Pronouns — English Grammar Rules, Examples & Practice (Free)
Learn Pronouns in English grammar with simple rules, clear examples, common mistakes and free practice questions for students.
TL;DR: Learn Pronouns in English grammar with simple rules, clear examples, common mistakes and free practice questions for students.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition and make writing flow smoothly. Common pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and their variations.
Pronouns — The Rules
- Personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they (replace specific nouns)
- Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs (show ownership)
- Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those (point to specific things)
- Interrogative pronouns: who, whom, whose, what, which (ask questions)
- Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, that, which (connect clauses)
Examples
- Personal: "She is a teacher. She teaches us English."
- Possessive: "This pen is mine. That one is yours."
- Demonstrative: "This book is better than that one."
- Interrogative: "Who is coming to the party? What do you want?"
- Relative: "The student who scored the highest will get a prize."
Common Mistakes
These are the errors that cost marks most often. Each line gives the mistake and the correction.
- Using "me" as subject: "Me and him went" is wrong; use "He and I went"
- Confusing "who" and "whom": "Who did you see?" is correct (who is subject); "Whom did you see?" uses whom as object
- Wrong possessive: "It's" means "it is"; "its" shows possession. Correct: "The cat wagged its tail."
Practice Questions
Attempt each one before reading the answer beneath it — checking first teaches nothing.
Fill the blank: "These are my books, and _____ are yours."
these — demonstrative pronoun pointing to books
Choose correct pronoun: "The teacher _____ helped us is very kind."
who — relative pronoun; "The teacher who helped us is very kind."
Is "It's a beautiful day" correct? Why or why not?
Yes — "It's" = "It is"; the sentence means "It is a beautiful day"
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use "who" vs "whom"?
"Who" is for subjects ("Who is calling?"). "Whom" is for objects ("Whom did you call?"). Replace with he/she (who) or him/her (whom) to check.
What is a reflexive pronoun?
Pronouns ending in "-self" or "-selves" (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves) — used when the subject and object are the same: "I taught myself."
Is "you" singular or plural?
Both! Modern English uses "you" for both one person and multiple people. Context determines the meaning.
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