English Pronoun

What Are Pronouns?

Pronouns are words that replace nouns (the names of people, places, things or ideas) in a sentence. Instead of saying the noun multiple times, you can use a pronoun to refer back to it. For example:

• Without pronouns: Maria is my friend. Maria likes to read, and Maria enjoys going to the park.

• With pronouns: Maria is my friend. She likes to read, and she enjoys going to the park.

The subject pronoun “she” replaces the noun “Maria” to avoid repeating the name.

How to Use Pronouns

Here are some examples of how pronouns replace nouns in sentences:

John is a doctor. He works at a hospital.
(Instead of saying “John” again, we use “he” as a pronoun.)

The children are playing in the park. They‘re having fun.
(We use “they” to refer to “the children.”)

John called me yesterday.
(Here, “me” is the object pronoun.)

We will meet them later.
(Here, “we” is the subject pronoun, and “them” is the object pronoun.)

The examples here include subject and object pronouns (both are classified as personal pronouns). There are other types of pronouns including possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns and demonstrative pronouns.