The English pronouns form a relatively small category of words in Modern English whose primary semantic function is that of a pro-form for a noun phrase. Traditional grammars consider them to be a distinct part of speech, while most modern grammars see them as a subcategory of noun, contrasting with common and proper nouns. Still others see them as a subcategory of determiner (see the DP hypothesis). In this article, they are treated as a subtype of the noun category.
They clearly include personal pronouns, relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and reciprocal pronouns. Other types that are included by some grammars but excluded by others are demonstrative pronouns and indefinite pronouns. Other members are disputed (see below).
Overview
Forms
Standard Pronouns in formal modern English. NominativeAccusativeReflexiveIndependentgenitiveDependentgenitiveFirst-personSingularImemyselfminemyPluralweusourselvesoursourSecond-personSingularStandardyouyouyourselfyoursyourPoetic/dialectalthoutheethyselfthinethyPluralyouyouyourselvesyoursyourThird-personSingularMasculinehehimhimselfhishisFemininesheherherselfhersherNeuteritititselfits†itsEpicenetheythemthemselfthemselvestheirstheirPluraltheythemthemselvestheirstheirGenericoneoneoneselfone'sWh-Relative &interrogativePersonalwhowhomwhosewhoseNon-personalwhatwhatwhichwhichReciprocaleach otherone anothereach other'sone another'seach other'sone another'sDummythereit † Rare.
Full list The full set of pronouns (i.e. personal, relative, interrogative and reciprocal pronouns), along with dummies it and there, of which the status as pronouns is disputed. Nonstandard, informal, and archaic forms are in italics. NominativeAccusativeReflexiveIndependentgenitiveDependentgenitive(subject)(object)(object = subject)(possessive)FirstpersonSingularImemyselfminemyme (esp. BrE)mine (before vowel, archaic)PluralweusourselvesourselfoursourSecondpersonSingularStandard & archaic formalyouyouyourselfyoursyourArchaic informalthoutheethyselfthinethythine (before vowel)PluralStandardyouyouyourselvesyoursyourArchaicyeyouyourselvesyoursyourNonstandardyey'allyouseyinzyey'allyouseyinzyeerselvesy'all's selvesyeersy'all'syeery'all'sThird personSingularMasculinehehimhimselfhishisFemininesheherherselfhersherNeuter/impersonalitititselfits†itsEpicenetheythemthemselves/themselftheirstheirPluraltheythemthemselvestheirstheirGeneric/indefiniteFormaloneoneoneselfone'sInformalyouyouyourselfyouryourInterrogativePersonalwhowhomwhowhosewhoseImpersonalwhatwhichwhatwhichof whatof whichof whatof whichRelative††Restrictive or nonrestrictivePersonalwhowhomwho*whoself†whoseself†whosewhoseImpersonalwhichwhichthatwhosewhoseReciprocaleach otherone anothereach other'sone another'seach other'sone another'sDummythereit * Whom and which can be the object of a fronted preposition, but who cannot: The tool with which they sew the dress and The person in whom she confides, but *The person in who she confides. That often cannot be used with a fronted preposition: The book is good, in that it's well written, but *The chair on that she sat. An omitted (∅) pronoun can never be the object of a fronted preposition, but can be the object of a non-fronted preposition: The chair (that) she sat on, but *The chair on (that) she sat. † Rare. †† Except in free or fused relative constructions, in which case what, whatever or whichever is used for a thing and whoever or whomever is used for a person: What he did was clearly impossible, Whoever you married is welcome here (see below).
Distinguishing characteristics
Pro-forms Pronoun is a category of words. A pro-form is not. It is a meaning relation in which a phrase "stands in" for (expresses the same content as) another where the meaning is recoverable from the context. In English, pronouns mostly function as pro-forms, but there are pronouns that are not pro-forms and pro-forms that are not pronouns. Pronouns can be pro-forms for non-noun phrases. For example, in I fixed the bike, which was quite a challenge, the relative pronoun which doesn't stand in for "the bike". Instead, it stands in for the entire proposition "I fixed the bike", a clause, or arguably "fixing the bike", a verb phrase. +Pronouns vs Pro-formsExamplePronounExplanationIt a good idea.The pronoun it "stands in" for whatever was mentioned and is a good idea.I know the people who work there.The relative pronoun who stands in for "the people".Who works there?The interrogative pronoun who doesn't stand in for anything.It raining.It is a dummy pronoun, one that doesn't stand in for anything. No other word can function there with the same meaning; we don't say "the sky is raining" or "the weather is raining".I asked her to help, and she did so right away.Did so is a verb phrase, but it stands in for "help".JJ and Petra helped, but the others didn't.Others is a common noun, not a pronoun, but the others stands in for this list of names of the other people involved.
Deixis Most pronouns are deictic: they have no inherent denotation, and their meaning is always contextual. For example, the meaning of me depends entirely on who says it, just as the meaning of you depends on who is being addressed. Pronouns are not the only deictic words though. For example now is deictic, but it's not a pronoun. Also, dummy pronouns and interrogative pronouns are not deictic. In contrast, most noun phrases headed by common or proper nouns are not deictic. For example, a book typically has the same denotation regardless of the situation in which it is said.
Syntactic functions English pronouns have all of the functions of other noun phrases: +Functions of NPs with pronouns and other nounsFunctionNon-pronounPronounSubjectJess is here.She is here.ObjectI have two pens.I have them.Object of a prepositionIt went to your address.It went to you.Predicative complementThis is my brother.This is him/he.This is he is usually used in formal styles, while This is him is usually used in informal styles. https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/it-is-i-or-it-is-me-predicate-nominative-usage-guideDeterminativethe box's topits topAdjunctTry again Monday.I did it myself.Modifiera Shetland ponya she goat On top of this, pronouns can appear in interrogative tags (e.g., that's the one, isn't it?). These tags are formed with an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. Other nouns cannot appear in this construction. This provides justification for categorizing dummy there as a pronoun.
Subjects Subject pronouns are typically in nominative form (e.g., She works here.), though independent genitives are also possible (e.g., Hers is better.). In non-finite clauses, however, there is more variety, an example of form-meaning mismatch. In present participial clauses, the nominative, accusative, and dependent genitive are all possible:
Nominative: Some people, I being one of them, are just not good at it. Accusative: Him getting bullied doesn't make him weak. Dependent genitive: It worked without our having to do anything at all.
In infinitival clauses, accusative case pronouns function as the subject:
Accusative: It's not easy for me to change.
Object Object pronouns are typically in accusative form (e.g., I saw him.) but may also be reflexive (e.g., She saw herself) or independent genitive (e.g., We've got ours.).
Object of a preposition The pronoun object of a preposition is typically in the accusative form but may also be reflexive (e.g., She sent it to herself) or independent genitive (e.g., I hadn't heard of theirs.). With but, than, and as in a very formal register, nominative is also possible (e.g., You're taller than me/I.)
Predicative complement A pronoun in predicative complement position is typically in the nominative form. Apart from the verb to be, which usually takes the accusative form in informal styles (e.g., It's me, This is him), but the nominative form in formal styles (e.g., It is I, This is he). However, a predicate complement may also be in the reflexive form (e.g., She isn't herself today) or the independent genitive form (e.g., It's theirs.).
Determinative Only genitive pronouns may function as determinatives.
Adjunct The most common form for adjuncts is the reflexive (e.g., I did it myself). Independent genitives and accusative are also possible (e.g., Only one matters, mine/me.).
Dependents Like proper nouns, but unlike common nouns, pronouns usually resist dependents. They are not always ungrammatical, but they are quite limited in their use: +Dependents in noun phrases headed by pronounsCommon nounPronounDeterminativethe bookthe you you want to be *the youRelative clausebooks you havethe you you want to be *you you want to bePreposition phrase modifierbooks from home*it from homeAdjective phrase modifiernew booksa new you *new themNominal modifierschool booksschool me is different from home meComplementanswer to the quiz*it to the quiz
Undisputed subtypes
Personal
Personal pronouns are those that participate in the grammatical and semantic systems of person (1st, 2nd, & 3rd person). They are called "personal" pronouns for this reason, and not because they refer to persons, though some do. They typically form definite NPs.
The personal pronouns of modern standard English are presented in the table above. They are I, you, she, he, it, we, and they, and their inflected forms.
The second-person you forms are used with both singular and plural reference. In the Southern United States, y'all (from you all) is used as a plural form, and various other phrases such as you guys are used in other places. An archaic set of second-person pronouns used for singular reference is thou, thee, thyself, thy, thine, which are still used in religious services and can be seen in older works, such as Shakespeare's—in such texts, ye and the you set of pronouns are used for plural reference, or with singular reference as a formal V-form. You can also be used as an indefinite pronoun, referring to a person in general (see generic you), compared to the more formal alternative, one (reflexive oneself, possessive one's).
The third-person singular forms are differentiated according to the gender of the referent. For example, she is used to refer to a woman, sometimes a female animal, and sometimes an object to which feminine characteristics are attributed, such as a ship, car or country. A man, and sometimes a male animal, is referred to using he. In other cases it can be used. (See Gender in English.)
The third-person form they is used with both plural and singular referents. Historically, singular they was restricted to quantificational constructions such as Each employee should clean their desk and referential cases where the referent's gender was unknown. However, it is increasingly used when the referent's gender is irrelevant or when the referent presents as neither man nor woman.
The dependent genitive pronouns, such as my, are used as determinatives together with nouns, as in my old man, some of his friends. The independent genitive forms like mine are used as full noun phrases (e.g., mine is bigger than yours; this one is mine). Note also the construction a friend of mine (meaning "someone who is my friend"). See English possessive for more details.
Interrogative The interrogative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which and what (also with the suffix -ever). They are chiefly used in interrogative clauses for the speech act of asking questions. What has impersonal gender, while who, whom and whose have personal gender; they are used to refer to persons. Whom is the accusative form of who (though in most contexts this is replaced by who), while whose is the genitive form. For more information see who.
All the interrogative pronouns can also be used as relative pronouns, though what is quite limited in its use; see below for more details.
Relative