoken to)

you / you

3rd person

(The person/s or things being spoken about)

he/she/it /they

 And when the action is done to the person, for example:

 Singular / Plural

Me/us

you /you

he/she/it /them

The falling brick hit me.

 a. Following a preposition: These will be explained in the section on prepositions and the section on object.

The brick fell on me.

b. A preposition that is understood, i.e. not mentioned.

It gave (to) me concussion.

 The following words are common pronouns for one person or thing:

I you he she it me her him

And for more than one person or thing:

we you they us them

 Demonstrative pronouns

As the name suggests, demonstrative pronouns demonstrate or point out ‘which one’ of a number. There are just four obvious ones:

 Singular/Plural

(here) this these

(there) that those

 Remember, as the pronoun takes the place of a noun, the noun is not mentioned.

A pronoun – This is scrumptious.

Not a pronoun – This éclair is scrumptious.

In the second sentence this is an adjective qualifying (telling more about) the noun ‘éclair’.

Note: the words one and such can also be used as pronouns taking the place of nouns.

For example:

One can search for gemstones.

Such is life.

I found one.

He told me such.