Communication Skills (1+0)

1.2.3.1.Kinds of Pronouns

(i)  P ersonal Pronouns : I, we, you, he, she, it and they are called personal pronouns because they are mostly used for persons.  They are also called as the subject/root/basic form of the pronoun.

 

First Person : The person who speaks is the first person.

            I           - ‘I’ is the first person singular.

 

            We      - ‘We’ is the first person plural

            Example :       I am a painter.

                                    We are Indians.

Second person : the person whom the first person speaks to is the second person. 

 

You     -   ‘You’ is the second person. ‘You’ is used both in          singular and  plural.

Example -       You are my friend.

Third Person : The person or persons about whom a person speaks is the third person(s).

 

            He

            She   - these three pronouns are third person singular.

            It

            They   - ‘They’ is the third person plural.

            He likes ice cream.

 

            She drinks milk.

             It is a pen.

            They play football.

(ii)               Possessive Pronouns : A possessive pronoun stands for possession. They are mine, ours, theirs, yours, his, hers, its.

 

The house is ours.

The camera is mine.

The bag is hers.

The books are yours.

It is his mistake.

The trees are theirs.

It is its tail.

(iii)             Demonstrative Pronouns : Pronouns which directly point out or refer to the objects are called demonstrative pronoun.  They are – this, that, these and those.

 

This is my book.

That is your car.

These are his photographs.

Those were the happiest days.

(iv)             Distributive pronouns : Pronouns which refer to persons or things one at a time are called distributive pronouns.

 

They are – ‘each’ ‘either’ and ‘neither’

Each of the boys got a prize.

Either of them can do the work.

Neither of the pens is mine.

(v)               Interrogative Pronouns : An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun that asks a question about the noun which it stand for. They are – what, who, whom, which and whose.

 

What does the woman do?

Who is there at the door?

Whom were you talking to?

Which of these is yours?

Whose house is that?

(vi)             Emphatic Pronouns : An emphatic pronoun emphasizes the action of the subject. They are – myself, ourselves, themselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself.

 

Example :       I myself completed the work.

                        She herself learnt it.

                        He himself carried it.

(vii)           Reflexive Pronouns :  A reflexive pronoun is used when the action of the subject reflects upon itself.

Example :       I cut myself.

                        They helped themselves.

                        She did it herself.