Pronouns are some of the most frequently used words in English. Words such as I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us and them allow us to refer to people and things without constantly repeating the same nouns.
Compare these two examples:
Maria found Maria’s keys, so Maria put Maria’s keys in Maria’s bag.
and:
Maria found her keys, so she put them in her bag.
The second sentence sounds much more natural because pronouns help us avoid unnecessary repetition.
Pronouns do more than simply replace names, however. English has several types of pronouns, including personal, possessive, reflexive, intensive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, indefinite and reciprocal pronouns. Some refer to specific people, some ask questions, some show possession, and others refer to people or things that are not specifically identified.
This guide provides a complete list of common English pronouns, explains the major types and shows how each is used in sentences.
About This Guide
This guide is designed as both a pronoun list and a practical explanation of English pronouns.
You can use it if you simply need examples of pronouns for an assignment, but it also explains the grammatical differences between commonly confused groups such as subject and object pronouns, possessive pronouns and possessive determiners, reflexive and intensive pronouns, and relative and interrogative pronouns.
The examples focus on modern standard English and include singular they, which is widely used when a person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant or when they is the individual’s pronoun.
Who Is This Guide For?
This guide is useful for students, teachers, English learners, parents, writers and anyone reviewing English grammar.
Younger students can use the lists to identify pronouns and understand the basic categories. More advanced learners may find the explanations of case, possession, relative clauses and singular they particularly useful.
Teachers can also use the page as a quick reference for grammar lessons, worksheets and examples.
Key Takeaways
A pronoun is a word used to refer to people, things, groups or ideas without repeatedly naming them.
Common personal pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
English pronouns change form depending on their grammatical role. For example:
She called him.
She is a subject pronoun, while him is an object pronoun.
Possessive pronouns such as mine, yours, hers, ours and theirs stand on their own. Words such as my, your, her, our and their normally appear before nouns and are usually classified as possessive determiners.
Pronouns can also be reflexive, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, indefinite, reciprocal or intensive.
What Is a Pronoun?
A pronoun is a grammatical word used to refer to a person, thing, group, idea or previously mentioned noun phrase.
For example:
Daniel bought a new laptop. He uses it for work.
Here, he refers to Daniel and it refers to the laptop.
Without pronouns, we would have to write:
Daniel bought a new laptop. Daniel uses the new laptop for work.
The meaning is still understandable, but the repetition is unnecessary.
Pronouns help sentences flow more naturally and allow speakers and writers to refer back to information that is already understood.
Common Pronouns in English
Some of the most frequently used English pronouns are:
I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them, mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, this, that, these, those, who, whom, whose, which, what, someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, each, either, neither, both, several, many, few and none.
These words do not all function in the same way, so it helps to divide them into grammatical categories.
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns refer to particular people, animals, things or groups.
The basic personal pronouns are:
| Person | Subject | Object |
|---|---|---|
| First-person singular | I | me |
| Second-person singular/plural | you | you |
| Third-person masculine singular | he | him |
| Third-person feminine singular | she | her |
| Third-person neuter singular | it | it |
| First-person plural | we | us |
| Third-person plural | they | them |
Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns normally perform the action or occupy the subject position in a clause.
They include:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
For example:
I enjoy reading.
She works from home.
They arrived early.
We ordered lunch.
Object Pronouns
Object pronouns normally receive the action of a verb or follow a preposition.
They include:
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
For example:
Sarah called me.
We invited him.
The teacher spoke to them.
Could you help us?
Compare:
She called him.
She is the subject doing the calling. Him is the object receiving the action.
First-, Second- and Third-Person Pronouns
Personal pronouns can also be grouped according to grammatical person.
First Person
First-person pronouns refer to the speaker or writer.
They include:
I, me, we, us
For example:
I made dinner.
James invited us.
Second Person
Second-person pronouns refer to the person or people being addressed.
Modern English uses:
you
for both singular and plural.
For example:
You can sit here.
The context usually tells us whether you refers to one person or several.
Third Person
Third-person pronouns refer to someone or something other than the speaker and listener.
They include:
he, him, she, her, it, they, them
For example:
He lives nearby.
I saw her yesterday.
They are already here.
Singular and Plural Pronouns
Some pronouns are clearly singular or plural.
Singular examples include:
I, me, he, him, she, her, it
Plural examples include:
we, us, they, them
However, you can be singular or plural.
They can also be plural or singular depending on context.
For example:
Maya and Alex said they were coming.
Here, they is plural.
But:
Someone left their umbrella.
Here, their refers to a singular person whose identity or gender has not been specified.
Singular They
They, them, their, theirs and themselves can be used to refer to a single person.
This is known as singular they.
It is particularly useful when the person’s gender is unknown or irrelevant:
Someone left their phone on the table.
If a student has a question, they can ask the teacher.
It can also refer to a person who uses they as their pronoun:
Sam said they will arrive at six.
Singular they has a long history in English and is now common in both conversation and writing.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show ownership or belonging.
The main possessive pronouns are:
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
For example:
That book is mine.
Is this jacket yours?
The blue car is theirs.
This table is ours.
Notice that possessive pronouns can stand by themselves. They do not normally need a noun after them.
Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Determiners
This is an important distinction.
Words such as:
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
usually come before a noun.
This is my book.
We visited their house.
These are commonly called possessive determiners.
Possessive pronouns replace the entire noun phrase:
That book is mine.
That house is theirs.
Compare:
This is her coat.
with:
This coat is hers.
Her modifies the noun coat. Hers stands alone.
Possessive Forms at a Glance
| Subject | Possessive Determiner | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| you | your | yours |
| he | his | his |
| she | her | hers |
| it | its | — |
| we | our | ours |
| they | their | theirs |
English does not normally use a standalone possessive pronoun corresponding to its in the same way it uses mine or theirs.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the same clause.
They include:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
For example:
I cut myself while cooking.
She taught herself to play guitar.
They introduced themselves.
In each example, the person performing the action is also receiving it.
She taught herself means that she was both the teacher and the learner.
Intensive Pronouns
Intensive pronouns have the same forms as reflexive pronouns:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
The difference is their function.
An intensive pronoun adds emphasis but is not necessary to the basic grammatical structure of the sentence.
For example:
I myself checked the figures.
The director herself answered the phone.
They built the house themselves.
If you remove the intensive pronoun, the sentence still works:
I checked the figures.
The director answered the phone.
That is a useful way to distinguish intensive pronouns from reflexive pronouns.
Reflexive vs Intensive Pronouns
Compare:
She taught herself Spanish.
Here, herself is reflexive. You cannot simply remove it without changing the meaning.
Now compare:
She herself designed the website.
Here, herself adds emphasis. The sentence still works without it:
She designed the website.
So the same word can be reflexive or intensive depending on how it functions in the sentence.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns point to particular people or things.
They are:
this, that, these, those
For example:
This is delicious.
That belongs to me.
These are much cheaper.
Those were the best seats.
This and that are singular, while these and those are plural.
They can also function as determiners when they appear before nouns:
This book is mine.
Those shoes are expensive.
In those examples, they are modifying nouns rather than replacing them.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
The main interrogative pronouns are:
who, whom, whose, which, what
For example:
Who called?
Whom did you invite?
Whose is this?
Which would you prefer?
What happened?
Who vs Whom
Who is generally used as a subject:
Who called you?
Whom is traditionally used as an object:
Whom did you call?
In everyday modern English, particularly in conversation, who is often used where formal grammar would traditionally prefer whom.
For example:
Who did you call?
is extremely common.
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses that provide more information about a noun or noun phrase.
Common relative pronouns include:
who, whom, whose, which, that
For example:
The woman who called is my neighbour.
The book that I ordered has arrived.
The house which overlooks the park has been sold.
The student whose laptop was missing found it.
Relative pronouns help connect information without requiring separate sentences.
Instead of:
I met a woman. The woman works at the library.
we can write:
I met a woman who works at the library.
Who, Which and That as Relative Pronouns
Who is generally used for people:
The teacher who helped me was very patient.
Which is commonly used for things:
The laptop, which I bought last year, still works well.
That can introduce many restrictive relative clauses referring to people or things:
The book that I borrowed was excellent.
Usage varies somewhat depending on sentence structure and style.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things or amounts without identifying them specifically.
Common indefinite pronouns include:
anybody, anyone, anything, everybody, everyone, everything, nobody, no one, nothing, somebody, someone, something, all, another, any, both, each, either, few, many, most, neither, none, one, several, some
For example:
Someone is at the door.
Everybody enjoyed the meal.
Nothing happened.
Several were damaged.
None remained.
The meaning may be indefinite, but the grammatical number of these pronouns still matters when constructing sentences.
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Many indefinite pronouns are grammatically singular.
Examples include:
anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, somebody, someone, something
For example:
Everyone is ready.
Somebody has taken my seat.
However, singular they is commonly used when referring back to one of these pronouns:
Everyone should bring their ID.
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns are plural.
Examples include:
both, few, many, several
For example:
Both are correct.
Several have already arrived.
Indefinite Pronouns That Can Be Singular or Plural
Words such as all, any, most, none and some can take singular or plural agreement depending on what they refer to.
For example:
Some of the cake is left.
but:
Some of the students are absent.
The noun or idea being referred to determines the agreement.
Reciprocal Pronouns
English has two main reciprocal pronoun expressions:
each other
one another
They describe a mutual relationship or action between two or more people or things.
For example:
The children helped each other.
The team members supported one another.
Traditional grammar sometimes distinguishes each other for two people and one another for more than two, but modern English does not consistently maintain that distinction.
Dummy Pronouns
Sometimes a pronoun appears because English grammar requires a subject even though the pronoun does not refer to a particular person or object.
The most common examples involve it.
It is raining.
It is five o’clock.
It is difficult to explain.
In these sentences, it does not refer back to a particular noun.
This use is sometimes called a dummy pronoun, dummy it or an expletive pronoun.
Generic Pronouns
Pronouns can also refer to people in general rather than a particular individual.
For example:
You never know what might happen.
Here, you does not necessarily refer specifically to the person being spoken to. It means something closer to people in general.
Another example is:
One should always check the instructions.
This use of one is grammatical but tends to sound more formal.
Pronouns for People, Animals and Things
English traditionally uses he and she for people, while it commonly refers to objects and many non-human things.
For example:
I bought a new phone. It works well.
Animals may be referred to using it, particularly when their sex or identity is not relevant.
However, people frequently use he or she for pets and other animals whose sex is known:
Our dog is called Max. He loves swimming.
The choice depends on context.
Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun should make it reasonably clear what it refers to.
Consider:
When Daniel spoke to James, he seemed angry.
Who seemed angry?
Daniel or James?
The pronoun he is grammatically possible, but its reference is unclear.
A clearer sentence would be:
Daniel seemed angry when he spoke to James.
Good pronoun use is not simply about choosing a grammatically valid word. The reader should also be able to understand what that pronoun refers to.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
The word or phrase a pronoun refers back to is often called its antecedent.
For example:
Lucy forgot her umbrella.
Lucy is the antecedent of her.
Pronouns generally need to agree appropriately with what they refer to in person and number.
For example:
The players collected their equipment.
Because players is plural, their fits naturally.
Common Pronoun Mistakes
Pronouns are extremely common, which also means they cause plenty of grammar mistakes.
Me vs I
A common mistake is choosing I simply because it sounds more formal.
For example:
Please contact Sarah or I.
is generally considered incorrect in standard grammar.
You would say:
Please contact me.
So you should also write:
Please contact Sarah or me.
The same trick works in:
James and I went home.
Remove James:
I went home.
That works, so I is correct.
Myself Instead of Me
Another common mistake is using myself where me would be enough.
For example:
Please send the document to myself.
The more natural standard form is:
Please send the document to me.
Myself is normally reflexive or emphatic:
I sent the document to myself.
I checked it myself.
Their vs Theirs
Compare:
This is their car.
with:
This car is theirs.
Their comes before a noun. Theirs stands alone.
Your vs Yours
Similarly:
Is this your bag?
but:
Is this bag yours?
Pronouns by Type
| Pronoun Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Subject pronouns | I, you, he, she, it, we, they |
| Object pronouns | me, you, him, her, it, us, them |
| Possessive pronouns | mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs |
| Reflexive pronouns | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves |
| Intensive pronouns | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves |
| Demonstrative pronouns | this, that, these, those |
| Interrogative pronouns | who, whom, whose, which, what |
| Relative pronouns | who, whom, whose, which, that |
| Indefinite pronouns | someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, each, either, neither, several |
| Reciprocal pronouns | each other, one another |
Complete Personal Pronoun Chart
| Person | Subject | Object | Possessive Determiner | Possessive Pronoun | Reflexive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-person singular | I | me | my | mine | myself |
| Second person | you | you | your | yours | yourself/yourselves |
| Third-person masculine | he | him | his | his | himself |
| Third-person feminine | she | her | her | hers | herself |
| Third-person neuter | it | it | its | — | itself |
| First-person plural | we | us | our | ours | ourselves |
| Third-person plural | they | them | their | theirs | themselves |
This chart is especially useful because it shows how the same grammatical person changes according to its role in the sentence.
For example:
I lost my keys.
Sarah found them and returned them to me.
The keys are mine.
I blamed myself for losing them.
Archaic Pronouns
Older English contains pronouns that are rarely used in ordinary modern conversation.
These include:
thou, thee, thy, thine, ye
Thou
Thou was historically a singular subject form.
Thou art welcome.
Thee
Thee was the corresponding object form.
I give this to thee.
Thy and Thine
Thy and thine expressed possession.
Thy book.
The book is thine.
These forms still appear in historical writing, religious texts, poetry and deliberately archaic language.
Why Are Pronouns Important?
Without pronouns, English would become repetitive very quickly.
Imagine writing:
Sophia met Daniel because Sophia wanted to give Daniel the book that Sophia had borrowed from Daniel.
Pronouns make the same idea easier to follow:
Sophia met Daniel because she wanted to give him the book she had borrowed from him.
Pronouns also allow us to talk about people whose names we do not know:
Someone left their umbrella.
They help us ask questions:
Who called?
And they allow us to refer to entire ideas:
The train was cancelled. That caused a delay.
Understanding pronouns therefore improves both grammar and writing clarity.
How to Identify a Pronoun in a Sentence
When you encounter a possible pronoun, ask what the word is referring to or doing.
In:
Emma said she would come.
She refers to Emma.
In:
Who called?
Who asks about an unknown person.
In:
This is mine.
This points to a specific thing.
In:
Someone called.
Someone refers to an unidentified person.
Looking at the function of the word is more reliable than simply memorising a list because some words can perform different grammatical roles in different sentences.
Key Takeaways
Pronouns allow us to refer to people, things, groups and ideas without repeatedly using the same nouns or names.
The seven basic subject pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we and they, while the corresponding object forms include me, you, him, her, it, us and them.
Possessive pronouns include mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. Words such as my, your, her, our and their are normally possessive determiners because they occur before nouns.
Reflexive and intensive pronouns use the same forms, including myself, yourself, herself, himself, ourselves and themselves, but they perform different jobs in a sentence.
Other important groups include demonstrative, interrogative, relative, indefinite and reciprocal pronouns.
A pronoun should not merely be grammatically correct. It should also make it clear to the reader who or what is being referred to.
Final Thoughts
Pronouns are small words, but English depends heavily on them.
Words such as I, you, she, it, they, this, who, someone and mine allow us to build sentences without constantly repeating names and nouns. Once you begin looking more closely, however, pronouns are more varied than they first appear.
The easiest way to learn them is not to memorise one enormous list. Start with the personal pronouns, learn how subject and object forms differ, then move on to possession, reflexive forms and the other major categories.
Most importantly, pay attention to how the pronoun functions inside an actual sentence. That makes distinctions such as I vs me, their vs theirs, who vs whom, and reflexive vs intensive pronouns much easier to understand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word used to refer to a person, thing, group, idea or noun phrase without repeatedly naming it.
What are the most common pronouns?
Common pronouns include I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them, this, that, who, someone and everyone.
What are the seven subject pronouns?
The seven basic subject pronouns are:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
What are the object pronouns?
The main object pronouns are:
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
What are the possessive pronouns?
The main possessive pronouns are:
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
Is “my” a possessive pronoun?
In most modern grammatical descriptions, my is a possessive determiner because it appears before a noun:
my book
The corresponding possessive pronoun is mine:
The book is mine.
What are reflexive pronouns?
Reflexive pronouns include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.
They are used when the subject and object refer to the same person or thing.
She taught herself.
What are demonstrative pronouns?
The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these and those when they stand in place of a noun phrase.
Those are mine.
What are interrogative pronouns?
Common interrogative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which and what.
They are used to ask questions.
What are relative pronouns?
Common relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which and that.
They introduce relative clauses:
The woman who called is my neighbour.
What are indefinite pronouns?
Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things or quantities without specifying exactly who or what they are.
Examples include someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, anything, each, either, neither, both, several, many and none.
What are reciprocal pronouns?
The main reciprocal pronoun expressions are each other and one another.
They helped each other.
Can “they” be singular?
Yes. They can refer to one person when gender is unknown or irrelevant, or when they is the pronoun that person uses.
Someone left their phone here.
What is the difference between I and me?
I is generally used as a subject:
I called Sarah.
Me is generally used as an object:
Sarah called me.
What is the difference between who and whom?
Traditionally, who functions as a subject and whom as an object.
Who called?
Whom did you call?
In modern informal English, who is very commonly used instead of whom in object position.
What is the difference between reflexive and intensive pronouns?
They use the same forms, but reflexive pronouns are required by the meaning of the sentence:
He hurt himself.
Intensive pronouns simply add emphasis:
He built it himself.
What are archaic pronouns?
Archaic English pronouns include thou, thee, thy, thine and ye. They are mostly found today in historical texts, poetry, religious writing or language deliberately imitating older English.
Why do we use pronouns?
Pronouns reduce repetition, make sentences more natural, allow us to refer to unidentified people or things, and help connect ideas clearly.
